Euganei: The Primordial People

Camunian woman

As covered on here many times before, the Proto-European people predate the incoming Teutons and Mediterraneans by tens of thousands of years. They are the essential "Europeans." The Italian peninsula very much fit into this paradigm, with the Euganei branch of the Proto-Europeans (aka "Alpine race). Today, the Welsh, Basques, Camunians, Valtellinese, Orobiese, Ladins, Romansh, and people from other historically isolated locales in the Alps, Apennines, Carpathians, etc., are often stubborn throwbacks to a time long past. Some of this is simply genetic, or due to the isolation, but often with more of a proclivity to hold onto old traditions.

The incoming Teutons and Mediterraneans of thousands of years ago probably came into contact with many of these primordial people who were eager to join with them, while some were ether not so enthusiastic about them or were simply more isolated... usually in mountainous regions. There is no evidence that I know of that suggests any conflict between them, but only later were there attempts to bring the "holdouts" to heel; for example, the Roman conquest of the Alps.

These images were from Davide Mazzocchi's DeviantArt site. The woman's name is Teresa.

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Total Wine & More: 6 wines available from Lombardia - 4 of them from the famous Franciacorta wine region in Brescia!

L'Albereta Hotel at the L'Albereta Winery, Erbusco, Brescia (Franciacorta wine region)

 

Franciacorta wine region

Ancient Viticulture

The vineyards of Franciacorta were planted in ancient times, as witnessed by the grape seeds from prehistoric times and the archaeological material found throughout the territory. There are also other testimonies of classical authors such as Plinio and Columella a Virgilio. Through historiographical evidences it is possible to trace the passage of different peoples: the Cenomani Gauls, the Romans and the Lombards. The most abundant material is the Roman one and consists mainly of commemorative funeral inscriptions and military stones. Also some places' names and localities' names, such as Cazzago and Gussago, come from Roman courtesy.

The most valuable archaeological resource is the temple architrave (from Erbusco) that was brought to Brescia and then walled in the facade of the palace of Monte di Pietà della Loggia.

 

TotalWine.com

 

4 Franciacorta wines

Berlucchi Franciacorta Brut Cuvee Imperiale
750ml
Lombardy, Italy - Clean-cut and full-bodied with appealing, emphatic fruity notes and fine acidity. Rich, lingering, and complex. An ideal aperitif as well as with starters, and dishes based on fish, rice, pasta, white meats, full-flavored fish and fresh cheeses.
BRAND: Berlucchi
COUNTRY / STATE: Italy
REGION: Lombardy
WINE TYPE: Champagne & Sparkling Wine
VARIETAL: Sparkling Wine
STYLE: Elegant
TASTE: Apple, Pear, Spice
BODY: Medium-bodied
SKU: 82158750-1

Roscato Rosso Dolce
750ml
Lombardy, Italy- An irresistible, delicately sweet, gently fizzy red wine from the northern Italian region of Lombardy. Makes a wonderful aperitif and is also incredibly food-friendly.
BRAND: Roscato
COUNTRY / STATE: Italy
WINE TYPE: Champagne & Sparkling Wine
VARIETAL: Sparkling Red Wine
STYLE: Sweet
SKU: 120178750-1

Roscato Rosso Dolce
2-250ml can pack
Lombardy, Italy- An irresistible, delicately sweet, gently fizzy red wine from the northern Italian region of Lombardy. Makes a wonderful aperitif and is also incredibly food-friendly.
BRAND: Roscato
COUNTRY / STATE: Italy
WINE TYPE: Red Wine
VARIETAL: Red Blend
STYLE: Sweet
SKU: 120178266-2

Franciacorta Brut Rose
750ml
BRAND: Franciacorta
COUNTRY / STATE: Italy
WINE TYPE: Champagne & Sparkling Wine
VARIETAL: Sparkling Wine
SKU: 195500750-1

 

 

Franciacorta vineyard in Erbusco

 

Modern Viticulture

Despite boasting a long history, the new course of viticulture of Franciacorta began in all respects at the beginning of the Sixties with the birth of the first wineries. At the end of the Seventies, Italian enology experienced a period of great ferment and in Franciacorta several entrepreneurs invested and focused on the cultivation of vineyards. In fact, even today many wineries that produce Franciacorta have been founded by entrepreneurs from Brescia and province. Afterwards the growth has been very fast until today's Franciacorta fame, a national reference for the wine's production with the classic method.

The production and marketing of bubbles has become increasingly important in the last twenty years, so as to boast the DOCG brand and be known in the wine world for the high quality achieved. The name "Franciacorta" has over time become synonymous with the same DOCG sparkling wine produced in the many vineyards of the area.

Since July 2008, with the publication of the new specification, the name of the DOC "Terre di Franciacorta", used for red and white still wines, has been replaced with Curtefranca.

Today the area is just over two thousand hectares, its increase, which was considerable in the first decade of the 2000s, has now slowed sharply partly because of the global crisis. In fact, no further major growth developments are expected in the coming years. The slowdown is also due to some choices of the consortium Franciacorta aimed at not creating an excess of supply in order to safeguard the producers currently present on the territory.

In 1995 Franciacorta was assigned the first refermented in Italian bottle with the denomination DOCG. This is obtained from Chardonnay and/or Pinot Noir and/or Pinot Blanc grapes and is produced in three types: Franciacorta, Franciacorta Satèn and Franciacorta Rosé. In addition to these, Millesimato and Riserva, which require longer aging, are also produced. Franciacorta has also two other DOC denominations: a white wine and a red wine.

