The Forest Farm-House of Andrea Zenari

Andrea Zenari has a degree in forest development and for about ten years, he worked at international level and travelled to look at the forests in different parts of the world, especially Europe. In 2018 he decided that he had travelled more than enough and needed to settle down and grow his roots.

For settling down, he chose the edge of a forest near a tiny village-town called Caltrano with around 2,500 residents, where his family had some pasture lands. On this land, with the help of some of his wood sawing and cutting students, he has built a wood house.

Around his wood house, Andrea has set up a farm-house called Fattoria del Legno with a number of activities for teaching interested persons, especially children about nature and the role of farm houses.

Reaching Andrea's Farm-House

Caltrano is located on the road going up towards the high-plains of Asiago in the province of Vicenza. It is about 11 kms from Schio.

To reach Andrea's farm-house you can leave your car at the parking of the cemetery of Caltrano, and walk up on the road passing behind the cemetery and going up. It is a ten minutes walk up the hill. Along the way, you will pass different areas each dedicated to a specific activity, from Christmas pine trees to the sheep and hen raising areas.

Andrea has a Facebook page of his farm-house where you will find his phone number and email.

Our visit to Andrea's Farm House

With our Book Reading group, we went to visit him a couple of weeks ago.   Each of us brought something to eat or to drink and we had planned to visit him, talk to him about what it means to be living in a forest and to have an open-air dinner.

As we entered his home, we were welcomed by Andrea's friendly and curious cat, Pici-Pici.  

We started by sitting on benches around a big table, both built by Andrea, talking about his life. His grandfather had his farm-house here but after his death in 1966, no one was living here and the grassy pastureland was taken-over by the forest. This change, from pastures and farmhouses to forests, has occurred in many other places in the hills and mountains around Schio. In the nineties, his parents used to come here in their roulotte.

Since 2018, when Andrea decided to settle here, he has reclaimed some parts of that forest to create his farm-house.  It aims to be a forest-farm-house for teaching and learning. The first building was smaller, 30 sq.meters. Two years ago, it was enlarged around the first building and now it was a bigger kitchen, living room and a covered veranda.

He has a bathroom inside the house and an open-air wooden tub with a shower made from an old flower watering can, for the summer. We were wondering about the tap of this open-air shower, which is very high and needs a ladder to go up to open and close it. He said that he is working for a wooden extension rod, so that the tap can be turned on and off more easily.

Apart from tree trunks used for the wood, everything else in his house is made from recycled materials. He has solar panels for energy, which can be saved in batteries for using fridge, computer, etc.

Some of Andrea's Activities at Fattoria del Legno 

He runs different training courses. Young children come to see how a farm house works. Adults can learn the use of electrical saw and wood-work (short course of 8 hours and a long course of a couple of weeks, both recognised by the region). People can learn basics of being a carpenter, making tables, chairs, cupboards. 

We talked of his experience of raising a variety of heirloom sheep called Lussò. There are around 200 of these sheep in the world. This part of Italy has four varieties of the heirloom sheep and ensuring the survival of those old genetic pools is a challenge. Andrea told us about the difficulties of guarding these sheep from the attacks of wolves. Wolves had become extinct from these areas and have been reintroduced in the recent past. However, with increase in their numbers, there are difficulties in avoiding human-animal interactions and safeguarding the sheep.

Andrea has lost some of his sheep to the wolves in January this year, and now has just 3 female sheep left, two adults and a baby (Lussò dwarf-sheep, originally from Groix island in Brittany). He is hoping to get a new male sheep. The Italian law says that only the males with high genetic values can be used for reproduction of the heirloom sheep.

In the winters, Andrea rents pine trees for Christmas - after Christmas, you can give it back to him. When the trees grow up, they are planted. He also keeps bees and grows vegetables.

Another recent initiative of Andrea, in collaboration with a bio-architect Maurizio Signorini, is that of creating a natural open-air church / meeting hall called Vegetalis. 1,150 trees and creepers were planted all along its walls in February 2021. Birch trees play a central role in this building. As they grow up, they will create the building, which can be used for meetings as well for silence, reflection and meditation.

