Within the Mountain

© Claudia Mann - Maintenance of the only road leading to the malga (herder's hut) Fojadora, near San Vigilio di Marebbe. © Claudia Mann - Procession of Santa Maria dal ciüf on August 15th in the town of Badia. © Claudia Mann - Farmers and their cows start jí a munt to Munt de Sennes with an initial difficult climb. View all images ↓
View all images ↓
  • Dates
    2020 - Ongoing
  • Author
  • Location Trentino-South Tyrol, Italy

“Within the Mountain” documents the survival of the Ladin pastoral-alpine lifestyle in the face of global adversities as an example of communal resilience, offering witness to the importance of rural cultural values and ancient traditions.

Ladin people are an ethnic minority who inhabit five valleys in the Dolomites: Badia, Gherdëina, Fassa, Fodom and Ampezzo. They are deeply rooted in rural Alpine culture and are distinguished by their trilingualism, their native Ladin, a Rhaeto-Romance language, German and Italian, and by their collective agricultural practices. The most important part of their Alpine culture is the care and protection of the fragile mountain environment that surrounds them. During the summer months I followed different farmers, herders and their families as they undertook the two vital practices that have created one of the most diverse environments in Europe: jí a munt (cattle transhumance) and the laborious process of making hay. These cultural practices, which stem from ancestral knowledge passed down generations, are intrinsic to the thriving nature of the Dolomites. For decades now, the Ladin pastoral-alpine lifestyle has been threatened by the pressures of climate change and urbanization. Drawing upon centennial traditions imbued with a spirit of interdependency and adaptability, Ladin people are the force behind one of the most marvelous mountain ranges anywhere and remain till this day an essential presence for the life of the mountain and its biodiversity.

© Claudia Mann - Maintenance of the only road leading to the malga (herder's hut) Fojadora, near San Vigilio di Marebbe.
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Maintenance of the only road leading to the malga (herder's hut) Fojadora, near San Vigilio di Marebbe.

© Claudia Mann - Procession of Santa Maria dal ciüf on August 15th in the town of Badia.
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Procession of Santa Maria dal ciüf on August 15th in the town of Badia.

© Claudia Mann - Farmers and their cows start jí a munt to Munt de Sennes with an initial difficult climb.
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Farmers and their cows start jí a munt to Munt de Sennes with an initial difficult climb.

© Claudia Mann - Image from the Within the Mountain photography project
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- Herder Hubert Comploi, 26, in front of malga Gardenacia in the Puez-Geisler Nature Park. The malga, which is situated at 2,050 meters (6,725 feet), will be his home for the summer months as he herds 70 cows that freely graze in the park.

© Claudia Mann - Image from the Within the Mountain photography project
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A cow at a drinking trough - it reads “dogs not allowed to bathe” - at Piz La Ila where she will graze for the summer months.

© Claudia Mann - Hay ready for the winter months at the Armentara Meadows.
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Hay ready for the winter months at the Armentara Meadows.

© Claudia Mann - Monica Pallestrong, 84, rests on the first day of collecting hay on her property in Rina.
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Monica Pallestrong, 84, rests on the first day of collecting hay on her property in Rina.

© Claudia Mann - Wooden crucifix in La Villa.
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Wooden crucifix in La Villa.

© Claudia Mann - Anna Crazzolara, 79, in her stüa, a family room heated by a stove, where she sews and prays.
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Anna Crazzolara, 79, in her stüa, a family room heated by a stove, where she sews and prays.

© Claudia Mann - A knife used for the exsanguination of a cow in a butcher shop in Val Badia.
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A knife used for the exsanguination of a cow in a butcher shop in Val Badia.

© Claudia Mann - Cow skull with the bullet hole.
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Cow skull with the bullet hole.

© Claudia Mann - A cow in a stable, after having spent the summer months freely grazing.
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A cow in a stable, after having spent the summer months freely grazing.

© Claudia Mann - Image from the Within the Mountain photography project
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A cow at gnì de munt - return from the hut - with floral decorations. At the end of the summer months, all the cows are taken back down from the mountain, and the most beautiful cow is adorned with a crown.

© Claudia Mann - Image from the Within the Mountain photography project
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A roe deer with a fir branch in its mouth. It's custom to offer the animal a "the last meal" for the journey to the afterlife.

© Claudia Mann - Image from the Within the Mountain photography project
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Osvaldo de Giovanni, 65, and his goat Ciccio. Osvaldo worked as a herder for 35 years at Gardenacia hut and in the winter he operated a horse sledding service.

© Claudia Mann - Tablecloths hanging out to dry at Munt de Sennes in the Fanes-Sennes-Braies Natural Park.
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Tablecloths hanging out to dry at Munt de Sennes in the Fanes-Sennes-Braies Natural Park.

© Claudia Mann - Emilo, Heinrich and Monica Pallestrong take stock of how to rake hay down the mountain on their property in Rina.
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Emilo, Heinrich and Monica Pallestrong take stock of how to rake hay down the mountain on their property in Rina.

© Claudia Mann - Image from the Within the Mountain photography project
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Gabriel de Giovanni, 20, resting in the afternoon at the malga Brunstalm situated at 1890 m a.s.l. (6200 feet a.s.l.) This was Gabriel’s first time herding cows for the summer season, from late May to early September.

© Claudia Mann - Image from the Within the Mountain photography project
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The Pallestrong family at their property in Rina, raking hay. Because of the steep nature of the Dolomites' slopes modern machines, like mowers, tedders, hay rakes and balers, cannot be used, so everything must be done by hand.

© Claudia Mann - Image from the Within the Mountain photography project
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Pederù at sunset. Before taking the cows up to the pastures, the farmers of San Vigilio di Marebbe all gather their cows at Pederù.

Within the Mountain by Claudia Mann

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