The wine cellars are over one hundred and some are located in buildings of artistic and architectural interest. They are open to the public, so the visitor can learn about the methods of wine production, participate in tastings and buy the product.

 

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Franciacorta DOCG

Franciacorta is a sparkling wine from the Province of Brescia (Lombardy) with DOCG status. It is produced using the traditional method from grapes grown within the boundaries of the territory of Franciacorta, on the hills located between the southern shore of Lake Iseo and the city of Brescia. It was awarded DOC status in 1967, the designation then also including red and white still wines. Since 1995 the DOCG classification has applied exclusively to the sparkling wines of the area.

History

The still wines from this area have ancient traditions, referred to by Virgil and Pliny the Elder, and documented in Brescia City council books as "Franzacurta" as far back as in 1277. The name may derive from the tax-exempt (francae) status of the region's towns (curtes) in the Middle Ages. The wines were not called Franciacorta until 1957, when Guido Berlucchi released a white wine named Pinot di Franciacorta. An ambitious young winemaker working for Berlucchi, Franco Ziliani, was permitted to pursue an ambition of producing a fine sparkling wine, and in 1961 was allowed to produce for release 3,000 bottles of a sparkling wine, also sold under the name Pinot di Franciacorta.

Instant interest allowed the following vintage production to be set at 20,000 bottles, and eventually the annual production was 100,000 bottles. The national prominence that followed was soon exploited by several entrepreneurs from Milan and Brescia, and by the time the region was granted DOC status in 1967 there were 11 producers of sparkling Franciacorta, although Berlucchi represented more than 80% of the production.

With its directives, Franciacorta became the first DOC to specify that its sparkling wines must be made by metodo classico. In 1990, the Consorzio per la tutela del Franciacorta was formed, instigating codes of self-regulation with a gradual reduction of yields and elimination of the use of Pinot grigio, becoming the body considered responsible for the efficient elevation of sparkling Franciacorta to DOCG status in 1995. Since August 1, 2003, Franciacorta has been the only Italian wine not obliged to declare its DOCG appellation on the label, in the same manner that a Champagne is permitted to exclude from labels its AOC.

From 1996 to 2006, sales of Franciacorta grew from 2.9 million to 6.7 million bottles. According to Tom Stevenson, the Franciacorta region is "the only compact wine area producing world class sparkling wine in Italy."

 

 

2 other wines from Lombardy

Roscato Moscato (Mantua)
750ml
Lugana, Italy - Roscato Moscato is an irresistible, delicately sweet, frizzante wine from Northern Italy. With a touch of sparkle to flawlessly balance the sweetness, Roscato Moscato is the ideal complement for today's cuisine. Enjoy it with delicate cheeses, fresh fruit or spicy food.
BRAND: Roscato
COUNTRY / STATE: Italy
REGION: Lombardy
APPELLATION: Lugana
WINE TYPE: Champagne & Sparkling Wine
VARIETAL: Muscat/Moscato
SKU: 225728750-1

InVino Pinot Noir (Pavia)
750ml
Italy - InVino Pinot Noir is an elegant and light bodied red wine. Flavors and aromas include black cherry, black fruit, currant, wild cherries and dark berry. InVino Pinot Noir pairs well with salmon, roasted chicken or pasta dishes. Enjoy with a group of friends or by yourself!
BRAND: InVino
COUNTRY / STATE: Italy
REGION: Lombardy
WINE TYPE: Red Wine
VARIETAL: Pinot Noir
STYLE: Elegant
ABV: 12%
TASTE: Black Cherry, Currant, Fruity
SKU: 219439750-1

 

 

1 famous "honorary Lombard" wine from Novara, Piemonte

[an area which has historically & linguistically been a part of Lombardia; although the winery is located in Novara, it is long associated with Milan]

Campari
50ml
Italy- The shockingly red liqueur is infused with 68 different bitter herbs and aromatic plants, a secret recipe of natural ingredients that dates back to 1860 and has become an Italian tradition.
BRAND: Campari
COUNTRY: Italy
SPIRITS TYPE: Dessert & Fortified Wine
SPIRITS STYLE: Aperitif
SKU: 226725050-1

 

 

Vineyards in Valtellina

In Valtellina, wines are produced mainly from Chiavennasca (the local name of Nebbiolo grape variety) with other minor varieties such as Rossola nera permitted up to 20% for the Denominazione di origine controllata (DOC) and 10% for the Denominazione di Origine Controllata e Garantita (DOCG). Grapes are limited to a harvest yield of 12 tonnes/ha. The finished wine must be aged for at least 2 years prior to release (3 years if a Riserva bottling) with a minimum alcohol level of at least 11%. Yields for the DOCG wines are further restricted to a maximum of 8 tonnes/ha. While the aging requirements are the same as the DOC, the minimum alcohol level for the DOCG wine is 12%.

The best-known villages for red wines are: Grumello, Sassella, Inferno, Valgella, and Maroggia. The village names are normally indicated on the label. Additionally there is an Amarone style DOCG wine called Sforzato (Sfursat).