In the End

Our book-reading group called Lettori in Circolo, is very active. Some months ago, we had visited an expert in old books and the art of book-printing (I still need to write about that).

This was our second outing this year and I really enjoyed meeting Andrea and visiting his forest farm-house.

I felt that apart from thinking about nature, farming and how the human experiences keep on changing with new technologies, an important part of this visit was the discussions on the re-introduction of wolves in these forests and the challenges that creates for human habitats.

It is wonderful to be part of such a group of people, with whom I share the love of books. At the same time, it gives us opportunities to visit new stimulating places, which force us to share, think and discuss.

Thanks to Andrea Zenari for being such a wonderful host and for sharing his life and Fattoria del Legno with us. 

***** 

Visiting Schio: Sacred Sites

The tiny town of Schio in the north-east of Italy, about 30 km from the provincial capital Vicenza, is full of sacred sites that bring here pilgrims from all over the world. At the same time, many of these sites are also wonderful places for nature walks and hikes.

The town is located in the foothills of Pasubio mountain, part of the Little Dolomites, and thus, be ready to go up and down the hilly paths during your walks (above: a view of Pasubio and Leogra river in Schio).

This post provides an overview and brief information about the different sites. Over the next few months, I hope to write more detailed posts about each site. Except for a pre-historic site, all the other places in this post are related to the Catholic church.

Pre-historic Prayer Sites on Mount Summano

Mount Summano towards the east of Schio is around 1300 m. high. Some believe that the its name indicates Pluto, the ancient God of the underworld; others think that it indicates the God of lightening and rain.

Ancient archaeological remains have also been found in a cave known as Bocca Lorenza, on the eastern side of Summano, which can be a great walk from the nearby Sant'Orso town.

Near the summit of Monte Summano, you can visit the church dedicated to St. Mary (above), as well as see the ancient site where prehistoric folks use to make sacred fire for worship (image below).

If you are used to mountain hikes, you can try the hike from Tretto or from Sant'Orso to the top of the mountain. It has plenty of places for panoramic views of the Schio valley below. Many years ago I tried this hike once, starting from Tretto, but it was too tough for me, I had to give it up half way (below, a view from the top).

St. Martin church in Schio

St Martin hill in Schio hosts one of the oldest churches in this area, which was built at the site of an older temple dedicated to a female deity. The first church was built here around 7th century CE. The first written document about this church is from 1185 CE.

In late 1985, a person from Schio called Renato Baron claimed to have a vision of Madonna on the hill, around 250 metres above the St Martin church. Over the following years, hundreds of his followers started collecting here for prayers. Some persons from the Catholic church, spoke against Baron and his cult.

For the pilgrims coming here from different parts of Europe, a proper walking path has been created leading to the site where Baron had his vision, and then to the top of the hill. You may or may not believe in Baron and his vision, but it is a wonderful place for a hike to the top of the hill. Come prepared with proper walking shoes, a cap and a bottle of water. You can see two views of this path here (above and below).

San Zeno Church in Magre, Schio

Magre is the part of the Schio located across the Leogra river bridge. Magre hill is located in the centre of this area, while the much higher, Magre mountain separates Leogra valley from the Agno valley on the west. Archaeological excavations on the Magre hill have shown objects from prehistoric to more recent times.

San Zeno area is located on the western slope of Raga mountain in Magre. To reach here, you need to walk till the end of Via Siberia road. It is a protected area and vehicles (including bicycles) are not allowed beyond a point. The tiny San Zeno church is from 14th century, and has been recently renovated.

It is located next to a waterfall, which looks beautiful after the rains.

The final 150-200 metres of the path require a steeper climb and some effort. So go there with proper walking shoes, a cap and a water bottle.

St. Mary Mother church in Pieve

This church goes back at least a thousand years. The legends say that it was built at the site of an older pagan temple. During medieval period, it was considered as the mother church for all the surrounding mountains areas. It was also the seat for a bishop, till the Duomo church was built in Schio in 1473.

