taste from trip ] SAN DANIELE THE GENTLE HILL [by Flavia Virilli ] San Daniele del Friuli is savoured by immersing oneself in an almost theatrical composure. An unmistakable tone gives substance to what is not just a product, but a symbol of identity. San Daniele del Friuli is not a place you visit, it is a place you savour. It is a gentle hill, with a handful of roofs and light-coloured stones, that stands out from the plain. You arrive up here by leaving behind noise, rushing, and sharp thoughts, and you get the feeling that time has regained its measure, that in a certain sense has been given back to you. The air has an unmistakable tone, descending from the Pre-Alps with a dry freshness and then softening, carrying with it the echo of the Adriatic Sea. It is the same air that shapes the steps along the streets of the village and, for centuries, has refined the 20 ageing process. A wind that does not push, but accompanies. In the old town The historic centre is clustered around the square with an almost theatrical composure, while the Cathedral of St. Michael the Archangel is both an urban and moral cornerstone. Inside, the organ s deep breath makes the nave resonate, reminding us that in Friuli Venezia Giulia, even sound has ethics. Understated, clean, never ostentatious. It s a good start, because San Daniele likes to speak softly and rewards those who know how to listen. Just a short distance away, you can cross a threshold that suspends the present and transports you to another era, that of the Guarneriana Library. A secular temple, where memories are preserved with the same care applied to fine wine. Silently, at the right temperature, patiently. Illuminated manuscripts, incunabula, parchments. They are living matter, passed from hand to hand, from century to century. Here we understand the essential concept that San Daniele is not