 

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Valtellinese wines, such as Il Pettirosso Valtellina Superiore 2016, are easy to purchase online. Total Wine & More stores are all over the country, so I thought that was more noteworthy that you could just walk in and purchase a Franciacorta if one was nearby. I found one Valtellina winery--Bagera Vini di Valtellina--which as a U.S. website: www.ViniBagera.us and facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/BalgeraViniDiValtellina/

 


Final thoughts

Of course there are some wineries right here locally which are still in the hands of the same old Swiss Italian/Ticinese families, such as the Nichelini Winery in St. Helena, California founded in 1890. They now have a Wikipedia page as well: Nichelini Family Winery. If you're never visited there, make sure that you do! That incredible home that sits above a stone mason cellar was constructed by Anton Nichelini 130 years ago, and it's beautiful as well as the property that sits along the edge of the wooded valley.

Another interesting winery is Raffaldini Vineyards in Ronda, North Carolina. Founded by Jay Raffaldini whose family roots are in Mantua (Mantova). According to the website: "In 2009 Raffaldini Vineyards was voted one of the top ten new vineyards in all of North America, the first time any such vineyard from the Mid Atlantic received that award." The winery hosts a Festa Italiana every fall season. Of course, these wines can be ordered online.

The beautiful Nichelini house in St. Helena

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Incontri Tra/Montani - 30 Years

Incontri Tra/Montani means "Meetings Between/Mountains," and to the best of my knowledge was formed to provide a political voice to communities in the eastern Alps of Lombardy, Trentino, and also to other Alpine communities who are often overlooked. I think it's comparable to rural Upper Michigan building an "embassy" near the capitol in Lansing to provide a voice for the detached region. ITM turned 30 last year. I believe that province of Sondrio, the Brescian Tri-Valley, and the Bergamo Alps encompasses a strong cultural milieu as well. Naturally we would like to express solidarity with them.

 

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http://www.incontritramontani.it/

https://www.facebook.com/Incontritramontani/

https://twitter.com/itm1990

https://incontritramontani.academia.edu/incontritramontani

 

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INCONTRI TRAMONTANI - (PIEVE DI BONO-PREZZO)

gianni beordo

Trentesima edizione: Incontri Tramontani

 

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Museo Scuola Rango
"Bello!"

 

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A brief history

Incontri Tra/Montani was born in 1990 from a chance meeting between cultural associations of Valle Camonica and Val Trompia. From the observation of a lack of communication between the valleys and from the reading of the great difficulties in which the mountain communities finds itself (exodus, destructive interventions, youth unemployment, etc.), the idea arose of an annual conference that would begin to create a network of non-institutional relations between groups operating in the Italian, Swiss, Austrian, and French Alps with the aim of promoting mutual knowledge, collaboration, exchange of analysis and possible proposals.

In the term Tra/Montani there is a double meaning: 1) The need for dialogue and the consciousness of the sunset of a civilization that was at the center of the pre-industrial economy since all medieval "machines" needed the energy produced by the fall of water.

The study and reflection meetings on issues of common interest in Alpine resorts have been organized regularly since 1990 and touch on topics of various kinds and locations that are always different.

The ITM to which the Valle Camonica, the Giudicarie Valleys, the Val di Sole, Valtellina, Val Seriana, Val Cavallina, Carnia, and Val Verzasca adhere to permanently, has no official seat, nor a statute. It is a self-managed, spontaneous, and free thinking.

Membership of the ITM Group is open to all associations, study centres and cultural groups in the Alps.

'History of the ITM' by Giancarlo Maculotti (pdf file)

 

The following all collaborated in the realization of the ITM:

• Associazione Comitato Organizzatore Festa di Trate - Gaverina Terme (Bergamo)
• Associazione IVS Inventario delle Vie di Comunicazione Storiche (Milano)
• Centro Studi e Ricerche Archivio Bergamasco (Bergamo)
• Centro Studi Etnografici Val Imagna S. Omobono Imagna (Bergamo)
• Centro Studi Judicaria – Tione (Trento)
• Centro Studi Val di Sole – Malè (Trento)
• Centro Studi Valchiavennaschi Chiavenna (Sondrio)
• Circolo Culturale Baradello Clusone (Bergamo)
• Circolo Culturale Ghislandi Cividate Camuno (Brescia)
• Comune di Montereale Valcellina Montereale Valcellina (Pordenone)
• Cooperativa Arca Gardone Val Trompia (Brescia)
• Cooperativa Il Chiese - Storo (Trento)
• Fondazione Progetto Poschiavo Poschiavo (Svizzera)
• Fondazione Val Verzasca Canton Ticino (Svizzera)
• L’Arcilettore, Circolo di Sondrio (Sondrio)
• Museo Etnografico S. Caterina Valfurva (Sondrio)
• Museo Etnografico Tiranese - Tirano (Sondrio)
• Pro Vita Alpina - Längenfeld (Austria)

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2020–21 FIS Snowboard World Cup - Val Malenco, Valtellina

Snowboarder Michela Moioli from Bergamo

 

Despite being televised on the CBS Sports Network this weekend, getting clear results on the ongoing (Dec thru Mar) 2020-21 FIS Snowboard World Cup is like pulling teeth. Bergamasque Michela Moioli won the Snowboard Cross on Saturday, but they had another final in the same event on Sunday, so it's a bit confusing for the layman. Moioli is currently ranked third in the Snowboard Cross. She is an Olympic Gold Medalist, having won the Snowboard cross in the 2018 Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang. Of course, numerous other top competitors from Valtellina, the Bergamo Alps, and the South Tyrol have been competitive, including fellow Bergamasque Sofia Belingheri (currently ranked 5th in the Snowboard cross), and Sudtirolians Roland Fischnaller (currently ranked 2nd in the Parallel giant slalom and 5th in the Parallel overall PSL/PGS) and Aaron March (currently ranked 3rd in the Parallel overall PSL/PGS).

