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“Andate là, dove la natura con-duce” - Francesco Bacone

I latinilachiamavano“silva”.Dan-te si perse nella sua oscurità e

Thoreauandòneiboschi“pervive-reconsapevolmenteedaffrontareifattiessenzialidellavita”.ACortina,soprattuttonelperiodoestivo,divie-nemetadi escursione,passeggia-tao sempliceabitudine vacanzierementre può trasformarsi in luogoimpenetrabileedinspiegabileapa-role.Comesed’improvvisolepian-teprendesserocapacitàdialetticaeriducessero il ruolo dello scrivereapateticotentativodiesplorareunmondo imperscrutabile, esclusivoper i nati in questa valle, riservainesplorata, territorio vietato ad “altriforestieri”.Allora mi reco presso le Regolesd’Ampezzo per trovare un qualchecosa che mi dia l’autorizzazione,l’incipit per iniziare a raccontaredeiboschi.ConMicheleDaPozzo,direttoredelParcoDolomitid’Am-pezzo,comprendoilmotivodique-stasensazionedisacralelimitein-valicabile.SpiegacheiboschisonoproprietàdellaComunitàdegliOri-ginaridal1338,quindidegliampez-zani;chelavizaèunboscobanditoperilqualecioèlaComunitàdelibe-radinontagliareedinonpascolarebestiame per periodi secolari;che,vicino al laghetto Noulù dietroil Majestic Miramonti, esiste unlembo di un’antica fustaia di lari-ce–VizzadeNoulùa.D.1623–conalberidietàcompresatrai250ei300anni,traipiùvecchidellavalle.Nel1860fusacrificataperricavareillegnamechesarebbeservitoallacostruzionedelcampanilediCorti-naeRoman,turistadell’epocachesi trovavaapassaredi lì, raccontachesisentivanoiboscaiolitagliare“lafustaia”.Oggiconlacostruzio-ne delle 18 busche da golf i laricisuperstiti, vincolati ed intoccabili,rimarranno inaccessibili se nonai frequentatori del nuovo campo.Prosegue precisando che Larieto,alle pendici del versantemeridio-nale delmassiccio delCristallo, èun lariceto artificiale di circa 200

l’albero della lucelarix decidua

di Lalla Facco

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anni.Esisteperchésièconsentitoil pascolo e quindi, la pulizia con-tinuadelsottobosco,hapermessoilpermaneredelsololarice.Infattiamailsolemanonriescearinno-varsisottoasestessooacoloniz-zareunpratoe ilsuodestinoèdiesserecolonizzatodalcirmoloedalpinorosso. Il laricetoquindièunaformazione transitoria,destinataacondividereilproprioterritorioconaltreessenzeedosservandolebasidelleparetidiCrepesdeSanForcaedeFederasinotachelanatura-lizzazione del lariceto di Larieto ègiàincorso.Inoltrarsi in un lariceto è facile:non serve sentiero ed è comefic-caregli occhi inun librodi favole.È l’equivalente di unmistero fattodiaffascinantiparticolari.Illariceèl’unicaconiferaeuropeacheperdeil fogliame dopo un caratteristicoingiallimentoautunnaledellachio-mach’è radae leggera. Il suo le-gno,icuicolorisfumanodalgialloalrossointenso,èinveceresistenteedurevoletantodaesserepreferi-toadaltriperlacoperturadeitettie il rivestimentodeifienili.Eppurequesto albero che in giovane etàè di forma conica per poi mutarenell’invecchiamentoinunapirami-dealta inalcunicasifinoa55mèla conifera leggiadra che pennella

diorolaconcaampezzanaallosva-nire dell’estate e che ci annuncial’ingressodellabellastagioneconilfrescoverdeprimaveriledellanuovachioma.Illariceèunalberocheco-niugalasemplicitàdelsuoesistereconlaregalitàdelsuosembrare,lapovertàdeiterrenidoveriesceavi-vereconlaricchezzadeicoloridellesuechiomeleggereemutevolichegenerosamentelascianopassarelaluce, permettendo dunque ai pra-ti di crescere fino ai piedi del suotroncodallacortecciagrigiobruna,

le cui grosse placche sono sepa-rate da fessure longitudinali bru-norossastre.LasuaresinaèdettatrementinadiVenezia,cicatrizzaleferiteedèunanaturaleprotezionecontrogliattacchidegliinsetti.Fralesuechiomesinascondononididipicchioverdeenero.Nei boschi d’Ampezzo ciascuno divoi troverà un Albero della Lucepronto a raccontare i suoi segreti:basteràosservarloinsilenziosolle-vandolentamentelosguardoversoilcielo.Perulterioriinformazioni:www.regole.itwww.musei.regole.itwww.dolomitiparco.comwww.dolomiti.org

