About an hour's walk from the bottom of the valley takes you to this
enchanted place at an altitude of 1,000 metres, a
magical place where time really seems to stand still:
the mountain huts (which in the local language are called Stavoli) of Orias.
Along the route, as you go uphill, you can admire the characteristic roofs of the houses of
Osais, and in the distance the clock village of
Pesariis and, directly facing you, the Stavoli of
Selva di Pieria. And once you reach the finish line, the view unfolds all around the surrounding peaks: from the rocky and jagged summits of the
Pesarina Dolomites to the north, to the rounded and verdant ridges to the south, separating the Pesarina Valley from the Sauris basin to the characteristic
Creta di Mimoias to the west and the
Zoncolan,
Arvenis and
Tamai mountains to the east.
The Stavoli of Orias are a group of
12 typical rural mountain buildings, marked by spontaneous, humble but essential, farmstead architecture. They were used by farmers as a
midway station during the periods of mountaineering to and from the alpine pastures, and their internal structure was built
precisely for agricultural activities: the ground floor was used as a stable with a kitchen and a storeroom for milk and cheese, while on the upper floor small sleeping quarters were placed next to the barn.
The structure usually features
grey and ochre-coloured stone and slab masonry and a pitched roof made of
wooden shingles, which were later replaced by
clay tiles. The openings, consisting of
wooden grates that allowed for the ventilation and drying of the hay, are also unique.
The Stavoli of Orias have been declared one of the
places of the heart of the National Environmental Trust for Italy (
Fondo Ambiente Italiano - FAI), which is a register of Italian sites not to be forgotten.
In addition, the rural village can also boast
cinematic expertise: this is where the director Alberto Fasulo recreated the village of the self-taught miller Domenico Scandella, also known as
Menocchio, who is the main character in the film of the same name (2018).
How to get there
The village of Orias
can be reached on foot from the bottom of the valley by following two routes:
-from the hamlet of Osais (Prato Carnico) along the paved municipal road towards Truia and then onwards to Orias for a distance of roughly 2.5 kilometres and an elevation gain of 270 metres.
-from the hamlet of Pieria (Prato Carnico) heading out along a gravel road towards Truia and then onwards to Orias on the paved road for a total distance of roughly 2.4 kilometres with an elevation gain of 333 metres.
More information
Tourist office
Tel. 0039 0433 69420
info@comune.prato-carnico.ud.it