 

Michela Moioli (Wikipedia)

Snowboarder Sofia Belingheri from Bergamo

Apparently this event, which changes locations throughout the ongoing winter season, was to be held in the northern Bergamo Alps. Due to Covid concerns, it was moved to a beautiful resort in the Val Malenco, which is a valley which connects to the north of the central Valtellina. This competition is a really big deal in Europe, and the BergamoNews.it is sure to cover it, especially the Bergamasque competitors. Olympic gold medalist, Bergamasque alpine skiier Sofia Goggia is a big star over there! Believe it or not, the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing is only a year away.

'Snowboard World Cup: Michela Moioli start, gains victory in debut' (translated)

 

 American snowboarder Faye Gulini is doing quite well, but I'm covering that on the other blog.

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'Around Chiavenna: nature, art and history....' & 'Valcodera Valley: a treasure to discover....'

'Around Chiavenna: nature, art and history from the Lake of Novate Mezzola to the secluded Val Codera'

ValtellinaNews.it - April 3, 2014

Valchiavenna, the valley stretching along the river Mera from the Lake of Novate Mezzola to the confluence with the torrent Liro just below the town of Chiavenna, offers unspoiled natural landscapes surrounded by high peaks. Visitors have the possibility of practicing trekking, canoeing, mountaineering or cycling along secondary roads partially protected.

The village of Novate Mezzola, located on the namesake small lake that in the past was part of the Lake of Como, can be the starting point of a journey taking to impressive places like the natural reserve of Pian di Spagna, and symbols of the historic and cultural heritage of the region like the Temple of St. Fedelino, built shortly before the XI century, the Galleria di Mina di San Fedele di Verceia, dating back from the First World War, and the Picapreda Museum. Last but not least, the Val Codera, one of the two narrow and almost secluded valleys branching off the main Valchiavenna area, is a good destination for walkers used to go off the “beaten tracks”.

The Nature Reserve of Pian di Spagna is a broad plain between the Lake of Novate Mezzola and the Lake of Como, with a large wetland of great importance for the nesting of many migratory birds and therefore an ideal place for bird-watching. The plain is at the entrance of Valchiavenna and Valtellina, which stretch respectively north and east among the mountains. Pan di Spagna landscape is characterized by reeds typical of wetlands, mixed with forests, farmland pasture and corn fields.

Situated on the shore of the Lake of Novate Mezzola, where Mera river flows into the lake, the temple of St. Fedelino represents one of the finest examples of Romanesque architecture in Lombardy and one of the oldest in the Alps region. The small church was built between year 900 and 1000 on the place of the martyrdom and burial of San Fedele, a Roman legionary who converted to Christianity and was killed by the soldiers of the emperor. It can be reached by a path starting from Casenda (Samolaco) or by boat from Novate Mezzola. The isolated location has preserved the temple from being visited by large groups of visitors or pilgrims and therefore enlarged and transformed in a big sanctuary, like it happened to other ancient churches. So, San Fedelino with its original architectural structure, is an intact symbol of the religious tradition of the early first millennium.

The Picapreda Museum  is a small exhibition in Novate Mezzola, in front of the town hall, with a collection of images and a display of typical quarry equipments used to extract the “Sanfedelino” granite from the XVIII century to today, established in order to document the work of the “picapreda” (literally stone breaker), the main activity of the Novate Mezzola area for almost two centuries. The Sanfedelino granite owes its name to the first quarry opened, which exactly was behind the Temple of San Fedelino. The Sanfedelino granite was primarily used for street paving for the surrounding cities and it is also possible to find squares paved with this type of granite in Milan, Como, Pavia and Bologna. The production of the Sanfedelino granite was at its peak from the 1920s to the mid thirties, then it declined till in the seventies.  Today only one cave remains in operation.

The Mine Tunnel at Verceia: a walk inside the defense system from the First World War

A narrow tunnel 200 meters long, excavated into the heart of the mountain almost 100 years ago, during the First World War as a barrier against possible invasion from the north: the Galleria di Mina di San Fedele di Verceia, (a Mine Tunnel) is an unusual site of great historical significance. In the past protected as a military secret, it was recently opened to the public after the renovation works financed by the Mountain Community of Valchiavenna, Ersaf and Interreg funds. It consists of a vast underground labyrinth created between 1916 and 1917 in Verceia by the Italian military forces in order to cut road and rail links throughout Valchiavenna by the controlled burst of an enormous amount of explosives placed in deep wells inside the tunnel. It is better preserved than the tunnels located at Brienno and Menaggio on Lake of Como and its entrance overlooks the Lake of Novate Mezzola, with a wonderful view on Pian di Spagna natural reserve and on the cycling path connecting Valchiavenna to Valtellina and the northern part of Lake of Como. Today, the main tunnel with four branches and 18 deviations, hosting 16 mine wells, six bedrooms, four storage tanks and three air ducts, is part of the historic heritage of Valtellina and can be visited with guided tours upon reservation.


