The old Dormisch brewery in Udine

The headquarter of one of the oldest breweries in Italy

The old Dormisch brewery in Udine during the #italiagrandsketchingtour.

Another discovery I made thanks to Chiara is about beer. I discovered that Udine could be considered a capital for this drink because two of the oldest Italian breweries were located here, almost side by side. It is interesting because Italy is always considered a country of wine, but actually beer, especially in the northern regions, was always a big deal and even more nowadays with the with the birth of numerous craft breweries throughout Italy.

Anyway, back to history! The Moretti and the Dormisch were both born in the 19th Century and developed greatly in the territory bringing great impact on the economy of the area. 

The Dormisch brewery was founded in 1881 by Francesco, in Resiutta, a small town nearby. After ten years, since the market was growing the factory moved to Udine, which was an ideal place because of the Rogge, the small canals that spread across the whole city, bringing water and energy all around town and perfect for the industry of the past. 

The production of beer overcame the difficulties of two wars and the great depression of the thirties but only partially benefited from the economic boom of the 1950s and 1960s. Therefore the production started declining again and the last Dormisch beer was produced in 1988 and the brewery was abandoned. 

Unfortunately in 1999 there was a huge fire that destroyed the interiors and the building cannot be restored so it is waiting to be destroyed. This is also why Chiara suggested me to come, my drawing could be a testimonial of a part of history that soon will not exist anymore. 

I love this aspect of my tour because, wherever I go, I can see places that are connected to incredible stories and personal memories. Places are part of the history of each one of us and a way to connect bringing together the material and emotional level that we live in.

Title of the painting ‘The old Dormisch brewery in Udine’

This is a painting from the Italia Grand Sketching Tour Collection, a series of original ink and watercolor paintings done on location during my tour to discovery the  marvelous Italian heritage. 

The painting is also featured in the book about my motorbike Italian tour, available online in Italian and English.

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Paintings are available for sale, also on commission. Please let me know which subject you are interested in.