Castello di Caneva

Castello di Caneva is a medieval castle ruin perched on a strategic hilltop in western Friuli. The site spreads across multiple levels with visible outlines of buildings, pathways, and defensive structures.

The castle was founded in the early 12th century by the Patriarch of Aquileia to control the western frontier. Excavations in the 1990s revealed that the site had a longer history before this medieval establishment.

This location served as a center for local communities who lived and worked across its grounds for centuries. The residents left traces of their daily life through crafts and trade, which remain visible in the surviving remains today.

The site is accessible through several marked walking paths that allow you to explore the ruins from different angles. You should wear sturdy footwear and allow time to traverse the various levels and viewing points.

Beneath the later castle lies an early medieval necropolis with about twenty graves, suggesting an older unfortified settlement. These finds show that people lived at this location long before the castle was built.