For more information: Tourist Office Chiavenna Tel +39 0343 37485 - consorzioturistico@valchiavenna.com

Picapreda Museum: in winter visits are possible by pre-booking with the Novate Mezzola local authority - Tel. +39 0343 63040 - info@comune.novatemezzola.so.it

Pian di Spagna - Lake of Novate Mezzola - Via Della Torre 1 / A - Sorico (CO) Tel +39 0344 / 84251 - Fax +39 0344 / 94556 - piandispagna@libero.it   www.piandispagna.it

The Tempio of San Fedelino is open from April. In the winter months it can be visited by appointment. For information and reservations: Fam Sciam, Novate Mezzola tel +39 339 2908864 -  Mr. Romano - transport by boat or Verceia Dascio tel. +39 389 3438863 or +39 346 0873962

The Discovery of the Val Codera

Val Codera is a unique place in the Lombardy Alps area accessible only by foot from Novate Mezzola through two paths. This lack of roads open to vehicles has helped to preserve the natural landscape from the urban development, experienced by other alpine villages. The torrent Codera, flowing through the valley to the Lake of Novate Mezzola, provides clear and fresh waters, a real treat in the hot months. The difference in height between the bottom of the valley and the mountain peaks, even reaching 3,000 meters, provides visitors with different environments and landscapes and a great diversity of flora, ranging from the Mediterranean species like the broom, to the alpine ones such as the rhododendron and the mountain pine. Also the fauna of the valley is interesting with many species of birds, including the golden eagle, and mammals like the fox, ermine, squirrel, dormouse, deer, roe, chamois. Therefore Val Codera has been included among the SCIs (Sites of Community Interest) for its significant wealth in flora and fauna.

Codera, the main centre, is a rural village 825 metres above sea level, reachable through a mule track in about two hours, which has kept the typical stone buildings and simple frescoed murals of the alpine area in the past. It hosts craft and agricultural activities that keep it alive like the mountains villages used to be in the past. In the village a small museum, divided into four sections, illustrates the geological (minerals and crystals), natural (flowers and fauna), historical and ethnographic (reconstructions of a traditional home) features of Val Codera.

Musem opening hours: Codera section: Saturday and Sunday  8-12 e 14-18 - San Giorgio section: by booking. Entrance free - Web-site: www.valcodera.com - Information at: Chiavenna Tourist Office Tel. +39 0343 37485 - consorzioturistico@valchiavenna.com



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 'Valcodera Valley: a treasure to discover in Lombardia'

 Alessandra Catania - SecretItaly.it - December 18, 2013

Wild, unspoiled, secluded but gorgeous. This are our first impressions arriving in Val Codera by train at the Novate Mezzola station. Train is one of the means you can use to arrive at the beginning of the valley, because after that point only your feet will help you to climb the hard paths that go through the valley from the village of Codera.

Leonardo da Vinci, in its Atlantic code, wrote a terrible description of this area, as if God created the valley at the beginning of the creation, when he had no expertise on how to settle mountains and rivers.


The Scout Valley

Through this harsh and hidden land, many hostile armies passed, because of its strategic location. Peoples who have made the history of Europe: the Celts and the Romans till the various barbarian peoples, the French and Swiss, the Spanish and the Austro-Hungarians. The signs of their presence can still be seen today, from the tomb of Saint George boulders to the bridges of Codera.

The Val Codera is a small strip of the Alps that has always been inhabited, in 1933 still resided in the valley about 500 people, which decreased after the war. During the Fascism, the valley became an important destination for the Wild Eagles, a clandestine scout group, and still nowadays, the valley is one of the best places for scouts activities.


Chestnuts, goats, granite

No, it’s not a joke! Life here was extremely difficult, everything, from the food to the tissues to make clothes had to be taken from outside the valley and this was not possible due to the high costs. Hemp and linen fabrics, barley, rye, maize and potatoes for food, were the elements of a self-sufficient economy, together with chestnuts and the wild and free goats (which are still here with 300 inhabitants) and the Sanfeldino granite, a very beautiful quality used to decorate the towns’ buildings.

Arriving here and living this valley is a real adventure, if you think it’s just 100 kilometers far from Milan, the business capital. Have you ever wondered that?


Tips

To know more about the paths to arrive at Val Codera, visit http://www.diska.it/riflocrisorgimento.asp. It’s in italian unfortunately, but it is very detailed.

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Arianna Fontana - Valtellinese short track speed skater ready for Olympic gold

After having won Olympic bronze in the 5000 meter relay in Torino in 2006 at age 15; bronze in the 500 meter event in Vancouver in 2010; silver in the 500 meter event, bronze in the 1500 meter event, and bronze in the Team event in Sochi in 2014; the 27 year old, 121 pound dynamo from Sondrio seems poised to finally win gold in PyeongChang. Arianna was Italy's flagbearer for Friday evenings' opening ceremony.

Arianna Fontana (Wikipedia)

Arianna Fontana (NBC Olympics)


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Other Lombard Winter Olympians

The majority of current Winter Olympians representing Italy are from the South Tyrol, but with Lombardy well represented.