Over the past centuries, this church (above) has been renovated many times, the last being in 1989, so it does not look so old. It still has some old frescoes and an old baptismal fountain. Next to the church, you can also see the old water canal, Roggia Maestra, from the 12th century.

This church is located in Pieve Bel Vicino, a few kilometres north of Schio. From the city centre, it takes a 45 minutes walk to reach there.

St. Francis church of Schio

This church and monastery were inaugurated in 1436. Built on the eastern edge of the medieval town on the hill of Olives, it is one of the most beautiful churches in the city. The church has a famous painting (below) by the well-known renaissance-period artist Francesco Verla (1470-1521) and a 14th century stone statue of Madonna.

The asymmetrical looking church (below) with a central nave and one sided aisle is open to public only on special occasions (at present, it is on the afternoons of the first Sundays of the month but that keeps on changing).

Duomo of Schio

Duomo was built in the city centre in 1473. It is placed on the Gorzone hill, right in front of the castle hill. An older Longobard tower and then a church had existed here before the construction of Duomo. It is dedicated to St. Peters. With stairs on the two sides for going up to the church, it has a majestic look. The external sculptures of the four evangelists are by Valetino Zajec. It dominates the central plaza, Piazza Rossi.

One of the paintings (Gesu Maestro, 1943) in Duomo has an indirect link with my wife's family. That painting is by Alfredo Ortelli, who lived in Magre. His sister Ita, was my mother-in-law's friend and after the death of her brother in 1963, lived with my wife's family for many years (in the house where I am writing this post).

FYI, Duomo is a cathedral level church, without a bishop - it can only be called Cathedral, if it has a bishop.

St. Jakob Church

Located on the road behind Duomo is the 15th century St Jakob's church. It has some nice paintings from 19th century. The most beautiful part of this church, in my opinion, is its 16th century bell-tower, in the image below (to see it, enter the portico next door, going to the back of the church).

St. Mary Chapel in Valletta

It is charming little chapel located in the valley between the Castle hill and the hill with St Francis church. A water canal passes underneath it and an old city gate can be seen next to it. The first documents about this chapel are from early 16th century but probably the church goes back to older times.

St. Bakhita's Canossian Church

The congregation of Daughters of Charity, also known as Canossian nuns, have an old history in Schio. One of their nuns, mother Bakhita, was declared a saint in 2000 by Pope John Paul II. Mother Bakhita (or St. Bakhita, if you prefer) had a very unusual story.

Born in Darfur region (Sudan) in 1869, she was taken from her village and sold as a slave when she was 7 years old. Her name Bakhita (fortunate) was given by the Arab slave-sellers. She ended up in the house of the Italian consul in Khartoum, who brought her to Venice, where she joined the nuns. She spent many years in Schio, and died here in 1947.

Pilgrims come to visit her tomb from all over the world. Her church (image above) and tomb are located in the city centre. A monument near the St Francis church (image below) remembers her and the millions of persons taken away from Africa as slaves.

In Conclusion

As you can see, even if Schio is only a tiny mountain town, it has many sacred places to visit, which are open to people of all religions. Many of these places, also provide opportunities for nature-walks along beautiful  and serene mountain paths. To conclude this post, here is a view of the city centre seen from the terrace of the Duomo of Schio.

*****

My Most Beautiful Experiences

What makes some memories so special, that we can't forget them, even after decades? I was thinking about my memories of my most unforgettable evenings and wondering about what had made them so special.

In this post, I want to talk about 5 of my most unforgettable evenings and what made them special.

An Evening at the Taj Mahal, India

Talking about a beautiful evening at the Taj Mahal is a cliché, but since it was one the most incredible evenings that I had ever had, I decided to start with it. I had been to Taj in Agra a few times, the first time in 1967 on a school trip. This particular visit was in 2012, when I was in Agra for a conference. One afternoon, as I came out of a tiring meeting, I decided to walk and ended up at Taj Mahal. When I reached, the sky was already turning pink.

