Discover falcade
Alpine architecture
The Dolomites are a treasure chest of little hamlets steeped in history and culture. As they take a walk through the little streets of the villages, visitors can admire traces of the history of the local inhabitants on the centuries-old wooden beams of the tabià, the typical haysheds of the area. There is no valley that boasts as many of these constructions as the Biois Valley: in the municipalities of Vallada Agordina, Falcade and Canale d’Agordo, within a radius of five kilometres, you can admire over 300 original tabià, forming an architectural, cultural and historical heritage that has no equal.
To find out more about the history of the tabià, you might like to visit the link agordinodolomiti
Albino Luciani, the Smiling Pope
Canale d’Agordo, just a few minutes away from Falcade, is the birthplace of Albino Luciani, Pope John Paul I, known as the Smiling Pope.
Born into a family of humble origin, Albino Luciani grew up in the same simple way as most other children in the Belluno Dolomites at the time, playing in the fields and woodlands in the Agordo area.
There are many tales told of his life, with numerous episodes describing his close contact with nature. It is even said that on a pasture on Monte Focobon, a cow chewed up one of his school notebooks..
The devotion to this Pope, who spoke and behaved with the simple manners of the local mountain folk, grew to a huge extent after his death. Canale d’Agordo dedicated the Pope Luciani Museum to its most famous son, featuring photo and video accounts of his papacy, and a Foundation whose aim is to promote and spread the image of the Smiling Pope and his revolutionary message of humility..
For the opening hours of the Pope Luciani Museum see the link: fondazionepapaluciani and agordinodolomiti
The Great War
100 years ago, the Agordo mountains were the backdrop to one of the toughest, bloodiest wars ever, the First World War. The Great War has left its mark forever on the Dolomites, where trenches, weapons and other findings are evident.
Even more than the weapons, it was the snow and the freezing weather conditions that were responsible for the dreadful conditions soldiers suffered during those years in the high-altitude emplacements in the Costabella and Monzoni mountain groups and on the Marmolada. Today visitors can explore the memorial trails, visit emplacements and see traces of the battles, also in the museums that illustrate the painful wartime experience.
Further informations at the link agordinodolomiti.
The Church of San Simon
The Biois Valley is home to one of the oldest national monuments in the area: the Church of San Simon in Vallada Agordina.
This gem of religious architecture dates back to 720 A.D., the same year in which St. Mark’s Basilica was built in Venice. Recently restored, the Church of San Simon contains fine frescoes by the famous painter Paris Bordone, and is the object of widespread popular devotion for the magical aura it is able to transmit.
Legend has it that the Centurion Celenton, who had fled from the Barbarian invasions, took refuge on the hill and converted the local folk to Christianity by building the first church there.
The church can be visited in summer, and guided visits may be booked. Click here for more informations .
The Valley of Artists
Although the population of the Biois Valley is no higher than a few thousand, it has been depicted by a large number of local artists.
The most famous of these is Augusto Murer, a sculptor and painter whose skilful hands were able to shape the wood of the Dolomites into statues with a vivid, warmly human quality. His son Franco has followed in his footsteps, making a name for himself at international level for the beauty of his works, such as the hundredth fountain of the Vatican gardens.
The little village of Molino near Falcade is home to the workshop and museum where visitors can admire the artists’ works.
More informations to the following link: museo murer, agordino dolomiti