Maicol Rastelli (cross country skiier; Valtellina)

Yuri Confortola (4th Winter Olympics; short track speed skater; Valtellina)

Lucia Peretti (short track speed skater; Valtellina)

Martina Valcepina (short track speed skater; Valtellina)

Nicole Della Monica (pair skater; Bergamo)

Valentina Marchei (Marchigian/Lombard; figure skater; Milan)

Anna Cappellini (ice dancer; Como)

Luca Lanotte (ice dancer; Milan)

Marco Fabbri (ice dancer; Milan)

Tommaso Dotti (short track speed skater; Milan)

Michela Moioli (snowboarder; Bergamo)


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Nick Baumgartner - Yooper snowboarder in his 3rd Winter games

He's won gold in world championships and winter X Games, but not yet in the Olympics. Iron River is very close to Ironwood (Iron County).




Upper Michigan competitor's hopes for the Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang

NBC 26


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Nadia Fanchini - Pyeongchang likely last chance to win an Olympic medal for Camunian Alpine skiier

Lovere is considered a part of the Val Camonica. Nadia competed in the 2006 Winter Olympics in Torino and 2014 in Sochi, Russia; but nagging injuries have hampered her biggest chances. She has always been spoken of in terms of "potential." After undergoing surgery early last summer, she has rebounded strong this winter; including a bronze medal in the downhill at the World Championships last month in Austria. Fanchini was bested by fellow Italian teammates Sofia Goggia and Federica Brignone; all three Lombards ('Goggia leads Italian sweep at World Cup downhill'). Now 31, it appears that Nadia is poised to make a strong effort in what is probably her last chance at Olympic glory.

Nadia Fanchini (Wikipedia)

Nadia Fanchini (NBC Olympics)

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Other Lombard Alpine skiiers

Sofia Goggia - Budding 25 year old superstar from Bergamo

Federica Brignone - Primed and ready 27 year old from Milan

Irene Curtoni - 32 year old veteran French-born skiier of Valtellinese descent

Bergamasque Sofia Goggia

 
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A History of Valtellinese and Valchiavennasca immigration (Australia, Argentina, U.S., etc.)

[Note: The smaller Valchiavenna is most often considered a part of the Valtellina. Officially, the region is called Sondrio; after it's capitol and largest city. This translation may have unintentional errors.]


'Emigration from the Valtellina and Valchiavenna'

Published by the Istituto Comprensivo di Ponte in Valtellina

In the last years of the nineteenth century the migration of Italy suffered a mild aftershock, followed by a very strange and sudden drop in 1903 and by a new and intense wave of immigration in the first three decades of the century. It was then interrupted almost sharply since the outbreak of the first world war. This was the period of greatest exodus from the Valtellina and  Italy, and calmed only in North America during 1908-09 because of the crisis and the ebb of the Argentine market.

The migration was characterized by the behavior of the emigrants from Valtellina and Valchiavenna whom adapted to any craft. Under the pressure of this phenomenon were formed religious and immigrant associations and offices for the assistance of workers abroad. The provincial department of labor and emigration in Tirano took care of the services of everyone regardless of the religion or politics of would-be emigrants who were demanding information on countries of destination, working conditions, wages, climate, and accommodation.

The temporary decline of migratory flow was due to several factors: first of all the workers almost always returned to their place of origin, and secondly the U.S. introduced various restrictive measures for workers coming from the Mediterranean area. From 1890 to 1940, however, 70% of the Italians who emigrated to Australia came from the mountain provinces of Piedmont, Lombardy and Veneto; and between 1890 and 1930 the migration to Australia included some 15,000 peole from the Valtellina.

Arms of Mazzi di Valtellina

The countries in which these villagers were sent were the United States, Argentina, Australia and Brazil. Canada, as well as Urugray, accepted a lessor number. Argentina made broad concessions on easing visa and consular concessions. They always favored the influx of workers because, above all, the great labor requirements included mostly farm work. On the other hand, the Valtellinese and Italians preferred this country both for its climate and for its language. In Australia, however, many of them left the mines in which they pledged initially, to devote themselves to building roads and railways. Their overriding goal was to amass funds in order to carry on agriculture and livestock.

Many migrants managed to purchase property or rent land for farming. Many villagers opted for emigration to the U.S. where they worked in factories, on farms, or wine-growing plantations of California. It is from here that workers from Valtellina and Valchiavenna brought home big nest eggs. Among the emigrants,  not everyone was an honest worker in search of better luck. Somtimes among them were draft dodgers, or people with criminal records who were leaving illegally.

Provincial authorities often took care of problems related to migration. They sought to thwart foreign labor recruiters who too often unscrupulous businessmen operating in neighbouring Switzerland (Poschiavo Valley, and the Ticino) and acting as agents for companies. Their actions, considered a hindrance by the Italian authorities because it was done upon honest people by profiteering interests. This induced the Prefect of Sondrio to raise awareness among municipal authorities, for they contrasted the propaganda activities of these agents. Abducting their propaganda material would prevent their entrance into Italy, as they  finally gained control of the labor situation between Italy and Switzerland.

The latter measures were also taken because, among the large groups of emigrants who journeyed from Poschiavo to ports of northern Europe, there were many from the area of Valtellina. Even the press was sensitive to the migration phenomenon and operated to give advice concerning the necessary passports, the requirements of foreign countries, etc. One study, which examined in depth the causes and nature of migrations, was held in Valtellina by the journal 'L'Operaio' di Berna. G. Bianchi published the results of the study in a newspaper from Valtellina called 'La Montagna'

Also, an organized a series of conferences were held in the main centres of the province; and two congresses regarding emigration were held in Tirano in 1904 and 1913. The second with more than 500 participants. During the second meeting---chaired by Rinaldo Piazzi, the Mayor of Ponte in Valtellina---two major issues were discussed. One consisting of the diseases affecting villagers, and the other being organizing an evening office facility for prospective emigrants in Grosio.

