ViviDolomiti Cronache da oltre frontiera Storie di guardie, contrabbandieri e… briganti novel* Novels And Other Books

ViviDolomiti Cronache da oltre frontiera Storie di guardie, contrabbandieri e… briganti: The smugglers who, over a century ago, crossed the most rugged paths of Alta Lessinia, the intertwining of beautiful love stories and true friendships, the description of the mysterious places from folk tales, the “filò” gatherings that once took place in barns during long and snowy winter evenings, the often ironic and amusing dialogues of the protagonists, with some brief passages in Venetian and Cimbrian languages, the ancient dialects spoken here, and still, the extraordinary agricultural landscape of Lessinia: these are just some of the ingredients of this tale.

The life of the mountain people and those living in the valleys near the border was a harsh one, often marked by hunger, sacrifices, and hardships that today are difficult to imagine. The author, with true expertise and admirable meticulous research, finally does justice to the little or non-existent knowledge of that historical period, of that stage in the growth of our people. In that era, smuggling (a phenomenon vigorously opposed by the authorities of the time) was seen as a modest opportunity for redemption, even if it came at the cost of secrecy and the constant risk of being caught in the strict police nets or by the unforgiving nature of the rugged terrain and harsh winter climate of the Lessini mountains, Carega, and other border peaks. This is a book to read, and perhaps even study, for those who love to learn about the history of the mountains and the people who lived there. From the preface by Bepi Magrin.