Ecomuseo della Valsugana dalle sorgenti di Rava al Brenta

The territory of the Valsugana Ecomuseum, which extends from the river Rava sources to the Brenta, has been renowned, till the second half of the XX century, for the ability of its stone masons, mostly from Villa and Bieno, engaged in the recovery and processing of Cima d’Asta very strong granites. Stonemasonry is a declining craft which has been practised by its last representatives grouped in a cooperative which was operating in Villa till the great flood of 1966, when the Chieppena river, forced into its banks, dumped into the village a veritable stream of stones, those stones which had secured the livelihoods of so many families in the area. Pietre d’acqua, the granite sculpture symposium intends to tie the threads of a lost tradition, by recovering ancient knowledge and returning it through the language of art. Nine sculptors processed the Chieppena’s stones from July 20^th to August 2^nd 2014. Their works were exposed along the banks of the river and fitted perfectly into the landscape. They are just the first step of a path that will also extend to the other watercourses of the Ecomuseum, till the Brenta river which marks its valley floor: a small open-air museum offering a view to all those who will cover inland waterways, together with the memory of those who lived and worked the land to ensure their livelihoods with ability and commitment, representing an example of Trentino’s excellence.