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Meetings Between Mountains - The Bergamo Alps

Gorno - Incontri Tra/Montani

Antenna 2 TV

To try to intervene on the physiological aphasia between the valleys, in 1990 we began to communicate the main cultural associations of our valleys. The meetings between the mountain and the mountains reached this year at the 26th edition and scheduled from Friday afternoon to Gorno.

The title of the meetings this year is "the Mines of the Alps, the future of a Millenary history": And to take part are coming speakers from all over our country. There are also many people who have booked accommodation to follow the work.

We talked to Decoder at ANTENNA2 with the following guests:
Giancarlo Maculotti, Incontri Tra/Montani (Meetings Between Mountains)
Antonio Gonella, Circolo Culturale Baradello (Cultural Circle Baradello)
Giampiero Cabinders, Sindaco di Gorno (Mayor of Gorno)
Fabrizio Scolari, Ecomuseo delle Miniere di Gorno (Gorno Mining Museum)

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Gorno is a small town on the southern edge of the Bergamo Alps. This, along with a number of Bergamask associations involved with these meetings, I don't know at this time of this suggests that this region is to be included within this Valtellinese/Camunian aspiration for regional autonomy? Apparently there's an unofficial website associated with the Cultural Circle Baradello entitled Amici del Baradello.


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Incontri Tra/Montani

A brief history

The Incontri Tra/Montani was born in 1990 from a chance encounter between cultural associations of the Val Camonica and Val Trompia. From the observation of poor communication between the valleys and the reading of the great difficulties in which the mountain lies (exodus, destructive interventions, unemployment etc.), was born the idea of an annual convention that began to create a network of non-institutional relations between groups operating in the Italian, Swiss, Austrian, and French Alps, with the intent to promote mutual understanding, cooperation, exchange, and analysis of possible proposals.

In between there is a double meaning/mountain: the need of the meeting and the consciousness of the sunset of a civilization that was the center of pre-industrial economy as all the energy produced by the medieval machine needed fall of the water.The meetings of study and reflection on issues of common interest in the alpine resorts are organized regularly since 1990 and touch upon topics of various kinds and locations are always different.

The ITM Group to which adhere permanently the Valle Camonica, the Valli Giudicarie, Val di Sole, Valtellina, Val Seriana and Val Cavallina, Carnia, Val Verzasca, has no official headquarters, neither a statute. Is self-managed, spontaneous and free.

ITM Group membership is open to all associations, think-tanks and cultural groups in the Alps.


History of the ITM curated by Giancarlo Maculotti (pdf file)


The following have collaborated to the realization of Incontri Tra/Montani:

• Associazione Comitato Organizzatore Festa di Trate - Gaverina Terme (Bergamo)
• Associazione IVS Inventario delle Vie di Comunicazione Storiche - Milano
• Centro Studi e Ricerche Archivio Bergamasco - Bergamo
• Centro Studi Etnografici Val Imagna S. Omobono Imagna (Bergamo)
• Centro Studi Judicaria – Tione (Trento)
• Centro Studi Val di Sole – Malè (Trento)
• Centro Studi Valchiavennaschi - Chiavenna (Sondrio)
• Circolo Culturale Baradello Clusone (Bergamo)
• Circolo Culturale Ghislandi - Cividate Camuno (Brescia)
• Comune di Montereale Valcellina Montereale Valcellina (Pordenone)
• Cooperativa Arca Gardone Val Trompia (Brescia)
• Cooperativa Il Chiese - Storo (Trento)
• Fondazione Progetto Poschiavo - Poschiavo (Svizzera)
• Fondazione Val Verzasca - Canton Ticino (Svizzera)
• L’Arcilettore, Circolo di Sondrio – Sondrio
• Museo Etnografico S. Caterina Valfurva (Sondrio)
• Museo Etnografico Tiranese - Tirano (Sondrio)
• Pro Vita Alpina - Längenfeld (Austria)

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Apparently the group "Valtellina nel Futuro" is no longer active or involved with ITM, as their website has been down for awhile now and their not included on the ITM list.

This shouldn't be confused with the Tyrol-Trento "Euroregion," which was created by EU Globalists to break down national sovereignty. However, this type of socially organic cultural/political meeting group is good.

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On the ground in Valtellina and Italian/Lombard-speaking Graubünden

Breathtaking Road Through Stelvio Pass (Eastern Alps), Italy-Switzerland-Italy.

KirillRealineVlasov

Check out the beauty of Italy and Switzerland! Stelvio Pass (Italian: Passo dello Stelvio; German: Stilfser Joch), located in Italy, at 2757 m (9045 feet) is the highest paved mountain pass in the Eastern Alps, and the second highest in the Alps. It is located on the border of Italy and Switzerland. More about Stelvio Pass read here https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stelvio_Pass

3D Streets https://www.google.ru/maps/@46.528717,10.453634,3a,75y,243.91h,104.65t/data=!3m4!1e1!3m2!1snfA_iexCxRQd7o3pOQSxIw!2e0

Shot on GoPro Hero2.

Music - 'Cherry Blossom' by Stumbleine


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The Stelvio Pass is located in the Ortler Alps in the Valtellina (Bormio) and the South Tyrol.

