Faedis: strolling in nature a stone’s throw from the city

Slow Tour

16 August 2018

Slow Tour

Faedis: strolling in nature a stone’s throw from the city

We often talk about “mountains” and in our mind’s eye we visualise high peaks, early morning wake-ups and long journeys by car to reach them; if you do not have much time available this means falling back on more immediate destinations or postponing to an undefined “one day…”.

To change my outlook, all it took was a Monday in the summer. No plans in mind: just the desire to clear my head and offer eyes and feet the possibility to wander free from the hindrance of everyday life. Leaving behind the traffic of the shopping centres, in just half an hour’s drive from the centre of Udine I arrived in Faedis, where a green wooded blanket protects a dense network of paths, waiting to be revealed.

The village is small but well served and, it was near the porticoes of Piazza I Maggio, thanks to the brochures available at the bulletin board outside the Pro Loco, that my journey began, “Surrounded by nature”, which would take me along paths, streams and past breathtaking views.

The initiative, aimed at making known the beauty of those areas, arises by bringing together the forces of various Pro Loco of the comune (comprising hamlets that now remind me of the picturesque places I visited: Campeglio, Valle and Colloredo di Soffumbergo) and local sections of the CAI and the Alpini; the simple pleasure of the excursion was joined by the playful opportunity to participate in a competition.

In fact, on reaching certain well-identified points on the map, you can attest to your passage thanks to the “check points”. Once all the six stages have been completed, and the appropriate card has been returned (or sent), you can participate in the awarding of prizes linked to the territory. The choice of the itinerary is simple, dictated both by my love for torrents and my current lack of fitness:

I opt for the circuit of the Valle del Grivò. After reaching the village of Stremiz, I follow an easy path that goes into the woods and leads me first to the Roman Bridge and then to the enchanting small waterfalls. I greet a couple of hikers: apart from this, the only sounds that accompany me are those of my steps and the call of the stream that flows a way ahead. Here, nature reigns like a good-natured sovereign: it surrounds the path with ferns and a thousand shades of green, softening with its mantle the stones consumed by water. It speaks with the soft voice of the slowness of time and adds its charm to an abandoned mill, embracing the remains.

If each excursion has a part we are keenest on, than mine came shortly after: the Twin Waterfalls of the Rio Marchiat. They are almost a secret place, which reveals itself at the end of a slightly steeper ascent, made harder on either side by brambles trying to hold you up. I arrived hot and a little short of breath, but the show was worth it. The water is cold (I heartily regret not having been able to take a dip), but enthusiasm prevailed and I could not help but stand under that gentle fall of myriads of crystalline drops.

Looking up at the rock amphitheatre, covered in green, I let the sun and water envelop me in their dance and, resting my hand on the vegetation that covered it, I had the distinct impression of being hugging the mountain. After a long and slow farewell, I came to Clap, inhabitants: three.

Clap, the village that is coming back to life: Luca Pantanali and the Fedeltà alla Montagna Award

The story of Luca Pantanali and his family is one that is certainly worth telling: for the unusual choices he made, for the dedication he ha shown every day and, last but not least, for the immense passion he conveys. It should certainly be heard out loud, perhaps, as I had the good fortune to do, while savouring the results of the work of his farm, a mix of cured meats and vegetables, sitting around a table overlooking an enchanting view.

The very first question in my mind is how he decided to “drop everything” and move to an uninhabited place. Luca responds with simple and frank words: “It is the result of a lifestyle choice, of the search for a place in which to develop my idea of setting up a farm, leading a life that is a bit isolated, but totally immersed in nature.

Undoubtedly it becomes difficult to live in Clap if you do not love this place”. We chat as friends, despite being perfect strangers: a series of memories that go from his first acquaintance with Faedis thanks to football, to childhood images while helping his grandfather, a farmer; from the description of his typical days, the commitment and support of the family, to the practical explanation of what it means to “make hay” and look after the livestock.

The underlying soundtrack is one of the tinkling of glasses of wine and the cheerful play of little Samu, under the watchful eyes of his mother, Stefania. In front of us, old black and white photos of a Clap from years ago, destroyed in the 1976 earthquake; these were donated by the local old people, with whom collaborations and affinities were born. Human relationships, which ripen with the rhythms of the seasons and which turn into friendship when we work on a common project.

And when this happens, sometimes, unexpected goals are reached: Luca Pantanali, in fact, has brought the prestigious national Fedeltà alla Montagna (Fidelity to the Mountain) award that, since 1981, has been awarded by the Associazione Nazionale Alpini to members who are committed to the protection, revival and dissemination of mountain values and territories.

With the same tenacity and humility with which he speaks of it, Luke freed the village of brambles and has worked to give new life to the old drinking troughs of the past, also with the help of the volunteers of the “big alpine family” of the Canebola group, as he deliberately stresses; this led him to be nominated for the award he won, which will be given him during the celebrations held on 25 and 26 August. Two days full of events and conviviality of the country, united in the name of voluntary work and the desire to work hard on a common ideal.

Greetings from above

After greeting Clap and the Pantanali family, it is late afternoon when I face the last climb to reach the chapel of Santa Maddalena. The path is immersed in a thick woodland, but easy and well marked: it takes just twenty minutes of walking to reach the small stone building, enjoy the medieval frescoes inside and the quiet, splendid view all around. Before returning, with the car I reach the viewpoint of Monte San Lorenzo: the wind caresses the grass that surrounds me.

Around me only the chirping of the cicadas, the buzzing of bees and the breath of nature, wide open in a breathtaking view that stretches far to the horizon, to the sea. Faedis is at the end of the slope and looks peaceful and silent: I say goodbye, sure I shall be coming back soon.

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Daniela Radovan

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I was born in Trieste, where I went to art school, then in 2004 I left my job with the La Contrada repertory theatre and moved. I work in the mass retailing sector but I still love the world of culture and exploring my surroundings. I indulge my passions by singing in a gospel choir and writing.