by InTrieste
The medieval town of Valvasone will welcome visitors by historic rail for the first time when its 34th annual Medioevo a Valvasone festival returns from Sept. 3 to 6, reflecting the Friuli Venezia Giulia region’s growing investment in slow tourism and heritage travel.
Regional Infrastructure Councilor Cristina Amirante presented the festival on Thursday at Valvasone Castle, alongside Mayor Fulvio Avoledo, Regional Councilor Markus Maurmair, and Sandra Bono, president of the cultural association Grup Artistic Furlan, which organizes the event.
This year’s edition, titled “Orcolat – The Awakening of the Earth,” draws inspiration from Friuli’s legendary Orcolat, a mythical force associated with earthquakes. The program intertwines the devastating earthquake of 1348 with the memory of the 1976 Friuli earthquake, whose 50th anniversary is being commemorated in 2026.
Amirante said the regional government continues to support initiatives that promote local communities through sustainable forms of travel, noting that visitors increasingly seek authentic experiences centered on history, culture and regional traditions.
A centerpiece of the 2026 edition is the “Treno Città del Medioevo” (“City of the Middle Ages Train”), a historic service that will operate on Sunday, Sept. 6. Departing from Trieste Central at 8:22 a.m., the train will stop in Gorizia, Udine and Casarsa della Delizia before passengers continue to Valvasone aboard regional shuttle buses.
The return journey will leave Casarsa at 5:15 p.m., arriving in Trieste at 7:20 p.m.
The train will consist of restored 1930s “Centoporte” carriages, accompanied by a baggage coach equipped to transport bicycles free of charge. Round-trip tickets cost €10 for adults, €5 for children aged 4 to 11, and are free for younger children.
“We wanted to create a mobility system that becomes part of the tourist experience, rather than simply transporting people to a destination,” Amirante said during the presentation.
The Valvasone service forms part of Friuli Venezia Giulia’s broader historic railway program, which will offer 38 themed routes across the region in 2026 connecting medieval villages, art cities, cultural festivals and historical sites. Regional officials said more than 13,000 passengers traveled aboard the historic trains in 2025, a 20 percent increase from the previous year.
The expansion from 34 to 38 itineraries reflects what officials described as a collaborative effort involving the regional government, Trenitalia, the Italian State Railways Foundation, FS Treni Turistici Italiani, PromoTurismoFVG, municipalities and the regional public transport network.
Beyond its historical reenactments, artisan markets and costumed performances, the festival has become one of Friuli’s best-known cultural events, with organizers emphasizing the role of volunteers and local residents in preserving the region’s medieval heritage.
