A path to do on foot or by bicycle to discover the river park ecosystems of the Friuli high plain. Between mills, locks and bridges built to tame the water
This is a beautiful path to do on foot or by bicycle, pedaling against the current along the canals, the artificial canals created in ancient times to bring water to the city of Udine and its surroundings.
It starts from the city center and reaches the water intake on the Torre torrent which was used by Arturo Malignani to obtain hydroelectric energy to illuminate the capital. This excursion allows you to discover the landscape and ecosystem of a characteristic river park of the Friuli high plain. What appears as a simple canal reveals surprising environments and ancient testimonies. There is a dedicated signage and there are areas equipped for parking with tables and benches, the refreshment posts are located in the towns you cross. It is a route that can be done in every season, for everyone, does not present significant differences in height and takes place on municipal roads with little traffic and protected cycle paths.
It starts from piazza Primo Maggio where the canal runs between the Basilica delle Grazie and the Liceo Stellini. In piazzale Osoppo you go up on the suggestive raised cycle and pedestrian path of viale Volontari della Libertà which runs alongside the Udine canal. Then viale Vat, via Torino and via Biella and you reach Molin Nuovo, a hamlet of Tavagnacco and the starting point of the shortest route (11 km) which continues along the Udine canal upstream. The slow flow of water is accompanied by ducks and hens, rows of willows and vast meadows and cultivated fields. Mills, locks and bridges, some centuries old, can still be admired today. The view of the Musi chain in the background reminds us of the place of the source of the Torre torrent (which rises at the foot of Mount Sorochiplas, 1084 meters) from whose waters the canal derives. The morainic hills and the Julian Pre-Alps stand out beyond the inhabited areas. The flora is typical of wetlands: alder, willow, black poplar, marsh plants, such as farinaccio, soapwort and floating water buttercup. The churches: in Cavalicco San Leonardo it has Romanesque shapes, between Adegliacco and Ribis San Giacomo it is in the middle of a lawn and has stone walls and a small bell tower.
After passing fields and rows of mulberry trees, you arrive in the Reana del Rojale area, which reveals an unthinkable proto-industrial heritage. In the hamlet of Rizzolo there are the Sbuelz battiferro, which dates back to the eighteenth century, an early twentieth century furnace and at least a couple of mills. In Cortale there is the old Segat mill, still active for grinding corn. Farmhouses and mills follow one another, as well as the bridges that cross the canal, passing the path now on one side now on the other. Finally, here is the goal: the taking of Zompitta sul Torre, with the system for capturing and distributing the waters between the canals of Udine. The last stretch runs alongside the ancient wall, or rosta, which defends the Torre from flooding. The current water intake work was carried out in 1934 on the basis of much older works.
The return takes place on the left bank of the stream passing from Savorgnano al Torre up to Beivars to return to the starting point.
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