Do you know an almost magical place that does not seem to feel the passage of time?

For me, such a place is Sauris!

Visiting the little village of Carnia without hurry, I have discovered some interesting historical curiosities. Of course, you also need the right people to accompany you, people who know everything about the place and live it with love and passion. At Sauris, I met Fabiana at the tourist information office.

Everything starts with a legend: centuries ago, two German soldiers fled from their country at war and took refuge here. As often happens, in every legend there is a particle of truth. In fact, the official history says that this place was colonised by emigrants from an unknown area between Carinthia and Tyrol. Their language (a Bavarian dialect), is Saurano, and has been taught in school since 1993.

From the square before the church of S. Osvaldo, the view is gorgeous. I can see far into the distance, and even the lake formed following the construction of a huge dam built during World War II, partly with the work of about 300 New Zealander prisoners of war.

From here, looking at some of the typical houses in the village, a detail attracts my attention: some have a small cross underneath the roof, and I ask Fabiana if they had been religious buildings in the past. Her answer astonishes me!

At over 1200 metres above sea level, winters are very cold, and in the past, when the road that now links Sauris to Ampezzo (built only in 1934) did not exist, it would take the inhabitants at least four hours on foot to reach the nearest villages. For this reason, unable to bury their dead because of the ice, they would keep them in the attic until spring.

Walking around the village, I cannot help but see the beautiful scenery that surrounds me. I breathe in that pure mountain air that can only be found high up, where simple people of strong character live. People who are tempered by a rigid climate, but who know how to be very warm and welcoming, thanks to the “enlarged family” atmosphere that characterises this small village in Carnia.