It was still crowded and I decided to sit down on a bench on one side, to wait for the evening. Slowly the crowd thinned and it became quieter. There was an azaan, I think from the mosque on the side of Taj or may be from outside. In that quiet, listening to that azaan and watching the silhouette of the familiar shape of the monument against the darkening sky, it was absolutely divine. It was the combination of beauty, colours and the music/sounds which made this evening so special.

 

The Uvs lake in Mongolia

I have also been to Mongolia many times. This particular evening was in 2008. We had travelled in a jeep from Bayan Ulgii to Uvs in the extreme west of Mongolia. In Uvs, I had one incredible afternoon in the stadium in Ulaangom where a Buddhist lama had led a special session of prayers.

One afternoon, after we finished our meetings, my friends accompanied me to Uvs lake, about 60 kms away from Ulaangom. The lake forms the border between Russia and Mongolia, which means that the mountains you can see in the image below on the other side of the lake were in Russia.

It was cloudy and windy that day. The contrast between light and dark shades of the dry grass, land, lake water and the snow covered mountains was very striking. A row of white round gers (tents) for the tourists, stood out. There were noisy seagulls and black and white lapwings. There, a few of my Mongolian friends sang polyphonic songs, which is a special Mongolian skill. The singers can simultaneously make multiple sounds, some in a wonderful bass and others, more acute.

The colours of the nature, the wind and clouds, the cries of seagulls and the polyphonic sounds of the Mongolian songs, together created something unique, which made that evening unforgettable for me. Even now, when I listen to polyphonic music from Mongolia, I remember that evening along the lake. If you have never heard a Mongolian polyphonic song, take a few minutes to listen to one on Youtube.

Pasubio Mountain, Veneto, Italy

Pasubio is the dolomite mountain of Schio, the little town in the north-east of Italy where we now live. Its highest peak is at more than 2,200 metres. From our home, a 20-25 minutes drive takes us to the mountain pass known as Pian delle Fugazze, at a little less than 1,200 metres. This was the border between Italy and Austria where the First World War battles had taken place. Hundreds of young men from different parts of Italy, but specially from all the towns of our region, had died here. At this mountain pass, visible from miles all around, is an Ossario, where bodily remains of those young men are kept.

We often go to the Ossario of Pasubio (in the image below). There are may mountain paths marked by the Italian Alpine association, where you can go for trekking. There is a hanging bridge there, about 2 km away, which makes for a nice walk. The evening at Pasubio which I remember is from a visit in 2012 evening. It was December and very cold. There had been different snowfalls, but on that day the sky was clear.

Soon after we arrived, the sky turned pink and orange, lighting up the snow with a strange glow. The moon was already out, not yet a full moon, but still glowing nicely. There was no one else at Ossario, just I and my wife. We stood there admiring the beautiful views till it turned dark. I think that it was special because we were alone and surrounded by incredible beauty.

An Evening in the Petrified Forest, New Mexico, USA

In 2018, I went on a road trip with my sister and one of her friends, in USA. We started from Santa Fe and finished our journey in Phoenix, visiting places like Grand Canyon and Sedona on the way. There is just a 2 years gap between I and my sister and I have a level of comfort with her, which is different from all other relationships. For much of our adult lives, we meet once in a while, usually with our families. Only now, with our children grown up, we can meet without our families and spend our time talking, as we used to do in our childhood.

That road-trip gave some wonderful memories, one of which was an evening spent in the Painted Desert and Petrified Forest. The beautiful shades of the earth, the amazing landscapes and our constant bickering (which sometimes irritated my sister's friend), made it a wonderful evening.

Baja beach on Tapajos river in Amazon region, Brazil

I have also been to Brazil many times, most recently in 2019 when I had a wonderful visit in Rio de Janeiro. However, my special evening memory is once again from 2012. I was with my friend and colleague Deo, and we were visiting a project in Abaetetuba town in Para state in the north-east of Brazil. One evening, we went to a shack on the Baja beach on the Tapejos river, a few kilometres away. We had some beer, and while Deo chatted with some friends, I wandered alone.

Tapejos is a huge river, its other shore was probably a few kilometres away. It changes with the sea tides of Atlantic ocean. The retreating high tide had left its marks on the sand. A group of children was playing football. Strips of land alternating with streams of water, created a wonderful background.

