Transumanza in Bressanvido

Every Spring and Fall, communities around the mountainous regions of Italy--the communities around the Alps and the Apennines, specifically--celebrate the departure of cattle for the greener mountain pastures in the Spring and the milder winters of the plains in the Fall.  This constant movement of livestock has been enacted even before the Romans came around, and many communities to this day still celebrate the day their cows and sheep return.  

Roana Bridge

This famous bridge linking the town of Roana to Canove is one of the most famous enduring representative of Italy's modern history in the Vicentine hills.  During its initial construction in 1906, it represented the first time that the seven communities of the Asiago plateau were geographically linked, Roana being previously separated from Canove and Asiago by the deep Valdassa.  Not only did it make commerce and transportation between communities easier, it was also seen as a manifestation of the unity between the Cimbrian communities of the plateau.  During World War I, this bridge was further seen as the connection between the Germanic north and the Italian south as it became a strategic connection between the north and south against the war with the Austro-Hungarians. Francesco Baracca, one of the most celebrated military aviator and daredevil during the war, was said to have flown under one of its arches.  The bridge, however, was destroyed during the war.  Plans were immediately drawn out after the war to rebuild the bridge, the construction of which was completed by Mussolini in 1924.


Nowadays, other than being a major connection for the people of Vicenza to the prime skiing slopes in Roana, the bridge's  fame lies largely on the large number of suicides committed on it.  Much like any tragedy, the people that live near the bridge have turned tragedy into cynical humor: a famous Vicentino advice for the desperate and inconsolable is that "there will always be Roana bridge."

Forte Verena (Asiago) and a Late Winter Hike

Forte Verena is located on the highest peak of the Asiago Plateau, roughly 2,000 meters above sea level. It is part of the series of fortifications built by the Italians along their northern borders before WWI as a protection against any attacks by the Austro-Hungarians (despite being "allies"), as a retaliation for Italy's claim to Trentino, Alto-Adige, and Friuli-Venezia. During its construction, Forte Verena was top-of-the-line, made to withstand any known forms of bombardments during the time. However, WWI was significant in human history as the first modern war, and the construction technologies introduced in Fort Verena were some of the many techniques that were laid to waste by this new way of waging war.

On May 24, 1915, the first fires shot by the Italians during the war were from Fort Verena, directed at Fort Luserna, a corresponding fortification by the Austrians across the valley. The higher elevation afforded the Italians commanding views of their targets, but poor weapons caused more civilian casualty in nearby Lusern than military gain. For months, the Italians bombarded the surrounding Austrian forts from this commanding position, while being met with a sizeable but not as effective artillery response from the Austrians. Ground troops were also involved during the battle, but the mountainous terrain made any significant advances for both sides impossible. In addition, the Italians had to contend with scrappy yet determined volunteers on the Austrian side aided by snipers from the Meraner Standschutzen battalion who were able to exploit the terrain for their advantage.

The situation didn't break for the Austrians until the following summer, with the introduction of the M11 and some really big Howitzers, which were able to produce greater damages at further distances. Within three months, the Austrians have destroyed and captured all Italian fortifications that were keeping the Austro-Hungarian advance to Asiago. Ground forces pushed the Italians all the way back to Asiago, stopping only due to lack of logistical support, partly due to the severe supply depletion caused by the Austrians' obsessive need to capture every mountaintop...a worthy tactic but one made irrelevant by bigger, more destructive guns and a tendency to destroy everything for the sake of winning. (The ultimate challenge to this tactic was in Pasubio, when the Austrians simply completely blew-up an entire mountaintop instead of trying to capture it.) From there, the Italians were on the defensive for most of the war as they try to stop the Austrians from advancing down towards Vicenza and across the Po Delta. The Italians were only able to completely push the Austrians back and recapture their forts with the Armistice of 1918.

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It felt silly to go hiking through the snow in the mountains when the sun is shining and it's 70 degrees Fahrenheit in the plains below, but I would say this is actually the best time to do it. First off, it's not so cold, so short sleeves are completely acceptable. Second, the weather is less wont to turn violent and dump many inches of snow while one is outside. Third, the silence.

Finally, it's nice to be reminded that spring has arrived even if one doesn't really need to be reminded. I don't know what these little flowers are, but they, along with daffodils, were common sights whenever there is a clear patch of ground.

We actually hiked along and through the Verena ski trails, which were empty enough to be traversed on foot (not recommended during high season, when doing so can result in heavy fines). The trails gave me an idea: skiing! I know it is very late in the season, but I wouldn't mind enjoying some slopes in short summer clothes!

Italian Hockey

Yesterday, Vicenza's calcio (soccer/football) team was playing in home turf, but surprisingly (nay, SHOCKINGLY) some in our group didn't enjoy watching soccer. So instead, we went to Asiago to watch the town's highly-rated soccer team beat Val di Fasso's team to the ground. But hockey, you ask? Although it may not make much sense for a Mediterranean country to indulge in such a cold-weather sport, participation is largely limited to the northern parts of the country, where alpine culture is very much alive and the locals tend to classify themselves more German than Italian. Going north along the Italian peninsula, Asiago is one of the first major towns that truly display its historic affinity to German culture, with some communities even speaking Cimbrian. Hockey in this context does not look or feel out of place at all.

It was the first time that I went to see hockey, and the experience was good overall. But the best part however were the fans: insane! Shouting, whistling, chanting, these guys are passionate over a sport that I never would have imagined Italians would be bowling over. American spectators are by and large dedicated to their teams, but these guys have an almost maniacal obsession with every hit, every foul, and every point scored. There were no jitters here--everyone stayed glued to their seats throughout the game, including the children. The stands right behind the Asiago goal were the rowdiest, chanting nonstop throughout the game, and waving the team's colors whenever the team scored (or it looks like the players are getting tired). The one very big difference with American hockey however were the players. They screamed at each other, got pissed-off to the point of a shoving match, but no fist-fights. Frankly, that is one of the biggest draws of the sport, so it is a little underwhelming that no brawls broke out.

In fact, the fans, although spirited, also stayed relatively calm and respectful. When a player from the opposing team was carried away on a stretcher, he was applauded. (His departure on a stretcher wasn't what they were clapping about. I didn't really sense such nastiness with the fans.) When the referees and the opposing team came out, there was no booing. A nice environment such fans make, especially for people like me who get turned-off by American sporting events due to their tendency to devolve into drunken messes. Hopefully Asiago makes it to the championship. I wouldn't mind going back and cheering them on alongside their usual life-long supporters.

If you are interested in watching the team play, visit their website for game schedule.