It's summer in Cibiana di Cadore nestled in the Italian Dolomites near Belluno.
A late afternoon sun warms the village streets at 1,025 metres above sea level and illuminates the houses, the dark roofs and the wooden balconies.
The village is dressed in magic: geraniums displayed everywhere, a cat dozing on a chair, a gentleman chatting, a woman just standing on the door entrance. An atmosphere of familiarity that smells like the scent of mountain resins, fresh milk and welcoming smiles.
After spending a wonderful day hiking on Monte Rite and visiting the Messner Mountain Museum Dolomites Museum, we want to know more about the art and history of this tiny mountain village, Cibiana di Cadore.
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| Cibiana di Cadore |
To reach Cibiana di Cadore, also nicknamed "the town that paints its history on the house facades", you leave the state road 51 and go down the state road nr 347 that crosses the river Boite deep gorge, zigzagging till destination.
The road descends and a beautiful glimpse opens up: a handful of roofs that seem to hug amongst the Cadore woods.
It is the prettiest painted village of the Italian Dolomites; hopefully the cute villages around Cibiana won't hold it against me.
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| Artist: Mats Risberg (Sweden, L’ospitalità or Welcoming (1997) |
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| Artist on the right: Feliks Szysko (Poland), Ritorno del Varsuoi or The return of the Plough (1995); artist on the left: Paolo Scarpa, Al masteler or To the tub maker (1995) |
In the last century a few thousand people settled in Cibiana di Cadore; however, due to depupulation today just 370 people live there: a trend that today affects mountain villages around the world.
Living in the mountains is not easy: in winter the cold weather, and the winding roads can have an impact. However, in the mountains you live a completely different life made of simple things and intense human relationships.
Cortina d'Ampezzo, the Dolce Vita queen town of the Dolomites, is only 36 kilometers away, but to go to Cibiana you really have to want to get there.
In the past the main activities were agricultural, pastoral and forest farming. On top, Cibiana has a glorious history of extracting iron from its mines to produce keys: in 1860 the area had more than 60 forges!
More recently the hamlet has become famous for sustainable hospitality, celebration of the local traditions and for the stunning murals painted by artists from all over the world.
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| Artist: Vittorio Basaglia, Al Falegname or To the Carpenter (1993) |
As a form of art, global artists like Banksy have helped to clear street art as the art of transgression. Through irony, paradox, street artists tackles hot issues, such as war, exploitation, consumerism, media manipulation, pollution, and poverty.
However, in Cibiana di Cadore the street art trasgression is not forgetting its own past and share the locals' collective memory by painting it on the village houses, schools and shops. Even the town hall has a mural.
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| Cibiana's ancient barn with Olympic champion sign |
But the murals are not the only highlight of the mountain village.
Walking among the ancient typical hay barns called tabià, the traditional Cadore houses and the restored farms, one learns that the hamlet has a glorious legacy in World and Olympic skiing and bobsleigh.
Wooden plaques show that Italian and Olympic ski champions such as Bruno De Col and Nino Zandanel were born and raised in Cibiana, and just left the place to achive and break world records in ski jumping.
Bobsleigh world champions such as Eugenio Monti and Nevio De Zordo who won two gold medals were all born in Cibiana.
In the fifties and sixties Cibiana was the playground of the skiing champions.
Until 1966 when a huge flood swept away the skiing trampolines in the area which were not replaced and the village fell into silence.
However, to remember one's own history and memory, Osvaldo Da Col, the ex president of the local tourist board, together with the painter, Vico Calabrò, since 1980 have been inviting artists from all over the world to paint the past and present stories of the village.
Strolling through Cibiana where time has stopped makes us discover stories that otherwise would be lost.
On our art visit we are accompanied by Gianni, a local gentleman whom we met there by chance and who, having retired in Milan, has been returning to his birthplace every summer.
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| Artist: Gianni Longinotti, La fotografies de Cetta or Cetta's photos (1991) |
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| Cibiana's traditional stone-made house and woodshed |
There are 56 murals alltogether and it is a fun treasure hunt to look for them all. The most interesting ones tell of local crafts that no longer exist, or events of enormous historical impact such as wars. In short, a potpourri of art emotions!
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| Artist: Riccardo Galuppo, Vèrbumcàro or Giving up (1999) |
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| Artist; Riccardo Galuppo, La fusina or The Forge (2002) |
Sometimes the murals recall disastrous local events such as the fire in the hamlet of Pianezze which had to be completely rebuilt as it was burned down.