I walked to the edge of the river. A few families with children were there, including a man with a baby boy, who had parked his motorbike and was playing with the child in the water. Slowly the sun went down the sky turned yellow and orange. As I walked back to the beer shack, the man and the baby boy left on their motorbike. The river, the colours, the families chattering, it all created something magical.

Conclusions

I love writing posts like this, which give me an opportunity to revisit forgotten journeys and to remember places and persons, some of whom are no longer alive. I hope that you have also enjoyed this journey, and that it has made you remember some special moments from your own life.

Writing such posts is also about understanding ourselves and our desires. I have hundreds of beautiful pictures of sunsets. Why did I choose these five? Thinking about it, makes me understand myself - what is important for me, and what touches me deeply. I that it is a way of meditating or may be a way of more mindful-living.

Because of smart-phones, most of us have hundreds or even thousands of pictures. Try to make them count - think which pictures matter to you and why? It will help you to learn about yourself.

I think that many factors contribute to making some memories special for us - 

(1) Beauty or aesthetic pleasure is an part of it.

(2) The persons who are with me contribute to making it special.

(3) A dash of music or art can also contribute to it.

(4) Possibility of remembering it through photographs or a diary or talking about it with friends

What makes some moments of your life unforgettable for you?

*****

Reforming Hindu Traditions

In 2018, I had spent a few days in Rishikesh where a chance meeting with a young Swami ji (ascetic) had led to some interesting discussions about how to bring reforms in Hinduism. (Click on the images for a bigger view)

In terms of discussions around Hinduism, it is strange how a new aggressive narrative of Hinduism is being pushed in some traditional and social media (especially in English). Hinduism (along with Buddhism and Jainism) is predominantly seen as a religion of peace which accepts people of different religions and creeds, as shown by the millennium-long Indian traditions of accepting people persecuted in their own lands including Parsi, Jews, Armenians, etc. International image of Hinduism is also associated with spirituality and Mahatma Gandhi including elements such as Yoga, meditation, non-violence and vegetarianism. However today, there are many persons in India and outside, who talk of Hinduism exclusively in terms of hate, violence and discrimination.

This post is about a discussion with a Swami ji from Rishikesh about how to reform Hinduism, it does not go into the new narratives being built around it.

Rishikesh

Rishikesh is the last mountain town where the river Ganges passes before reaching the plains in Haridwar. I had been to Rishikesh a few times as a child. My most memorable visit was in early 1968 with my maternal uncle. At that time, the Beatles had just visited the ashram of the Guru Mahesh Yogi and this had brought international spotlight on this obscure town. Last year when I went to Rishikesh, I had vague memories of those old journeys. I went to look for the old ashram of Mahesh Yogi but it was closed and covered with overgrown vegetation. This part of Rishikesh has now many new ashrams and there is a new huge white statue of Shiva built in the middle of the river.

As the river Ganges comes down, the old town of Rishikesh is located along its left bank, near the area of Triveni Ghat. All the new ashrams and yoga centres of Rishikesh are located to the north of the old town, along the opposite side of the river.

I was staying near Triveni Ghat and spent a great deal of time sitting along the river bank, with my feet in the ice-cold river waters, talking to old men and women who had come here on pilgrimage from different parts of India. Every afternoon, underneath the trees of Triveni Ghat, persons gathered in small groups and discussed. These discussions were usually very down-to-earth and mixed an earthy humour and occasional obscenity with the spirituality.

Meeting the Swami

The Swami ji was much younger to me, probably around 40 years and was clean shaven. He wore the saffron cloth of renunciation and seemed well educated. I met him near Bharat temple, which is one of the oldest and most beautiful temples in Rishikesh. He was from West Bengal and I talked to him about my experience of living in Assam. I was curious to ask him what had brought him to the path of renunciation, but felt a bit embarassed, it seemed like a very personal question to ask to an occasional acquaintance.

