These hills that rise at the foot of the Alps have a strange history. A history that in the last century has changed their appearance and vegetation, to the point of making them, starting from the 70s, a popular destination for local tourism.
Montello (small mountain) is a mountainous relief 13 km long and 5 wide, with a maximum height of about 300 meters.
In the 17th century, due to its precious wood, Montello was confiscated by the Republic of Venice, and the inhabitants expelled. The forest remained uninhabited until the First World War, when events changed its history.
I have written extensively on Connect about these places and how their current history is deeply linked to the First World War. We did Meet-ups there, we visited historical places and restaurants.
Being on the front line, during the First World War the ancient forest was completely razed to the ground, due to continuous bombardment that dug deep chasms in the rolling hills.
The trees that were left were literally torn by the wind of what, in 1930, was the largest tornado to hit Europe in the last 100 years.
The Montello we know now is therefore a “relatively” new place, a wood of chestnut trees and locust trees, dotted with farms built after the Second World War. A wood full of “places of memory”, but also of excellent restaurants and farmhouses, where you can taste good food and excellent wines.
I always like to visit it, but my favorite season is autumn, when the colors of the forest make it an enchanted place.
Caught by the light
I like to walk in the woods during the “Golden Hours”, when the sun, low on the horizon, penetrates in flashes in the twilight, illuminating some leaves, the trunk of a tree, or a patch of grass. In those hours, especially in Autumn, the sunlight creates incredible effects, drawing spaces and volumes in the woods.
Underwood.
The vegetation that grows under the trees. Moss, grass, mushrooms, but also insects that feed on fallen wood, dead leaves that become life, life that transforms, that changes, that grows, to become other flowers, other trees, other life.
There are life, colors, sounds and smells that are typical of the Underwood. The sound of dry leaves trampled by our footsteps, the song of a bird, the flapping of wings in the branches, the smell of moss and mushrooms.
History
The hills of Montello are also rich in history. A story that takes us back to the First World War, and which is dotted here with monuments, cemeteries, statues, caves (many caves) but also chasms dug into the earth by the huge bombs thrown by the giant cannon on the other side of the Piave river.
I’ve talked about it in previous posts, in the series “in a war, nobody wins - we are all losers”
- Exploring the Territory of 1st World War - The Battle of the Solstice
- Exploring the Territory of 1st World War - The English cemetery
- Exploring the Territory of 1st World War - Saint Eustachio Abbey
- Exploring the Territory of 1st World War - Francesco Baracca
And of course, we visited the area in a memorable Meet-up: RECAP: Ebbrezza Wine Meet up II. With an international group of Local Guides we explored the territory, we tasted wines, and we had a great dinner together, in one of the in one of the many restaurants in the area.
The original idea for this post was to write something about the Colors of the Woods, but when I start to write about this place I cannot forget the history of the area. Please forgive me if the post got unexpectedly long, but I hope you enjoyed it.
