Nimis () is a town and (municipality) in the
Regional decentralization entity of Udine,
Friuli
Friuli (; ; or ; ; ) is a historical region of northeast Italy. The region is marked by its separate regional and ethnic identity predominantly tied to the Friulians, who speak the Friulian language. It comprises the major part of the autono ...
, in the north-eastern Italian region of
Friuli-Venezia Giulia
Friuli-Venezia Giulia () is one of the 20 regions of Italy and one of five autonomous regions with special statute. The regional capital is Trieste on the Gulf of Trieste, a bay of the Adriatic Sea.
Friuli-Venezia Giulia has an area of and a ...
, near the border with Slovenia. It is located at the foot of
Mount Bernadia, home to a
World War I
World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...
Italian fort and to a sweet white wine called
Ramandolo.
The town is bordered by the municipalities of
Attimis,
Lusevera,
Povoletto,
Reana del Rojale,
Taipana, and
Tarcento.
According to the 1971 census, 25.4% of the population are
Slovenes
The Slovenes, also known as Slovenians ( ), are a South Slavs, South Slavic ethnic group native to Slovenia and adjacent regions in Italy, Austria and Hungary. Slovenes share a common ancestry, Slovenian culture, culture, and History of Slove ...
, but these are located mainly in some villages on the surrounding hills and not in the main town and the rest of the plain. Due to the ethnic, linguistic, and cultural features of their population, the mountainous parts of the municipality are considered part of the traditional region known as the
Friulian Slavia. In the remaining part of the municipality,
Friulian is still widely spoken.
History
Nimis was founded by the ancient Romans, its name deriving from the Latin word ''Nemus''. After the fall of the
Western Roman Empire
In modern historiography, the Western Roman Empire was the western provinces of the Roman Empire, collectively, during any period in which they were administered separately from the eastern provinces by a separate, independent imperial court. ...
it housed a ''castrum'', mentioned by
Paul the Deacon
Paul the Deacon ( 720s 13 April in 796, 797, 798, or 799 AD), also known as ''Paulus Diaconus'', ''Warnefridus'', ''Barnefridus'', or ''Winfridus'', and sometimes suffixed ''Cassinensis'' (''i.e.'' "of Monte Cassino"), was a Benedictine monk, sc ...
in his ''
Historia Langobardorum
The ''History of the Lombards'' or the ''History of the Langobards'' () is the chief work by Paul the Deacon, written in the late 8th century. This incomplete history in six books was written after 787 and at any rate no later than 796, maybe at ...
''. During World War II, the town was burned by the
SS, due to the presence of both Italian and Yugoslav partisan brigades in the area.
External links
Ramandolo Protection ConsortiumMountain Community PhotogalleyItalianmade.comArticle on Ramandolo wine
Cities and towns in Friuli-Venezia Giulia
{{FriuliVeneziaGiulia-geo-stub