We started talking about Upanishads and I explained to him my fascination with Katho-Upanishad, which tells the story of Nachiketa's visit to Yama, the God of death and their discussions about the meanings of life and death. He was very knowledgable and recited different shlokas from that book, explaining his understanding of it.

Then he asked me if I had been to the Ganga-aarti? During this aarti a group of young Brahmins do a choreographed dancing prayer holding metal lamp-stands full of burning lamps, which has a great visual impact. I explained to him that for me, the teachings of Upanishads held the real meaning of Hinduism and I did not have much faith in rituals like aarti. I had found aesthetic pleasure in the choreography of the burning lamps and prayers sung by the faithful, but not any spiritual connection to it.

 

My comments about the aarti provoked a discussion during which Swami ji explained to me his understanding of Hinduism. He said, Hinduism is like Ganges, a river made of a lot of different streams. There is the Spiritual stream of Hinduism with an abstract view of God, and this stream finds a value in the sacred books of Veda and Upanishad. There are many other streams. Like the Vaishnav stream of belief which is practiced in Assam by the followers of Shrimanta Shankar Dev, which focuses on Bhagwat Puran and does not have any idols. However, according to him the biggest stream of Hinduism is that of simple persons who believe in the different Gods, in the different avatars of Vishnu and in the stories of Ramayan and Mahabharat. For them, the stories of Ram, Krishen and Shiva are the bedrock of their faith, these are felt as true in a material sense.

Swami ji felt that many of the present problems of Hinduism were caused by the disconnect between persons believing in different streams of the religion. According to him, most of the highly educated Hindus among the thinkers, writers, academics and other influential groups are like me, who appreciate the higher teachings of Gita, Veda and Upanishad but do not have the simple faith of common persons in their Gods.

"Persons like you, they dominate the society and what they say is taken up by TV and newspapers. You do not believe in Gods and Goddesses but you give your advice on what should be done about Hinduism. How to celebrate our festivals, where to make our temple, how big should be the statue, how to reform our traditions, you know everything and you want to take all the decisions for all the Hindus. The simple people for whom Ram, Sita, Krishna and Shiva are real, their opinions are considered as inferior and unimportant. This is creating problems in our society because they are the majority but they do not have a voice and people like you are a minority but you have a big influence", he said.

My point was that if a festival like Diwali creates pollution because of crackers or if we use Plaster of Paris statues covered with chemical paints at Ganesh Chaturthi and Durga Puja and after the festivals, throw them into rivers & create pollution, then something has to be done. Why can't we find another way to celebrate these festivals without feeling that others are persecuting us? Our religions need to change with the changed reality of the world.

He said that reforms in Hinduism must come from within, they can't be imposed by others. According to him we need persons like Mahatma Gandhi, or a Guru who understands the bigger picture and who shares the faith of common Hindu - only such a person can bring a change from the grassroots.

Conclusions

The words of that Swami ji have remained with me and I have reflected on them. I can see that I have a certain intellectual way of being a Hindu, I do not really believe in temple-rituals or Gods. I like visiting temples, just like I like visiting churches, museums and art exhibitions, for an aesthetic pleasure.

There is a lot about Hinduism in India, as it is lived by millions of persons, which I don't really understand - from Kanwariyas who walk for hundreds of kilometres to collect water from Ganges for their temples, to the pilgrims who spend weeks on the road for festivals like Ambubashi or Kumbha Mela - I understand all of it in an intellectual way but I can't understand the simple faith which moves these people.

The question is how can we promote a grass-root change in them? According to the Swami ji, the reformist movement has to come from them, and from their gurus and other persons in whom they have faith. These can't be forced by laws. In a way I understand this point, I had written about it in relation to the Sabarimala judgement.

But I am not convinced about the role of persons like me, who believe in Hindu spirituality but do not have the simple faith in rituals and prayers, do we have any role in promoting reforms related to that way of faith in following Hinduism? What do you think? Please do share your point of view in the comments below.

(Originally written in 2019 and updated in 2023)

*****

Schio’s Old Water Canal

The north Italian town called Schio, where I live, has a one thousand-years' old water-canal. It starts from Leogra river and ends in another river called Timonchio. On its way it passes through different suburbs to the north and south of Schio, going underground for a brief part in the city centre. It is called Roggia Maestra (Master Canal).

