Portogruaro
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By Dion Protani
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Latest update: 26 September 2023
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The town of Portogruaro is located within the Metropolitan City of Venice province and has a population of 24,909 inhabitants. It's situated around 75 kilometres to the north east of Venice, the regional capital of Veneto.
The most famous sight in the town is its leaning tower that rises above the cathedral on Piazza Duomo, the cathedral square. |
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Although it's only a small town, Portogruaro leaves a lasting impression and it's that wonky tower that lingers longest in the memory. The free-standing tower is located next to the town's cathedral, the Duomo di Sant'Andrea and climbs to a height of 59 metres. From the adjacent Piazza della Repubblica, it seems to be protruding from the buildings behind the square but a quick walk round to the smaller Piazza Duomo confirms that's not the case.
Both Piazza della Repubblica and Piazza Duomo are full of character; the largest of the two is Piazza della Repubblica whose western side is occupied by the beautiful gothic facade of the Palazzo Comunale. Built in 1265, the historic building is also know as the Palazzo del Municipale as it's used by local government. The Piazza is completed by a war memorial and a row of multi-coloured buildings, underneath which is a cafe with seats and tables outside. To the west of Piazza della Repubblica is the town's main thoroughfare Corso Martiri della Libertà with its wide boulevards lined by palm trees and porticoed buildings.
One of the most attractive areas of the town is across on the western bank of the River Lemene. From the Ponte di Sant'Andrea bridge that crosses the river you get the full effect of the tower's lean, but even better than that are the views created by the water mills next to the bridge. It's on this western side of the river that you'll also find the National Museum of Concordia which displays artefacts from the ancient Roman city of Iulia Concordia.
In terms of public transport, you can take a direct train from Portogruaro to Venice city centre in 56 minutes (5 stops) or to Padova in an hour and nine minutes with one stop. The train station is called Portogruaro-Caorle and located a ten minute walk from Piazza della Repubblica. Direct bus services run to the seaside town of Caorle; the number two bus which takes 42 minutes with around 20 stops along the way. By car, it's just under an hour to Venice (70 km), 50 minutes to Treviso (60 km) or a little under two hours to Verona (180 km). The most convenient airports for Portogruaro are Venice Marco Polo Airport (57 km) or Treviso Airport (60 km).
Portogruaro lies at the north-eastern confines of the Veneto region on the border with Friuli Venezia Giulia. The region to the north provides two beautiful towns just a short distance from Portogruaro: San Vito al Tagliamento and Sesto al Reghena.
Both Piazza della Repubblica and Piazza Duomo are full of character; the largest of the two is Piazza della Repubblica whose western side is occupied by the beautiful gothic facade of the Palazzo Comunale. Built in 1265, the historic building is also know as the Palazzo del Municipale as it's used by local government. The Piazza is completed by a war memorial and a row of multi-coloured buildings, underneath which is a cafe with seats and tables outside. To the west of Piazza della Repubblica is the town's main thoroughfare Corso Martiri della Libertà with its wide boulevards lined by palm trees and porticoed buildings.
One of the most attractive areas of the town is across on the western bank of the River Lemene. From the Ponte di Sant'Andrea bridge that crosses the river you get the full effect of the tower's lean, but even better than that are the views created by the water mills next to the bridge. It's on this western side of the river that you'll also find the National Museum of Concordia which displays artefacts from the ancient Roman city of Iulia Concordia.
In terms of public transport, you can take a direct train from Portogruaro to Venice city centre in 56 minutes (5 stops) or to Padova in an hour and nine minutes with one stop. The train station is called Portogruaro-Caorle and located a ten minute walk from Piazza della Repubblica. Direct bus services run to the seaside town of Caorle; the number two bus which takes 42 minutes with around 20 stops along the way. By car, it's just under an hour to Venice (70 km), 50 minutes to Treviso (60 km) or a little under two hours to Verona (180 km). The most convenient airports for Portogruaro are Venice Marco Polo Airport (57 km) or Treviso Airport (60 km).
Portogruaro lies at the north-eastern confines of the Veneto region on the border with Friuli Venezia Giulia. The region to the north provides two beautiful towns just a short distance from Portogruaro: San Vito al Tagliamento and Sesto al Reghena.
Comune di Portogruaro
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Province: Metropolitan City of Venice
Region: Veneto Population: 24,488 (source: ISTAT 1 January 2023) Size: 102 km² Elevation: 5 metres Highlights: Leaning Tower, Duomo di Sant'Andrea, river views Close by: Bibione, Caorle, Lido di Jesolo, Venice, Conegliano Recommended accommodation: Hotel Spessotto |
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Public transport: Central train station, local buses
By train: Venice - 56 minutes, Padova - 1 hour 9 minutes |
By car: Venice - 1 hour, Treviso - 50 mins, Verona - 1 hour 52 mins
Fly to: Venice Marco Polo Airport (57 km), Treviso Airport (60 km) |
