Author: Michele Longo

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]The real development of the Stava Valley for tourism began in the 1950s. Before that, the buildings available for tourists were very modest: only a few small hotels, inns and holiday homes for the summer. The oldest hotel, the “Albergo Stava”, was documented in 1896 and was classified as an inn. At the beginning of the 1900s, it took the name “Albergo Alpino” and during the First World War had to change its name to “Gasthof Stave”. In 1985, there were five hotels on the Via dei Mulini in Tesero and in Stava: Dolomiti, Rio Stava, Erica, Miramonti and, of

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]Written evidence concerning the mining activity on Mount Prestavèl, to the north of the Stava basin, dates back to 1528, when the mine was used occasionally to extract modest quantities of silver. The extraction of fluorite began in 1934 in the neighbouring valley of Rio Gambìs and was transferred to the Stava Valley in 1960. During this period new tunnels were dug out, a new industrial processing plant was built as well as a cable car and a chairlift to transport the miners. The waste remaining after the mineral was processed was deposited as mud in two tailings dams. Over

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]In the past, there were many farmhouses in the Stava Valley. These were known as “Masi”, and apart from a few exceptions, were only used by the farmers of Tesero during the summer months, as they moved here from the village for haymaking and for grazing livestock. A typical farmstead was a modest construction consisting of two floors, of which one was usually a basement, covered by a large gable roof. The lower floor, of masonry, was used as the stables and the kitchen. The upper floor had walls made of logs and was usually used as the hayloft, also

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text] The workshop where a smith works iron to make tools and other artefacts is commonly known as a forge. The smithy is the technical term used to indicate the workshop of a blacksmith who makes and fits shoes for horses and tow cattle. In fact, the blacksmiths of the Stava Valley also practiced the craft of horseshoeing. In their forges, the power created by water was used to move various kinds of machinery, especially hammers, used to beat the iron, and bellows used to keep the flame alive in the forge.[/vc_column_text][vc_separator color="black"][vc_masonry_media_grid grid_id="vc_gid:1621009797028-1d6836c8-9503-10" include="6271,6343,6346,6280"][vc_masonry_media_grid grid_id="vc_gid:1621009797028-e2f63933-1ea1-7" include="6355,6310,6361,6307,6337,6364,6262,6289,6295,6322"][vc_masonry_media_grid grid_id="vc_gid:1621009797029-bef4dcff-65fe-3" include="6301,6316,6325,6265,6340,6268,6286,6334,6367,6292,6313,6331,6358,6274,6349,6298,6277,6319,6304,6328,6352,6283"][/vc_column][/vc_row]

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]This was the drier for the production of conifer seeds. It was probably the most original building on the Mill Road in Tesero. The name "Chenara", derives from "cheni", the local word used to indicate cones or coniferous pine cones. The ovens and various machinery permitted the drying of cones, the extraction of seeds, their cleansing and conservation. The "Chenara" was built in 1860 in place of an old mill, and remained active until 1977. [/vc_column_text][vc_masonry_media_grid grid_id="vc_gid:1596100744186-e335ca1f-23f3-6" include="5272,5287,5275,5278,5269,5302,5290,5284,5281,5266"][vc_separator color="black"][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text] [/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]Along the Rio Stava joiners’ workshops were specialised mostly in the production of indoor and outdoor doors and windows and also produced furniture. The set of gears, belts and reductions that led off the main shaft were very complex, having to power numerous mechanical instruments, circular saws, planes, lathes, sanders and others. During the second half of the 1900s, joiners progressively brought their machinery up to date with more modern equipment powered by electricity. [/vc_column_text][vc_separator color="black"][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_masonry_media_grid grid_id="vc_gid:1621004432113-b00bfd5d-a78b-6" include="6212,6215,6252,6249,6243,6240,6237,6246"][/vc_column][/vc_row]