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| Artist: Renato Nesi, Incendio a Pianezze or The Fire at Pianezze (1994) |
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| Knocking: anyone in? |
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| Artist: Mario Tapia, (Chile), Al forno or To the baker's (1992) |
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| Artist: Nader Khaleghpour, (Iran), L’emigrante or The Migrant (1991) |
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| Cibiana's street life |
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| Artist: Yosuke Niwa (Japan), Too ghen kio, utopia (1988) |
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| Artist: Ottorino Stefani “Al garmal de medalana”-The wool blend pinaforte dress (1983) |
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| Cibiana di Cadore |
Ernesto Treccani's mural "The fowler" tells us about when the mountain folks' nourishment and source of food was wildfow which they had to hunt for subsistence.
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| Artist: Ernesto Treccani - L'Oseador or The Fowler (1985) |
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Artist: Ernesto Treccani - L'Oseador or The Fowler (1985), detail
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| Corners and sloping streets of Cibiana |
In Cesco Magnolato's mural a child is looking at a pile of burning wood: it is the "Pojata" in the local dialect. The pile was burnt to make coal to power the iron forges of Cibiana for processing and producing keys in the Boite river valley.
From the Middle Ages until the Second World War, coal was produced from wood burning: huge wood piles would burn for up to 20 days and then Cibiana's local women with panniers would carry the coal downstream to the forges.
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Artist: Cesco Magnolato - La Pojata or The Wood pile (1982)
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The mural "Letter from afar" by Giuliano De Rocco tells us of a time when deep emotional letters written by Cibiana's people who had migrated abroad were a joy. The anticipation would be mounting when the long-waited letter would arrive!
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| Artist: Giuliano De Rocco-Letera de lontan or Letter from afar (1980) |
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| Streets of Cibiana |
Cibiana's traditional houses
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| Cibiana's Chiesa Santa Maria del Carmine |
Galeazzo Viganò's murals show a very old shoe making traditions in the Dolomites, the so-called "Scarpet". It was a type of resistent slip-on shoe that was used by generations of mountain farmers and families: you would wear it from the cradle to the grave.
These traditional shoes were made with pieces of leftover fabric and strings and were hand-sewn. They were also embellished with embroidery with a floral theme. The distinctive element of these shoes is the sole made up of overlapping fabric scraps that are hand-quilted with twine to reinforce them.
The "scarpets" were also made not just in the Italian Veneto region, but also in the neighboring areas such as Friuli Venezia Giulia.
They were sold in Venice where, in the 18th century it was quite usual to see gondoliers wearing them!
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| Artist: Galeazzo Viganò-I scarpet- The local shoe making (1983-1986-1991) |
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| Artist: Miraldo Beghini “La Faméa” or the Family (1981) |
In the mural "the slabber" a man is cutting a tree trunk into a slab or plank. In the eighteen and nineteen century Cibiana's people would migrate to Romania to find jobs during the winter season because of their expertise and skills in woodcutting.
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| Artist: Aldo De Vidal “Al squaradór” or The Slabber (1980) |
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| Cibiana's porches and arches |
The Renaissance commander Bartolomeo D'Alviano, the brave master-at-arms working for the Serenissima Republic of Venice has been depicted on an archway.
The story goes that he passed through Cibiana with the Venetian troops of the Serenissima Republic before the Battle of Cadore in 1509 on his way to defeat Maximilian I of Austria's imperial troops who in the end wanted to conquer Venice.
The traditions says that Bartolomeo d'Alviano slept right under this portico in Cibiana.
On the meadows of the Cadore area on 2 March 1508 a bloody battle occurred between the people from Veneto and the Imperial troops: the emperor had asked Venice to cross the area to reach Rome to be crowned.
The Serenissima Republic refused, and the Emperor tried to overcome the ban but was stopped by Bartolomeo D'Alviano who fought in a snow-covered Cibiana Pass.
1737 Imperial troops died in the battle, and history says that many heads were sent to Venice to be exchanged for a sequin each.
With the victory of the Battle of Cadore, the area was freed again.
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| Artist: Walter Pregnolato “La vecia e L’Alviano”- The old woman and Bartolomeo Alviano (1982) |
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| A trompe-l'oeil on the windows of a typical house |
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| Artist; Bruna Doria “La botega”- The shop (1982) |
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| Artist: Adriano Pavan, Zocui e Zestoi or Clogs and baskets (1990) |
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| Cibiana's traditional houses |
The street art route in Cibiana di Cadore in the UNESCO Dolomites is an art wonder and a meaningful sign that culture can bring memories back to life and make a positive impact on the mountain people's lives.
MORE THINGS TO DO IN THE DOLOMITES (ITALY):
CIBIANA'S STREET ART MAP
Here is Cibiana's street art map to help you navigate the village. Enjoy!
Hope you have enjoyed a Cibiana di Cadore, the Olympic legacy hamlet where a picture paints a thousand words!
Thanks for reading.
Arrivederci!
MarcoPoloSpirit
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