This year seems more promising. The new COVID variant is creating much less havoc, therefore it is with a certain optimism that we look forward to the new season.

For those planning a trip to Italy the following are the new rules for travelers:

Foreigners and Travels

To those who come from a foreign country and have a certificate of recovery or vaccination with a vaccine authorized or recognized as equivalent in Italy, if more than six months have passed since the completion of the vaccination cycle or after recovery, access is allowed to services and activities for which the Enhanced Green Pass is required after carrying out a rapid (48-hour validity) or molecular (72-hour validity) antigen test.

And with that spirit, I started to do a few trips here and there.

I often saw pics of Sacile, a small town just on the border between the Veneto and Friuli Venezia Giulia Regions. It is called ”the garden of Venice,” and it piqued my curiosity.

Like most towns of the area, the Venetian influence is very visible in the buildings, and most notably in Palazzo Ragazzoni.

It is indeed a very pleasant town, that gives an impression of a good tranquil life. Sacile is crossed by a river, hence there are many pictorial corners, caffès with sitting areas on the riverbanks for cool summer refreshments.

It takes the name from Giacomo Ragazzoni (Venice 1528-1610), a Venetian merchant who settled in Sacile around 1580, bought it and enriched it until it became a residence equal to the most beautiful Venetian palaces.

The Renaissance facade is characterized by a mullioned window and the one facing the park is enriched with valuable statues.

Inside, in the Salone degli Imperatori, after the recent restoration, the spectacular frescoes were painted around 1583.

With the death of the last heir, the fiefdom and the palace changed a few owners until it became municipal property.

In Sacile there are quite a few nice places where to eat. My choice was the restaurant La Piola, located in the main Piazza. Nice ambiance, good quality food, excellent service.