The entry of Maniago in history is dated 12 January 981, when Emperor Ottone II, with a diploma signed at the headquarters of Ravenna, confirms the Patriarchate of Aquileia possessions of the court of Maniago, located between the waters of the stream and Cellina Short, at the Church of Marcadella, places they identified with Hugo wrong and the Church of Our Lady Street in the City of Fanna, Mount Maniago (perhaps the current Jouf behind the village) and the Parish of St. Maurus. The reference centers already inhabited at the time suggesting the existence of private residential already in earlier times: the settlement was in Roman was promoted from crossing the road from Concordia Sagittaria arrived in Maniago to continue toward Poffabro (for forking valleys Cellini, Piave, Tagliamento and Meduna) that connected with the sources of Livenza with the close of Pinzon. Maniago should have "hosted" the presence Lombard in one form marginal: the sign is the name given to Mount Fara (which means family, family) and some marble fragments traced to 'the eighth century. Two centuries later, in 1195, lords of the feud Maniago were seised by the Patriarch of Aquileia, while maintaining its jurisdiction until June 5, 1420, when troops conquered the Venetian castle, attacked several times over the years by different families of the area but never capitulated. From that day the fate of Maniago follow those of Friuli, the Venetian rule to that of Hapsburg, until its annexation to the Kingdom of Italy in 1866.
In the years that followed there were the same problems common to other regions of the Kingdom: economic difficulties were mainly due to emigration to foreign countries.
In the Great War, Maniago participated in the conflict by paying a heavy toll of casualties. No less serious was the budget of the fallen and missing during the Second World War: between those who never returned it must be remembered the young Peter Venuti, decorated with a gold medal for military valor.
The Second World War Maniago leads to a slow rebuilding political, economic and cultural outcomes that will have more 60s and 70s on the recovery of the cutlery industry, historical activities of the City, will allow the economic recovery, since the year 50, in advance, compared to other areas in Friuli, especially the organization of work of knife and associative forms since 1870.
Worth also remember the opening in 1855, the first steam mill, ranks among the 44 major mills in Friuli, which was a significant event in the world of women's work until closing in mid-1900.
On January 12, 1981 Maniago community celebrated the anniversary of the first millennium, sustained by the Committee established to implement events and activities for this important milestone.
A continuing series of cultural events, sports, games, entertainment featured a face full year to celebrate the growth and development of a community around his church before, and its City Hall, then, in historical events and vicissitudes of human affairs.
Highpoint was the publication of the book "Maniago, church, estate, joint, through the work of prof. Carlo Guido Mor, coordinator of a large pool of historians, scholars, researchers have traced an entire millennium of existence of a community in all respects.
Not less important were the creation of commemorative medallion and silver and bronze medals in the front which were reported the highlights of the history of Maniago: the church, that the cathedral also left us the most famous monument, the lodge symbol of local civic life; the ruins of the castle, to witness the long patriarchal period during which grows and develops the House of Maniago, a sixteenth-century house in the square, with clear impressions of the Venetian period, the main fountain built by the Municipality half of '800, the wheel in the foreground, the "route", one of those Battiferri from which was born centuries blacksmith industry in Maniago.
And even the "Knife of the Millennium", a wonderful Catalan thousand copies made with deer horn handle and blade photoengraved acid representing a scene from the workshop of "favre by far" with the bell tower of the cathedral in the background, surmounted by lion Venetian, a copy of which, 7 December 1980, was donated to Pope John Paul II on the occasion of the pilgrimage to Rome more than 300 Maniago.
The millennial celebrations were not nostalgic evasion, escape from this, but moments of reflection on the origin and history of a community through the work and effort has succeeded, over the years, diversify your horizons and create new paths to deal with the challenges of the moment and project constructively towards its second millennium.
