The culture and traditions of the Ladins, the inhabitants of Alta Badia’s valleys, are thousands of years old. Located in the heart of the Dolomites a UNESCO World Heritage site, Alta Badia is an authentic place where these traditions are still lived in everyday life.
The inhabitants of these villages are very keen to pass on these values to the guests of Alta Badia, and for this reason they are once again offering the Nos Ladins-We Ladins events in the summer of 2024, from June to September. They offer the opportunity to spend a few hours in the company of the locals and to live authentic experiences.
Participants will discover people, places and traditions that are an integral part of the history and culture of Alta Badia. No one can bring these experiences to life more authentically than the people who live there…
Violin making is an art and for Anna a true passion, born from a meeting with the famous violin maker Claudiu Man on the football pitch in the village of La Val. To make her Ladin violins, Anna chooses “peció”, the pine wood from the forests around her home. Entering her workshop, among the violins, wood, strings and cases, is a unique experience that can be enjoyed on 26 June and 4 September from 2pm-3.30pm.
Katy studied art history and is a true enthusiast of Ladin culture. Fourteen years of work at the Museum Ladin Ciastel de Tor have led her to run what can be considered the place where Ladin history and memory are preserved with scrupulous, attentive and far-sighted care. Katy will be an exceptional guide on the dates of 11 July and 22 August, from 10am to 12noon. She will be able to tell the participants the fascinating history of the Ladin world through the works preserved in the rooms of this place.
La Villa is home to the headquarters of the White Cross, a voluntary association that provides first aid and public assistance. Lucas joined the volunteer group at the age of 13 and has never stopped helping those in the valley who may be in difficulty. To visit the headquarters with him is to enter a world of people with a big heart. During the sessions on 27 June, 1 and 29 August, from 4.30pm to 6.30pm, Lucas will explain what voluntary work is and what it means to do it in the mountains.
Spending a day on the farm together with Rosa and Tone is an experience that takes participants back to an ancient world, kept alive by people who love their land and tend it with tenacity and devotion. Rosa and Tone are old-fashioned farmers. Together they run the family farm, one of the oldest in Alta Badia, dating back to the 13th-14th centuries. With simplicity they pass on their passion for the work they have always done, which is to take care of the land; a feeling they have also passed on to their four children. In addition to seeing the farmers at work, during the events of 25 July and 28 August from 9am to 1pm, you have the opportunity to lend a hand in getting the animals out of the cowshed or cutting the grass with a scythe. At the end of the morning, during lunch, you can taste the simple but genuine dishes of Ladin cuisine, freshly prepared by Rosa.
The Ferragosto parade is an event with a long tradition in the lives of the inhabitants of the village of La Villa. The event in the village centre takes place every year on 15 August and involves a themed parade – this year’s theme is ‘Artisans yesterday and today’ – organised by the local associations. Together with Daria, who for some years now has been the organiser in charge of the parade, an expert in Ladin art and customs, as well as editor of cultural columns for the Ladin editorial staff of RAI, it will be possible to get to know the behind the scenes of the event, help set up one of the floats the days before the parade, and then get on it and parade through the village on the day of the event.
OTHER ACTIVITIES RELATED TO THE LADIN WORLD
Ladin is one of the three official languages of South Tyrol, along with Italian and German. The week from 24 to 28 June 2024 will be dedicated for the first time to this linguistic minority. During this period, activities and initiatives will take place in order to make this language and its peculiarities known to the guests of the valley.
I Jun A Munt on 18 August takes place in La Val, a village in Alta Badia that has preserved much of its Ladin rural culture. The walking tour starts from the place of Spëscia and goes to the Ütia da Rit mountain hut and the Crusc da Rit viewpoint, before taking path 15 back to the starting point. Along the route, which is entirely on foot, the participants will come across various points of interest where they can discover the peculiarities of the work done by farmers on the mountain pastures during the summer months. At each stop, the participants will have the opportunity to carry out activities together with the farmers, to learn something new about this profession and, last but not least, to taste some typical Ladin dishes, a simple but genuine cuisine.
Visit altabadia.org
Categories: Activities, Latest News