by InTrieste
In the mountain villages of Carnia, in FVG, winter has long been a season for stories. When snow closed the passes and darkness fell early, families gathered around the fogolâr — the traditional hearth — to share food, memories and the oral traditions that shaped local identity.
Beginning Jan. 9, that centuries-old custom will return in a contemporary form with “Fogolâr in Famiglia – Stories, Flavors and Warmth in the Heart of Carnia,” a five-event series organized by PromoTurismoFVG in collaboration with the cultural group OrtoTeatro and several local hospitality businesses.
The program will run through Feb. 5, moving between inns, hotels and agriturismi in villages around Mount Zoncolan, an area known for both its alpine landscapes and its deeply rooted rural culture. Each evening will bring together residents and visitors around a working fireplace for storytelling, traditional food and informal conversation.
At the center of the series is Fabio Scaramucci, a storyteller and performer who specializes in folk tales from Friuli Venezia Giulia. His repertoire includes legends, fairy tales and historical narratives that once circulated in Carnian homes, passed down orally from one generation to the next.
“The fogolâr was not just a source of heat,” said one of the organizers. “It was where people learned who they were.”
A Journey Through the Villages
The first event will take place on Friday, Jan. 9, at 5 p.m. at Agriturismo Naunal in Sutrio, where a large hearth forms the center of the dining room. Surrounded by wooden beams and alpine views, participants will listen as Scaramucci brings traditional stories to life beside the fire.
On Jan. 16, the series moves to Bar Al Fogolar in Paluzza, a village known for its role as a gateway to the Carnic Alps. Here, the fireplace remains a symbolic and literal heart of the establishment, a place where locals still gather in winter to talk and reflect.
The following week, on Jan. 23, the setting will be Albergo Alle Alpi in Comeglians, at the foot of Mount Zoncolan. The hotel, long a stopping point for travelers and skiers, will host the storytelling session in a room centered on its traditional hearth.
On Jan. 30, the program returns to Paluzza, this time at Hotel Galles, where Scaramucci will again perform for families and visitors.
The final evening will be held on Feb. 5 at Hotel Ristorante Bellavista in Ravascletto, a village overlooking the Zoncolan ski area. The venue, built of stone and wood, offers panoramic mountain views and an interior designed around warmth and intimacy — an appropriate setting for the closing gathering.
Reviving a Social Ritual
While the evenings are structured around storytelling, the initiative is also intended to highlight Carnia’s culinary traditions, with each venue offering local dishes and regional products. In this way, the series blends narrative heritage with gastronomic culture, both of which have historically been linked to the hearth.
The project is part of a broader regional effort to promote Friuli Venezia Giulia’s traditional hospitality. It complements another ongoing program, “Alla scoperta dei fogolâr,” which guides visitors to restaurants and taverns across the region that still preserve the traditional hearth as a focal point of social life.
Organizers say the goal is not to recreate folklore for tourists, but to provide a setting where a living tradition can continue — one in which storytelling, food and conversation still revolve around a shared fire.
Further information about the program is available through PromoTurismoFVG and OrtoTeatro, as well as at regional tourist information offices.
