Caorle

Càorle (Càorle in veneto, Cjàurlis (Cjàorle) in western friulano) is situated between the mouths of the river Livenza and Lemene, which overlooks the Adriatic Sea to the north east of the lagoon of Venice between tourist locations in Eraclea and Bibione.

The roots of Caorle sink in the I century B.C. (the name derives from the latin Caprulae, probably because of the wild goats that there grazing), as testified by several finds of the Roman era, as the Ara Licovia, sacrificial altar guarded now in the duomo, or the archaeological finds in the sea. However the city grows and becomes as important as the port of the nearby Concord, for its position at the mouth of the Lemene, particularly as a result of the barbarian invasions of the Huns, who drove many concordiesi from the inland to the coast; it was in that period, around the VI century, that Caorle became a bishopric. In the following centuries the fate of Caorle were linked to those of the Serenissima Republic; the city territory was part of Dogado, i.e. of the metropolitan territory, as well as original nucleus, the Republic. In the XIII and XIV centuries, because of the frequent invasions of the territory by the Trieste can and pirates, many families were forced to relocate to Venice; it was thus that Caorle began the descending parable, that accompanied him until the Napoleonic era, losing its importance compared to other cities of the Venetian Dogado. Insulation which became even more serious when, in 1379, the genoese landed on the island caprulana and while trying to conquer the territories of the Serenissima, devasted the entire city, obliging the bishops to leave the episcopal seat vacant. In the XVII century Caorle had its only outlet in the fluvial connection with harmony and Portogruaro; but this was also the time of the end of the Republic, for the hand of the Napoleonic troops; were to cease the ancient privileges on the waters, which had ensured subsistence to the city, and it prepared a long period of foreign domination.

In the nineteenth century, as all the Veneto, Caorle passed to Austria; the small town leaked, thus definitively its importance, being its economy is essentially based on fishing; must wait until the seventies because Caorle lathes to a most prosperous period, when is reoriented so impressive toward tourism. In 1818 is suppressed the diocese and the territory is annexd to the Patriarchate of Venice; so are also lost many of the popular traditions and religious, who had animated the life of the island in previous centuries. The XX century is also for Caorle the century of the great wars. In particular it ignites the lagoon life after the defeat of Caporetto, becoming a strategic territory for the front that fought on the Piave. In the last offensive of 1918 also the caorlotti you did honor. It is not by chance that one of the sections of the San Marco Battalion was called its "Battalion Caorle" and, together with the Battalion Bafile, played an important role in the battle of liberation on the Piave. During the second war, instead, serious was the weight of the german occupation, who came to threaten to flooding, for strategic reasons, the whole coast to a depth of 10 kilometers; the alarm came unexpectedly and still today the caorlotti, in memory of a vow made on 2 January 1944, attach the merit of this to the intercession of their Madonnina del Mare.

Of particular interest is the Cathedral of 1038 (already cathedral and the Episcopal Seat until 1807) and the cylindrical bell tower and surmounted by a conical cusp, in romanesque style, of the same age. On the coast there is the Sanctuary of the Madonna dell'Angelo, rebuilt in the XVII century on a pre-existing church of basilican plan and restructured in 1944.

Caorle, unique on the Adriatic, is capable of reconciling the bathing season and a valuable historical center, with its multicolored houses distributed among calli and campielli; originally crossed by a network of artificial channels now buried (so-called Rio Terà) still gives the impression of walking through a small glimpse of Venice; in the heart of the city there is the fishing harbor, witness of the flourishing fishing activities and the last bastion of the network of canals that crossed the old island. In winter the city does not become empty, but continues to offer opportunities for tourists, with hotels and apartments for holiday open all the year and, in the historical center, the Christmas markets and an ice-skating rink to open from December to the first days of February (initiative launched with success from some year).