Over the centuries, this canal has played a key role in the city’s life and history. Today, it has lost its importance for the city’s industries, however it accompanies some of the most beautiful walking areas around the city and continues to be important for the farmers. (Click on the images for a bigger view)

I am always interested in discovering the history of old places. This post is a result of my search for information about this canal. I had found some information on internet, but most of it came from some books in the Schio library. There are some bits of information which are still missing.

The River-Crossing Canal

Schio’s water canal has one peculiarity, which I think is rare among the water-canals – it comes out from one side of the river, after a few kilometres it crosses over the river in a tube-bridge and then continues on the other side of the river. Have anyone heard of any such river-crossing canal in another part of the world? Do share information in the comments below.

Originally there were two water canals on the river Leogra. One was built on its western bank along the little town of Pieve Belvicino, a few kilometres to the north of Schio and it ended in a place called Ponte Canale (canal bridge), which had a wood-bridge for crossing the river. This was the old canal built around 1000 AD. The image below shows this part of the canal.

The second canal one was located along the eastern bank of the river, starting near Poleo area at the northern edge of Schio. It was much longer, it proceeded to the south of Schio towards a suburb called Giavenale where it accompanied the river Timonchio for a distance and then joined it. This canal was probably built later (after 12th century) though I could not find specific details about its construction.

During the second half of the 19th century, when the industrialist Alessandro Rossi was setting up his wool factory in Schio, he decided to combine the two canals by building a tube bridge because there was not enough water in the second canal.

Thus, the western branch of the canal in Pieve was deviated and connected through a tube bridge to the eastern canal. (The image below shows the starting of the tube-bridge where the canal from Pieve crosses over the other side).

On the other side, ruins of an old sawmill covered with vegetation marks hide the exit of the tube-bridge. At this point some water-basins and closes are also located, so that at times of high water levels the excess water can be diverted back to the river. (In the image below, water coming out of the tube-bridge on the eastern side).

Northern Part of the Canal in Pieve Belvicino

“Pieve” was the first important urban settlement of the Schio area. It had come up during the first millennium on the western bank of Leogra. It was connected to the settlements of Magre, San Vito, Malo and Vicenza on the south through a Roman road. It had the mother-church, an old fort and a tower. The people living on the mountains around it, came down here to sell their wool and dairy products. It still has an area called Valle dei Mercanti (Valley of the merchants) from those early days. At that time, Schio was a little settlement, cut off from the Roman road by the Leogra river. (The image below shows the Pieve part of the canal)

The Republic of Venice (Serenissima) and the Holy Roman empires (from Charles the Great to Fredrick Redbeard) competed for power in this area. In the 11th century, it belonged to the Malatraversi family, the Counts of Vicenza. At that time, the old St. Mary church of Pieve was the principal church of this whole area. The first water canal of Pieve probably pre-dates this period. It still passes next to that old church, though it seems that its specific course was changed over the centuries. It provided hydraulic energy through the use of water-wheels for setting up flour mills and wood-sawing mills. It also provided water for agricultural use.

Building the canal must have needed a lot of money – who had paid for it? The church or the Malatraversi family? There are no clear answers to this question, though it seems likely that the costs were covered by the noble family.

Schio's development had suffered as it was located between two rivers, Leogra on the east and Timonchio on the west. It only had small foot-bridges over the two rivers. Probably a carriage-bridge on Timonchio was built in 14t-15th centuries, which allowed it to be connected to Thiene and Vicenza. Thus, In late 15th century, a new cathedral was built in Schio while Pieve lost some of its importance.  The arch-priest also shifted from the old St Mary church of Pieve to the new Duomo church of Schio.

The area had many flour mills and weavers, which used the force of the water-torrents coming down from the mountains. In 18th century, the "Council of 150" approved the production of "Panni Alti" (fine clothes) in the valleys around Schio, so this activity increased. In the 19th century, wool mills arrived in the city.

