Dogana Vecchia – Who we are
The Serafini family, owner of Dogana Vecchia, and the hotel staff are pleased to offer the structures and the services to those looking for a familiar environment and the quiet of a romantic historic structure, immersed in the country of the Friuli-Venezia Giulia region with memories of Italy and the Central European area.
Nestled in a 40,000 sq m park, surrounded by the green Friulian country and the Alps, in a farm holiday landscape, the tourist and sports Dogana Vecchia structure gathers the romantic and historic moods and the typical Italian taste.
The structure is the old historical border between Italy and Austria and it underwent a perfect and patient restoration which maintained the architectonic characteristics. Nowadays, thanks to a regular maintenance, it is properly kept and spreads feelings of the past.
The hotel is the meeting point of international customers and offers 20 bedrooms whose furniture follows the historical environment, holidays or work apartments at the Il Vecchio Stallo as well as bungalows/residences set in the park (they can also welcome the disabled people). Moreover, a camping vans parking area is present within the structure.
Our innovative and original philosophy aims at safeguarding the environment and the landscape of the area surrounding the Dogana Vecchia and its park dedicated to Princess Mafalda di Savoia, belonging to the del S.I.C. (Sito di Importanza Comunitaria, meaning that it is an important place for the EU), classified by the Region and the EU for its peculiarities linked to wildlife and ecology.
We strongly believe that protecting the Nature is important and for this reason, we built the new residences with environmental-friendly materials and technologies.
Our guests will actively contribute to the safeguarding of the environment and saving of energy thanks to the use of green energy from renewable sources.
Dogana Vecchia – History
The Hotel “Dogana Vecchia” stems from the ruins of an old historic building, the Regia Dogana, indicating -in the different periods- “The border between Italy and Austria” from the Austro-Hungarian empire to the First World War.The Hotel has been wholly restored to offer customers both the charm of a residence of ancient origins and the comfort and the treatment felt in a family atmosphere.
The Serafini family has owned the structure for 40 years, always granting a neat image and keeping its identity up-to-date since the beginning of the restoration works of the residence which was a real heap of stones and unsafe bricks. All this became possible thanks to the patient work they did because they fall in love with the goal of keeping the memorable value of a romantic border house unchanged.
The fundamental steps of the history of Dogana Vecchia are the following:
• 1815: customs office of the Lombardo Veneto-llliria Kingdom.
• 1834: post station.
• 1866: custom border between Italy and Austria.
• 1867: after the Peace Treaty between the Kingdom of Italy and the Austro-Hungarian monarchy, a border is set along the old eastern line of the lands of the Republic of Venice. The town of Trivignano remained the property of Italy and a Customs office along the road leading to the ford of the river Torre was set. Trivignano was the seat of a Customs office and an outpost of the Italian law enforcement Police. To survive, the whole area smuggled and the Dogana obviously was a good observation point. Among the unforgettable facts before the War of 1915, the borderline between Italy and Austria marks a famous event: one of the first reconnaissance planes fall in the country land between Clauiano and Trivignano (Dogana Vecchia).
• 1971: purchase of the structure.
• 21/12/1987: opening of the hotel, the restaurant, the pizzeria and the alehouse.
• 28/10/1989: laying of the ancient milestone which was restored after its finding in the garden of the Calzavara family (a house nearby the Dogana) where there was an inn; twinning of the Municipality of Trivignano Udinese (at the time belonging to Italy) and the Municipality of Chiopris-Viscone (at the time belonging to Austria).
• 27/04/1991: inauguration of the wooden crest portraying the two-headed eagle of Central and middle Europe realized by Daniel Temresian, an artist of Armenian origin.
• 26/02/1997: inauguration of the wooden crest portraying the image of the Savoia made by Daniel Temresian.
• 24/05/1997: cultural exchange among the Association “Mitteleuropa”, the Association “Regina Elena” and the Honour Guards to the Royal Tombs of the Pantheon, approval of article 5 of the Statute and manufacturing of the sundial.
• 31/05/2002: inauguration of the Bust dedicated to the Benemerita (the Italian Police called “Carabinieri”) in remembrance of the fallen in the slaughter occurred in Peteano (May 31, 1972), offered by our family and currently exposed in Palmanova, in the Police station of Carabinieri.
• 25/11/2008 on a wall of the hall, exposition of the original battle flag of the Austro-Hungarian empire.
• 30/06/2009 building of the class “A” apartment complex; the first in the region in the sustainable tourism with low impact technologies and use of renewable sources.
• 09/10/2010 dedication of the park to “Her Royal Highness Princess Mafalda di Savoia Langravia D’Assia” and lying of a milestone.
• 20/02/2011 the Austrian TV named ORF broadcasted a short film on Dogana Vecchia
• 14/05/2011 exposition of Sustainability, subject of the co-marketing project by 3 students of the degree in “Sciences and techniques of cultural tourism”, University of Udine.
• 01/07/2011 articles on “the famous dough” published by the newspaper “Il Friuli” in the page dedicated to the pleasures of good eating.
• 2012 presence in the video dedicated to Clauiano, visible on You tube.
• 21/12/2012 25th anniversary of the opening of the hotel.
• 2013 presence in the TV show “Sereno variabile” dedicated to the itineraries of Friuli-Venezia Giulia.
• 2013 installation of the chestnut pole and relevant hardware, found after a flood of the Torre river, belonging to the ancient bridge connecting the old border of both Italy and Austria, and exploded by the Italian troops withdrawing from the Caporetto frontline.
• 2013 show of the original Austro-Hungarian battle flag and the clay bricks portraying the bas-relief image of the two-headed eagle.
• 2014 market expansion project: be part of the Consorzio Friulaberghi and development of an international project on potential tourism thanks to the support of Progetto T-Lab.
• 09/04/2017 Inauguration of the Stone of Peace among Peoples and postal cancellation Ass. “Natiso CVM TVRRO” with the presence of Prince Emanuele Filiberto of Savoy
• 2022 IMPRENDIGREEN 2022 recognition.
• 2023 35th Anniversary Opening Hotel Restaurant.
