A MUSICAL CASTLE
We’d checked the distance and the castle seemed achievable from our hotel. Well, Lorraine thought she could walk it, though I had my doubts if she’d survive the climb. Along the flats in the middle of town it was easy but then there came the hill and a statue of Carlo Michelstaedter, a radical Italian philosopher of Jewish extraction whose one and only work was conceived as an undergraduate thesis, but he never saw it in print because he committed suicide in 1910, aged 23.
We troll past a shop with exotic foodstuffs and can’t help but notice some bottled Buderim ginger featured in the window. Just below it was another sign on some wrapped lollies “senza zucchero zenzero AUSTRALIA”, which meant I could buy my sugar free dried ginger right here. It’s a small world.
It was slow and overly warm getting up from there but we took it easy and Castello di Gorizia came into view. Dating back to the 11th century it’s clearly the highest point for miles around.
The chapel-sized Church of Santo Spirito seems like a ticket office on the way to the main attraction. In a park on the opposite side of the road there’s a bust of Gabrielle D’Annunzio, a famous and prolific Italian writer and WWI hero who was hugely influential in the Fascist movement, inspiring Mussolini. He was noted for self-promotion.
From the 11th century Gorizia was an independent county until Austria took over in 1500 and it became a major cultural centre. It was only after the fallout from WWI, when it suffered badly, that it came to be in Italian hands. This once castle-of-the-counts has now been done up as a tourist attraction but it holds a surprise, at least for those of us who hadn’t done their homework properly.
The solid walls are much covered in plant life these days and the parapets are quite impressive from below and when you enter through the gateways the cobblestone walkways add an air of authenticity as you climb their steep angle. Only the base is original though. It went through many rebuilds from the 13th to 16th century and was bombed during WWI before being restored for the final time. The restoration is evident in the variance of the colours in the stonework.

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Top Province of Gorizia Winery Hotels

Breakfast, lunch, dinner served; Regional cuisine

Hotel Franz

Gradisca d'Isonzo

United States

Tarcisio

Outdoor pool

Al Ponte

Gradisca d'Isonzo

United States

James

3.980.825 ₫ total

includes taxes & fees

17 Nov - 18 Nov

Daily buffet breakfast for a fee

Hotel Major

Ronchi dei Legionari

Canada

Richard

Exterior

Albergo Vinnaeria La Baita

Capriva del Friuli

United States

VINCENT

Classic Triple Room, Private Bathroom | Down duvets, individually decorated, individually furnished, desk

Agriturismo Borg da Ocjs

Cormons

Austria

Victor

Family Apartment, 1 Bedroom | Living area | Flat-screen TV

Urban Homy Gorizia

Gorizia

Italy

Otello

2.192.823 ₫ total

includes taxes & fees

1 Dec - 2 Dec

Lobby

Best Western Gorizia Palace Hotel

Gorizia

United States

Eric

2.572.226 ₫ total

includes taxes & fees

8 Dec - 9 Dec

Exterior

Lombardia

Monfalcone

Italy

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