Among the wool factories set-up in Schio, there was the factory of Francesco Rossi. His son, Alessandro Rossi, took over the factory management in 1849 and slowly became the biggest wool producer. (In the image above the abandoned Rossi wool factory in Pieve, which once had its own rail line). 

Pieve regained some of its importance in 1870s when a Rossi wool factory was opened there along the old canal. Electricity had not yet arrived and thus wool-factories used the water-power to run their machines. However, by the end of the 19th century, gradually steam and hydro-electric powers had replaced the simple hydraulic power of the water-flow and thus the canal slowly lost its importance for the wool factories.

The Canal in Schio’s Centre

The water-canal in Schio was built in the 12th centuy CE. Most of the early churches of Schio including the Duomo came up two centuries later along its western bank. The Schio part of the canal starts in the northern end of the city where the Gogna torrent coming down from San Martino merges with Leogra river.

Soon after it enters the old Cazzola wool mill, which was converted into a war hospital during the First World War, where a young Ernest Hemmingway had worked for a few months as an ambulance driver. (In the image below, the old Cazzola mill, where my mother-in-law also used to work)

The canal then proceeds towards the Rossi and Conte wool mills, which were also built along its western bank, near the city centre. Building of the big wool mills brought immigrants from surrounding countryside to Schio. My wife's grand-father had also arrived in Schio to work in the Rossi wool-mill around the end of 19th century. Thus, in late 19th and early 20th century, new houses were built and the urbanisation of Schio increased. New housing areas for the mill-workers were built on the agricultural lands on the eastern bank of the canal. Thus, new bridges were also built in the city and some parts of the canal in the city centre were covered and it became underground. (The image below shows the canal under the old Conte wool mill).

Some of the old names of city areas are the only memory of those early days of urbanisation along the canal. For example, Via Pasini, the main street in the centre of Schio today, was once called Via Oltreponte (Beyond the Bridge street) as it had a bridge over the canal - this part of the canal was later covered and today many persons passing from there are not aware of the waters passing underneath the street. 

Towards the end of 20th century, with the advent of a new phase of the globalisation, the wool factories of Schio gradually lost their markets and closed one after another. With urbanisation of the past 2 centuries, most of the agricultural use of the canal water had also decreased. Thus, the water-canal has lost some of its importance.

The last part of the canal located in the city centre of Schio still has the old “lavanderia”, the community washing space, where a wooden sculpture of a washer-woman remembers those days when women used to gather here to wash clothes.

Southern Part of the Canal

After passing through the Schio city centre, the canal comes out near Via Paraibo and proceeds to the rural part of the periphery along Via Mollette. The old ruins of the Cavedon sawmill are located here. The last tract of Via Mollette running along the canal has been converted into a beautiful walking/cycling area (in the image below).

From here, the canal comes closer to Timonchio torrent and runs alongside it to the area known as Giavenale-Maglio. Another new cycling and walking path has been created along this part of the canal. (The canal in Giavenale in the image below)

A few kilometres down this walking/cycling path, finally the water-canal ends in Timonchio. The image below shows the last part of the canal along the cycling-walking path).

Conclusions

Today the economic and industrial importance of the old water-canal of Schio has decreased, yet it has become important in other ways. Evolution has taught human beings about the importance of water. Schio and its surroundings are full of beautiful walking and cycling areas that are located next to its two rivers, Leogra and Timonchio, and its water-canal. It also continues to supply water for agricultural use.

Perhaps one day the cycle of the history will turn once again and the water-canal of Schio will restart play an important role in the city’s economic life. Till then, the aesthetic pleasure of its beauty and its importance for the nature are its contribution to the city life.

Researching the history of the canal and exploring its passage through the city was a rewarding exercise. It made me aware of how our landscapes change along the passage of time and events. For thousands of years, this landscape was only changed by the nature, but over the last few centuries, humans have accelerated the pace and scope of this change. Schio and its surroundings are beautiful and I am glad that the city could use some of those changes to improve its beauty through the old canal.

(An older version of the post was first written in June 2021 in my blog)