Driving through the Alps: Tirano (Italy) - St. Moritz (Swiss) [Bernina Pass]

The Bernina Pass, Switzerland.

Some time back, I was walking past some outdoor tables in front of the deli in the Brisbane Village Shopping Center during lunch. I noticed several younger men who looked very Milanese--tall, in-shape, and sharply dressed--sitting at a table speaking Italian. I was in a hurry, but I thought it unfortunate that I couldn't communicate to them that I am Lombard; that my parents are from a largely Lombard community in Upper Michigan, that there was once a Lombard neighborhood in nearby San Rafael (one of about a dozen in the United States; there's still a Lombard club there), that there was once a Societa Lombarda of South San Francisco right nearby, or that the was a large migration of Swiss Italians (Ticinese-Lombards) locally at one time.

I guess that I am like many Americans who seek a connection to what feels like a long lost past. But I had to get going, but I looked back as I was getting into my car. I saw them sitting there with San Bruno Mountain in the background. From that angle, the mountains could have passed for the pre-Alps just north of Milan, Bergamo, or Brescia. Brisbane could almost pass for an Alpine village when viewed from an eastern angle. In any case, 150 years ago all of our ancestors were in one place; all speaking a dialect of the Lombard language, and not at all strangers... but now living somewhere in the world, such as Rome, Paris, San Francisco, Melbourne, Montreal, Sao Paulo, or Buenos Aires.... the Milanese, the Bergamasks, the Brescians, the Camunians, the Ticinese, the Valtellinese, the Poschiavini (Bernina/Poschiavo) etc.


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The Bernina Express....

....between Tirano in the Valtellina to St. Moritz in Graubünden, Switzerland.

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Switzerland Tirano St Moritz

OOO III


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The Bernina Express - Valtellina to Graubünden

Cab Ride. Switzerland. St.Moritz - Tirano

Bernina Express (HD)

As I was writing in the previous paragraph, 150 years ago our great(s)-grandparents were all in one place. When I was a kid in the stands at Candlestick Park in San Francisco, watching the 49ers play, Joe Montana was quarterback. Montana was from Monongahela, Pennsylvania; once a destination for immigrants from the Val Camonica... where Montana's paternal grandparents came from. My grandparents were from the Val Camonica, my parents from the Montreal River between Wisconsin and Upper Michigan. Very unbeknownst to me at the time, the Hall of Fame quarterback's grandparents or great grandparents could have known my grandparents or great grandparents... or some forefathers/foremothers during those many centuries. At the least, they could have communicated in the same Camunian dialect of the Lombard language.

A few weeks ago, I ran into a salesman from Milan. He was in San Francisco on business... leather jackets made in Milan. The company does business all over the world. He fit the gregarious stereotype... and I thought it was too bad that north San Mateo County no longer had any "Little Italy" (or "Little Genoa") to display.... and perhaps show some sort've cultural continuity. That pretty much disappeared in the 70s. Some people still spoke Italian in the 80s.

Some time ago I came across an Italian business woman at a car rental in downtown San Francisco. She was from Florence, about 6'1" and beautiful with long dark hair, big brown eyes, and ivory skin, probably in her 30s, and very well dressed. These Italians mentioned here are the kind've people who have given Italy respect the world over... the people of the north. Their accents were not the accents from some mafia movie... but well spoken English.. firm and with confidence. Many northern immigrants long ago, often from the Genoa area, took the same sea route whether headed for the cone of South America or northern California. From Genoa to one of the eastern ports of South America, around the southern tip and then northward to San Francisco. Now their descendants are strangers... lost in time. We are the same people.


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Bernina Express Tirano-St Moritz - 4K Seitenkameras - Top-Of.tv

DENHARTOGH VIDEO


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I feel closer to the northern stretches of the east Lombard Alps than I do to Brescia and the flatlands of the Po Valley. These scenes almost seem familiar to me, and I know that this is mostly perception; although there is a such thing as ancestral memory. One of the recent videos posted here explained this in detail. Any mountains at least have always felt like familiar territory to me. I have tremendous balance, even on steep ground. In my entire life I have only fallen once due to a rope that ripped apart.

One of these videos showed a farm at one of the train stops. Some of the scenery reminded me of the fifty mile drive along Highway 101 from San Francisco to Santa Rosa (it is also about the same distance from Brescia to Poschiavo). One can still see many farms and displays of rural life, ironically much of it developed by northern people (Genoese, Lucchesi, Piedmontese, Ticinese) long ago. The contrast between urban Milan, Bergamo, or Brescia, and the nearby Lombard Alps--reminds me locally of the contrast between urban San Jose and the Santa Cruz Mountains.

Sonoma County easily reminds one of the rolling hills and vineyards of Tuscany, while Lake County to the north looks much like one of the Lombard-Alpine lake regions. Just in general, California is much like Italy. If you could press down a giant cookie cutter in the shape of Italy, over California, it would resemble the basic natural terrain and weather of the peninsula. I like to call the region consisting of the three Brescian valleys (Val Camonica, Val Trompia and Val Sabbia), the province of Sondrio (Valtellina, Valchiavenna), the Bergamo Alps, and the few small Lombard regions of Graubünden as "the Valtellinese Hinterland."

Bernina Express from Tirano to St. Moritz

Trenino Bernina, Inverno, Tirano - St. Moritz - Full HD

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