Exploring the Cultural Tourism potential of the Company Towns’ Heritage in Friuli Venezia Giulia Region (NE Italy)

The paper is aimed at exploring the tourism potential of company towns’ heritage in the region, related to the presence in its territory of three relevant assets: the mining village of Cave del Predil, the shipyard settlement of Panzano and the agricultural-industrial new town of Torviscosa, both dating the early 20th century. Up to now investigated singly, neglecting their connective significance, both from a logistic and thematic point of view, the three company towns, in their complementary essence, close to important tourist locations, represent for the authors a cultural tourism potential to be investigated. Having in mind the issues of a differentiated offer, meeting the needs of young and elder people, fragile stakeholders, soft mobility and slow tourism, the study defines opportunities of sustainable development, getting advantage from a unique geographical position, in the centre of Europe, at the crossroad of German, Italian and Slavic cultures and cultural routes.