Page 79 - Libro 2
P. 79

ARTICLES                                                                 ARTICLES



 The “Dolomiti” Mountains of Italy, more than just landscape       in time, also make us stop
                                                                   to think and reflect. Anyone
 By Fabio Beconcini EFIAP                                          who passes through here
 Italy                                                             understands  that  the  effective
 http://www.fabiobeconcini.com                                     coexistence between peoples
                                                                   brings peace and wellbeing for

                                                                   all, not war and hatred.
 The ”Dolomiti” Mountains is a mountain group in the Eastern Italian Alps, located in the   There are many mountain
 southern part of the main Alpine chain, covering an area of approximately 16,000 km  and almost   peaks and valleys, the names
 2
 entirely included in the northern Italian regions of Veneto, Trentino-Alto Adige and Friuli-Venezia   of which are often linked
 Giulia. A small area extends into Austria, the “Lienz Dolomites”.  to  the  sad  events  of  the
 Talking  about  the                                               First World War,  which  saw
 Dolomiti  immediately brings                                      ferocious battles, wars of
 landscape  to  mind,  with  its                                   position and hand-to-hand
 valleys, snow-capped peaks,   Sunrise on the Sassolungo from the Pordoi Pass  combat in inaccessible places.
 spires,  glaciers,  streams,                                      High mountains, with snow
 lakes, woods, meadows and   and ice, under glacial storms in absolutely uncomfortable environmental conditions, forced men
 pioneer vegetation that slowly   to build mule tracks, refuges, cableways, trenches and tunnels dug into the ice and rock, which
 colonizes scree and stones, in   are still visible today. “Marmolada”, “Antelao”, “Catinaccio”, “Latemar”, “Pale di San Martino”, “Sciliar”,
 a whole spectrum of  colours,   “Cristallo”, “Marmarole”, “Croda
 of  smells  that change  over   da  Lago”, “Civetta”, “Pelmo”,
 the course of the day and the   “Sella”,  “Col di Lana”,  “Val di
 seasons.  Fassa”, “Val  di  Fiemme”,  “Val
     Fiorentina”,  “Val di Zoldo”,
 The colours are probably   “Val  Rendena”, “Val  Comelico”,
 the thing that remains most   “Sappada” and  “Cadore” are
 imprinted in mind when you   just some of the renowned
 visit these places: wide valleys   First light from Valparola Pass  names. Moreover there are
 with very green meadows   equally famous lakes such as
 from which pink peaks and spires emerge, chains of jagged mountains ready to take on colour at   “Misurina”, “Alleghe”, “Braies”,
 dawn and dusk in the unrepeatable phenomenon called in dialect “enrosadìra”, which literally means   “Fedaia”, “Tovel”, “Carezza”... and
 “becoming pink”, indicating the phenomenon whereby the rock of the Dolomiti turns light red at   so on!
 sunrise and sunset. The colour taken on by the peaks of the Dolomiti depends on the composition
         The Dolomiti are certainly
 of the rock itself, dolomite, which contains a compound of calcium and magnesium carbonate. This   one of the most renowned
 Articles  rays to refract on the rock and   naturalistic-environmental   Autumn from the Fedaia Pass                Articles
 composition causes the sun’s
     and popular tourist areas of
 gives life to its characteristic
 pink colour.
                                                                   the Alps.  This area attracts
 This  phenomenon  is                                              thousands of tourists in the
 unique,  it varies  from month                                    summer season but during
 to month, even from one day                                       winter, thanks to the presence
 to another, depending on the                                      of the largest Italian ski area,
 different positions of the sun,                                   called  “Dolomiti   Superski”
 the  presence or  absence of                                      there  are even  more  visitors.
 clouds,  and  the  clarity  of  the                               Since  1990,  in  order  to  keep
 air. Obviously, to fully enjoy                                    the beauty of the landscapes
 the beauty of the “enrosadìra”,                                   and the extreme richness of
 a true spectacle of nature, the                                   the  flora and  fauna  intact,
 day must not be cloudy!
 Sunrise over the Cortina basin at 5.40 am                         and  therefore  to conserve the
 But the Dolomiti are much                                         great  “biodiversity” of these
 more than this! In fact, we have to think of the Dolomiti as a fantastic set of geology, history, folklore,   mountains, the territory is
 environments, fauna, cuisine, sport, art and culture. Every town, every village, every mule track, every   subject to some careful and
 corner has its own immense charm; the many traces of the great war, still clearly visible, almost frozen   Trenches at Lagazuoi - traces of the 1st World War


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