Thefaçade of thePalazzo Municipale in Farra d'Isonzo
The name "Farra" is ofLombard origin, and derives from "Fara", meaning "a stronghold held by individual families or clans". TheRomans later had a "statio"—or courier relay point—here, near which they built a bulky bridge on theIsonzo River in a place called Mainizza to improve communications with the eastern territories. It was on this strategic bridge that theGoths, theOstrogoths, theLombards, theAvari, theHuns, theHungarians and theTurks would later pass to invade the empire.
Today Farra is still a thriving center for the numerousvineyards that cover its vast territory. The old agricultural features of the landscape can still be seen in the urban layout of the locality, that includes numerous villages and the two smaller towns of Mainizza and Villanova.
The palace of Calice (1728) stands out next to the modern buildings that were rebuilt after the war. It is the administrative seat of thecomune and housed important landowners' villas. An intense and lively cultural life has developed here, and there are numerous institutions like the centre dedicated the poetRiccardo Pitteri, who wrote about this country and chose it as a summer resort. There is also a retirement home, and in Borgo Grotta there is a museum documenting the agricultural society of the region ofFriuli.
TheFarra d'Isonzo Observatory (Italian:Osservatorio Astronomico di Farra d'Isonzo,obs.code: 595), whereminor planets have been discovered, and a town library are among the other facilities found there.
For several years there has been a renowned musical academy here, promoting an annual chamber music competition for young musicians of theAlpe-Adria, and various concerts are held in the splendid chamber of the parochial oratory. Among other music is the "Gruppo Vocale", a men's choir of recent origin, but already boasting an impressive series of successes with its repertory of classical, popular and religious music.
