Wood and the Zoldo larch
Wood is one of the most precious resources of the alpine valleys, celebrated for its marvellous potential through the years until the present. Today it can be admired in the splendid homes of the Val di Zoldo, in its sophisticated architectures and characteristic tabiai (tabià in the singular form), the traditional haysheds. Wood was used for making all sorts of objects, from recipients for milk to the studded soles of the shoes known galoze in the local dialect. It was once sculpted by great artists such as Andrea Brustolon, the Michelangelo of wood, and by Valentino Panciera Besarel and Angelo Majer, and today it is a source of inspiration for the artists and skilled craftsmen who use it to carve masks and all kinds of other objects, crafted from fine wood with centuries of prestigious history, such as Zoldo larch, recognised in the trade for its bright red colour and distinctive fragrance. This is a wood that embodies the passion of our forebears, a wood with a soul that speaks of generation upon generation of folk born and raised in Zoldo. Today wood maintains an important role, thanks to the Claudia Scarzanella’s family business Segheria Traiber, and the sculptors’ workshops, where wood is transformed into unique works of art.
To discover more:
Segheria (sawmill) Traiber
Loc. Villanova, 26 - 32012 Val di Zoldo (BL)
The masks
Fornesighe is known as the village that never burned, because its wooden homes, the oldest of which date back over a hundred years, survived the numerous fires that often used to strike small mountain villages.
Every year, on the first weekend in February, the village hosts the “Exhibition of wooden mountain carnival masks”. This competition is part of the Gnaga, the Carnival of the Val di Zoldo, and sees the participation of about a hundred alpine mask makers with their creations: grotesque, amusing, fearsome and allegorical masks that make up a collection kept partly at the headquarters of the Al Piodech Zoldan Association and visible during the traditional Gnaga carnival procession, among the traditional local masks Om salvarech, matazin and the Gnaga mask.
Honey
Beekeepers must have plenty of patience, teamed with a passion for the world of nature, and respect for its pace. Making honey requires care and hard work throughout the year. Bees are of huge importance, and they’re delicate creatures; they also have to be fed during the winter, and protected from possible attacks from parasites. In July and August, they’re very busy with pollination, which will then allow us to savour their sweet nectar. Whether it’s linden, acacia, or birch, each type of honey has its own distinctive colour and taste, thanks to the variety of plants in the area of origin. The Val di Zoldo is famous for its mixed flower honey, the essence of summer in the mountains and the splendid variety of blooms in the fields.
There are several beekeeping concerns in the Val di Zoldo, whose honey is sold in the main food shops in the area, as well as their own farms or homes.
For more information: turismo@valdizoldo.net.
To discover more:
Via Canova, 8 - 32012 Val di Zoldo
Mountain dairy cheese and other produce
The numerous agritourist farms and mountain dairy huts in the Val di Zoldo allow both locals and visitors to enjoy the fruit of the tough, yet gratifying work carried out on the mountain pastures. The mountain dairy farmer’s typical day starts at 5.00 a.m. – with a yawn or two compensated for by the breath-taking spectacle of the sun rising over the Dolomites. Surrounded by the pink-tinged rock faces, the farmer heads to the cowshed to feed the animals, before milking the cows and goats and taking them out into the pasture. Each one plays a fundamental role in the cowshed. The afternoons are busy, with delicious dishes prepared in the restaurant and cheese or fresh ricotta made in the dairy. Then it’s off to bed with the stars in the sky and the animals tucked up to sleep in the shed after bidding them goodnight.
Discover a "malga" (mountain dairy):
Malga Staulanza - Sp 251 - area Passo Staulanza
Agritursimo Pian de Levina - Cornigian
Agriturismo Al Pian - Val Barance
Malga Vescovà - passo Staulanza
Malga Fontanafredda - passo Staulanza
Casera Malga La Grava - loc. La Grava
Malga Livan - Zoppè di Cadore
Malga Pramper - Val Pramper
The saffron cultivation in Val di Zoldo
A course on the re-introduction and reinstatement in Val di Zoldo of some specific kinds of cultivations triggered the interest of Pierina Giacomel, the owner of Grif del Diaol farm, towards the so-called “red gold”, namely the saffron.
For this reason, some years ago, she started to buy the first bulbs and to scrupulously prepare the field for the blossoming of the delicate violet saffron flowers.
Every season, she carries out the same procedure with much patience, work and dedication: in June, she digs up the bulbs and in the following hot months, she takes care of the field and prepares it to be ready to welcome the bulbs in September. Finally, from September to October, the picking up operations begin. This implies walking up early in the morning before the sunshine opens the flowers, collecting them and dry out their pistils.
Saffron cultivations was so successful at the beginning, that Pierina decided to try also new experiences, such as the biologic plantation of potatoes, beans, corn, apples and roses for the preparation of jams and syrups.
To discover more:
Azienda Agricola Grif del Diaol
via Sommariva, 18 - 32012 Val di Zoldo
