Gorizia, Border town in Friuli-Venezia Giulia, Italy
Gorizia is a commune in northeastern Italy bordering Slovenia, sitting at the foot of the Julian Alps at an elevation of 84 meters. The town shares a continuous urban fabric with Nova Gorica on the Slovenian side, with both centers connected by an open border.
The castle and settlement were first recorded in the year 1001 when Emperor Otto III granted them to the Patriarch of Aquileia. After World War II the town was divided by the new border between Italy and Yugoslavia, leading to the creation of a new center on Slovenian territory.
The old quarter combines Romanesque, Gothic and Baroque elements with Austro-Hungarian facades from the late nineteenth century. The cafés and osterie around Piazza della Vittoria still show the habits of a Central European border region today.
Gorizia railway station offers regular connections to Venice, Trieste and Udine throughout the day. Signs at the border with Nova Gorica are bilingual, making it easy for pedestrians to move between both sides.
Piazza Transalpina marks the point where Italy and Slovenia meet, with a simple line on the ground. Until 2004 a fence ran here, now visitors move freely between both countries.
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