An old picturesque mountain village in Friuli
A small picturesque mountain village nestling under the towering peaks of the Julian Alps in the north eastern most corner of Italy. Patocco (Patòc in the local fruilian language) is located high up on the flanks of the Val Raccolana in the Comune di Chiusaforte, beneath the towering cliffs of Monte Cimone. It’s situation at the head of a smaller valley Rio Patoc offers stunning views of both Val Raccolana and the surrounding mountains. The area is part of the Friuli Venezia Giulia region of Italy and is close to the borders with both Slovenia and Austria.
The village consists of three groups of old stone houses and a striking church, with an iconic bell tower resplendent on a small hill overlooking much of the village and the valley below. Once home to an agricultural community with around 130 inhabitants, Patocco is now sparsely populated throughout the year, but comes back to life in the summer months as people visit to enjoy the peaceful surroundings and relax in the warm summer weather.
Access is via a narrow, steep and twisting road running 7km from Chiusaforte and climbing up to 770 M asl. Alternatively, there is a pretty walking route following the course of Rio Patoc from Raccolana in Chiusaforte.
The Julian Alps
The Julian Alps are a range of limestone mountains that stretch from North East Italy into Slovenia. Notable peaks visible from Patocco are Cimone (2379M) and Sart (2321). The principle peaks of Jof di Montasio(2752m) and Monte Canin(2587) are obscured from view but in the distance looking East along the Val Raccolana, Monte Leupa can be seen, which is the border with Slovenia.
Patocco – wartime history
In history Patocco was touched by both the first and second world wars. In particular, the Val Raccolana was on the Italian front line against the Austrians in the First World War. Above Patocco many fortifications still exist including two tunnel complexes. Much of the network of scenic walking trails around Patocco originated as mule tracks during the first world war.
Patocco – the surrounding area
The nearest habitation with any shops or services is Chiusaforte whilst the Val Raccolana is dotted with several small hamlets of traditional style stone houses. At the top of the Valley, Sella Nevea is a ski resort with ski-ing on the slopes of Canin and across the border into Bovec, Slovenia. Above the valley is the grassy Plateau of Montasio, famous for its cattle and cheese products as well as some stunning scenic views.
Find out more
To find out more about the beautiful mountain retreat of Patocco please browse through the other pages and picture galleries on this site.
