Just north of Pordenone, at the feet of the Friuli Dolomites, there are the Magredi, toponyms of Celtic origin which indicates a vast arid plain, located at the feet of the Friuli Dolomites and originated by the floods following the ice Ages. An alluvial mattress was formed under which the waters of three rivers (Cellina, Meduna and Colvera) flow. These rivers resurface just south of Vivaro giving rise to the area of the resurgences.
The Magredi Natural Park is a large Special Protection Area for birdlife, located at the confluence of the Cellina, Meduna and Colvera rivers. These rivers or, more precisely, streams constitute the river system of the Pordenonese valleys together with Tagliamento and Livenza.
Part of the territory is composed of large virgin meadows on which to gallop "with loose bridles". The rest is the ideal land for the cultivation of fruit and vines from which the famous "Vini dei Magredi" are produced.
As can be seen from the satellite maps, the confluence of the three rivers draws in the territory a large white Y that stands out clearly in the green sea of the wild grasslands.
The Magredi, (whose name is perhaps an abbreviation of "Magus Ritus" - the land of the fords) is a natural park of about 300 square kilometers enriched with vegetation similar in many aspects to the Russian steppe and the Hungarian puzta. It presents a set of botanical rarities such as the Crambe Tataria, a cruciferous that blooms here and in some areas around Lake Balaton (Hungary).
The landscape is poor of trees, mainly characterized by extensive and intact grasslands around Maniago, Arba, Tesis, Basaldella, Vivaro, San Quirino and Cordenons.
It is in Vivaro's Magredi that the sense of grandeur and silence can still be tasted today. Right here, walking between open spaces and the scents of nature, you get the impression that time has stopped. The gaze extends towards the distant mountains to the north and the low plain to the south that silently loses itself in the haze of the horizon.
Looking around, there are no obstacles, the low trees let the gaze continue, no noises are heard, it seems that everything around is immobile.
An enchanted place
We are carried away by a deep sense of freedom, by a desire for meditation.
In spring, the gray and brown grasslands gives way to an awakening of colors that is expressed in yellow, pink, white and blue spots: a carpet of shades and scents that invites you to lie down and take part in this show of nature.