The name Lauco probably derives from the Latin locus and the first historical mentions date back to 914. On its 700-m plateau there are three cross-country skiing trails and, for outdoor enthusiasts, also mountain bike and trekking routes of scenic interest. The church of San Tommaso e Andrea in Vinaio, built in the 19th century, is isolated from the town centre. Through a stone portal with a rounded arch against the façade, you access the rectangular room with apse. Along the walls of the room there are niches, in one of which you find the marble baptistery. The floor has elements made of stone. Lauco has one of the most spectacular natural monuments of Carnia: the canyon of the Vinadia river, formed by the thousand-year erosion of water. It is almost 200 metres deep and in some points its walls are so close to each other that you can’t see the sky from the bottom. You can also access the canyon from the town of Vinaio, descending along a path that borders the river.
Photography by Ulderica Da Pozzo