Latins used to call them “silva”, Dante got lost in their dark-

ness and Thoreau went to live in the woods “to live deliberately , to front only the essential facts of life”. In Cortina, particularly in the summer time, woods are the favourite desti-nation for hikes and leisurely walks. Often just a holiday recreation, they might turn into an impenetrable for-est. Suddenly, trees seem to be able to deliver speeches and talk to us. Writing seems only a pathetic attempt of exploring the unfathomable world, of understanding the unexplored: the exclusive reserve of the people who

were born in this valley, a land which is forbidden to “other foreigners”.I decided to pay a visit to the local “Regole” offices – the institution which has been managing the lands and the forests around Cortina since 1338 – to find some hints which might help me tell about these woods. Michele Da Pozzo, Manager of the Natural Park, helps me understand the reason for the sensation of “no access beyond this sacred limit” that I strongly per-ceive. Woods – he explains – have been the ownership of the natives, the Ampezzani, since ever. While he goes on telling me about the woods surrounding Cortina, I come to know that “vizza” is a part of the forest where the Community has decided to ban grazing and tree cutting for cen-turies; that near the little Noulu lake, behind the Miramonti Majestic hotel, there is what remains of an ancient larch forest dating back to A.D. 1623 – Vizza de Noulù – with the oldest trees in the valley from 250 and 300 years old. In 1860 the forest was sacrificed to build Cortina’s bell tower. Roman, a tourist who was passing by at the

time reported hearing the woodsmen cutting “the forest”. Today, with the new 18-hole golf facility built in the area, the surviving larches are acces-sible only to the golf players who trod the course.At the southern foot of the Cristallo massif, there lies Larieto, an artifi-cial larch forest dating back to 200

years ago. Larieto exits only because grazing – allowed on the woodland – cleared the undergrowth. Larch trees love the sun, yet they cannot colonize grasslands and are bound to be colo-nized by cembra pines and red pines. Larch forests are transitory woods, in fact. They have to share their terri-tory with other plants.

A sinistra e sotto: Sergio Maioni, regoliere nella Commissione Agricoltura che ci ha fatto da guida: qui mentre sta contando gli anelli di un larice centenario.Left and bottom: Sergio Maioni, member of the Agriculture Committee of the Regole Institution, was our guide. Here Sergio is counting the rings of a century-old larch tree.

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PSi percorre la SR48 delle Do-lomiti che sale verso Misuri-na-PassoTreCrocieacirca5kmdaCortina lasiabbandonaper imboccare sulla sinistrauna strada bianca che si sno-dafraillariceto.Oppuresipuòscegliere la passeggiata sulsentiero 211 per giungere allaMalga – 1664m s.l.m. –, postainposizionestraordinariamentesoleggiata. Sull’ampia terraz-

The foot slopes of Crepes de Son Forca and Federa are a clear evidence that the naturalization of the Larieto larch forest is already underway.Penetrating into a larch forest is quite easy; it is like going through a fairy tale and there is no need to follow a trail. It is a sort of mystery made up of charming details. Larch trees are the only deciduous conifers in Eu-rope, in autumn the needles of their thin foliage gradually turn from yel-low to orange, red and brown shades before falling to the ground. While foliage is light, thin and ephem-eral, larch wood is so hard and last-ing that it is used for roof covering and hayloft panelling.Young larches grow into old cone-shaped trees, as high as 55 m; they are the gold brush strokes that paint

the valley when summer fades away and the fresh green strokes which paint their new foliage and announce the coming of spring. Larch trees conjugate the simplicity of their being with the majesty of their appearing, the poverty of the lands where they grow with the wealth of their colour-ful foliage, as thin that light can pass through and grassy meadows can grow all around its dark grey bark. Its resin, known as Venice turpen-tine, can heal wounds and is a natu-ral protection against stings. Green and black woodpeckers nestle in its foliage.In the forests around Cortina, everyone you will find their Light Tree, ready to tell its hidden secrets. Just watch it, in silence, and slowly look up towards the sky.

agriturismo él brìte dé lariéto

zaantistanteÉlBrìteDéLariétosigode l’atmosfera d’alta montagnae si possono gustare i piatti tipicid’Ampezzo. La cucina è basata supietanze casalinghepreparate concarniespecialità tipichediprodu-zioneaziendale.Èpossibileacqui-stareiprodottidellamalga.Info:Tel.+393687008083www.agriturismo.belluno.itwww.dolomiti.org

From Cortina, drive up the SR 48 road of the Dolomites towards Misurina - Passo Tre Croci. Af-ter 5 km leave the main road and take the unpaved road on your left leading to the Malga through the larch forest. Hikers and excursio-nists may take the trail no. 211 and walk as far as the Malga – the former shepherd’s hut at 1664 m a.s.l. – located in a sunny clearing of the forest. On the large deck of Él Brìte dé Lariéto farm restau-rant, guests will appreciate the typical local dishes of the Ampez-zo valley in the enchanting atmo-sphere of the surrounding peaks. All the dishes are home made with the products of the farm. Products can be purchased.