Description
Each year, the inhabitants of
Comelico, in the
province of Belluno, and
Kartitsch [2], a municipality of the
Gail Valley in the
East Tyrol, meet up on Monte Cavallino, at an altitude of 2689 m, to celebrate a solemn mass together. This encounter, which normally takes place on the last Sunday in August, has become
the symbol of peace and union between two bordering nations:
Italy and Austria. On either side of the border, locals and tourists climb up the mountain and come together on the peak for the
Holy Mass, celebrated in both Italian and German. During the First World War, on these same mountains,
Italy tried to open up a passage towards the Val Pusteria; but after a fierce battle, the Italian troops were pushed back by the Austrian army on Monte Cavallino. Today, the descendants of those enemy troops come together as friends under the great
European Cross (
Europakreuz), built to bear witness to the new-found peace and harmony between the two nations. Andrä Strasser, captain of the Schützen of Kartitsch, recalls: “In 1979, together with our Italian friends, we erected the great European Cross on the top of Monte Cavallino. Our aim was to get to know each other better and break down prejudices”. In fact, for centuries traders, pilgrims, shepherds and herdsmen with their animals had been crossing back and forth the mountain saddles and passes of the Border Ridge (the Carnic Alps) which separates the Comelico and Sappada areas, in the province of Belluno, from the East Tyrol, so these neighbours were hardly strangers; until, that is, the tragic events of the Great War brought an end to those exchanges. Fortunately they started up again after the war, albeit in the new shape of tourism, particularly trekking and climbing trips.
The route which will illustrate this fascinating story to you can be followed starting from either side of the mountains. If you are starting out from Italy, the route begins at Sega Digon in the Municipality of Comelico Superiore [1], which you can get to from Santo Stefano di Cadore along the trunk road which goes up to the Monte Croce Comelico Pass; if you are in Austria, you can set out from Kartitsch [2], the first town in the Gail Valley, which branches off on the right after Sillian.
Take the road for the Val Digon (Sega Digon 1115 m) and, after a stop at the little church dedicated to the war victims of Cima Vallona, continue by car along the road which goes further and further into the gully, until you come to Pian della Mola (1485 m), where the tarmac road comes to an end. Continue on foot along the carriage road to Pian d’li Tabeli (1588 m), where you turn right for the Pian Formaggio dairy hut. After the hut, take the Italian Alpine Club path number 145, which will take you to the Forcella Cavallino saddle (2453 m), on the Italy-Austria border.
Go along the path on the left, and an easy equipped path will take you to the peak of Monte Cavallino – Große Kinigat. On the part beneath the peak you can still see the remains of wartime huts, barbed wire, tins and other metal objects.
From Kartitsch (1353 m), drive almost to the end of the
Erschbaumer Valley. Take path number 465, which takes off to the left. After about an hour’s walk, you will come to a
little mountain hut,
the Tscharre Hütte. Further up, the path forks; keep on path 465, and along the side of the Tscharreknollen you will reach the Hinteren Sattel, an excellent place to stop off and have a rest. Continue towards the south-east around the Königswand until the Forcella Cavallino - Filmoor Sattel. Across the scree on the south face of Monte Cavallino, follow the Belluno side route up to the peak. [T.S.]
The north of the Comelico and Sappada areas, in particular the part near the border with Austria, is one of the most interesting areas of the Eastern Alps in terms of flowers and plants. The vicissitudes of the climate, the history of the glaciation process, the geographical position, the variety of the soil and the agrosilvopastoral tradition have all played a decisive role in shaping the landscape, thus contributing to increasing the levels of biodiversity. The most significant aspects of the landscape are the peat bogs and the woodlands, as well as the cacuminal zones in the higher altitude areas, where, more than anywhere else, you can observe the competition of species fighting for survival.
