A LANDSCAPE
CARVED OUT OF ROCK
One day is not enough
A side valley on the left-hand side of the Lavizzara, descending from Monte Zucchero (2735 m) to Broglio (703 m), sunken and deeply cut into the rock. In the lower part, the stream flows through a gorge; the next section is marked by steep cliffs where the path climbs up, the upper part opens out onto a wide glacial circle flanked by ridges and peaks.
A LAKE OF
INTENSE COLOURS
One day is not enough
At an altitude of about 1,700 metres, in a wide and deep glacial basin, you will discover a magnificent lake. It has an area of 60,000 square metres and a depth of up to 40 metres. The steep slopes that surround it give it an intense, brooding colour, which changes with the sunlight to shades of deep blue and occasionally emerald hues. It is a place frequented by fishermen, popular for scuba diving and the subject of numerous hydro-biological studies.
A SECULAR
HISTORY
One day is not enough
Though meagre, the valley's pastures have attracted shepherds and herds for many centuries. The alp is mentioned in documents dating back to 1400, but it is certainly much older and was organised into six grazing areas. Six pastures at different altitudes, marked by the presence of a farmstead, where they could stop for the time necessary to feed their animals and make cheese. A three-month summer migration from the village to an altitude of over 2,000 metres, from where, again in stages, they descended to the valley floor.
It was a small and meagre alpine pasture but could accommodate up to twenty cows, a hundred goats and two or three pigs.
This alp has always been characterised by poor resources and extremely harsh farming conditions. In 1951, after a terrible winter that caused severe damage to farmsteads and pastures, the alp was finally abandoned. In just a few decades, the land became overgrown, the paths were invaded by vegetation, and the buildings fell into serious disrepair. It was the end of herding in the Tomeo Valley.
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