The mountain huts of Monte Baldo: outposts of alpine culture. Extremely interesting is the alpine architecture on the mountain of shepherds, as Mount Baldo was once dubbed. Reaching the malghe - mountain huts - along the roads, car tracks and paths that wind their way up through the woods under shady vegetation that opens up to reveal immense unspoiled pastures, involves an agreeable and fulfilling climb. And together with the delightful landscape, they relate the subtle story of lives lived up here between the land and sky, between the bright blue lake Garda and the verdant woods, following and tending the herds and flocks during their trek up to the summer pastures. The distinctive huts on Mt. Baldo, which can be found between an altitude of 900 and 1,500 metres above sea level, are the result of annexation of the mountains by the local population in the Middle Ages.
The constructions were developed further in the 17th century following a regulation imposed by the Republic of Venice, one that in general was linked to cattle rearing, promoted by new agricultural and pastoral techniques introduced by the landowners, representatives of a middleclass that had wider and more open contacts with the enlightened and progressive Europe of the time. They are known as the "ships" of Monte Baldo, since those on the eastern slopes, seen from afar, look like huge barges sporting tall funnels. Those on the other side of the mountain, facing the lake, differ in numerous respects.
Built by the communes, these huts were rented out to farmers consortiums or to the noble families, who had extended their estates into the mountains. The prominent features of the 18th century malga were the buildings used for the residential quarters and as a refuge for the animals; dense clumps of firtrees (called reserves) for sheltering the animals; watering wells in natural cavities in the rock or dug by man; vegetable gardens surrounded by drystone walls; little walls marking the boundaries; the mares, the area where the cattle were rounded up for the two daily milkings.
The most fascinating architectural aspects of these constructions are the baiti, built of local calcareous rock on rises to give a room that was half underground. The upper floor was rectangular in shape and divided into two areas. The one facing downhill (logo del latte ? milk place) generally had a bowlshaped vault at one end, with windows barricaded with slabs of rock or wooden poles to allow sufficient ventilation to prevent the milk from going off. The uphill section, which had a distinctive semicircular chimney and was designed as a separate part of the building, was called the logo del fogo (place of fire). It housed the straw beds for the workers and a fire big enough to hold the huge copper pots used for boiling milk.
Most of the 54 buildings of this kind still standing on Mt. Baldo are unused today due to the new way in which the summer mountain grazing is organised, especially in this area. Yet they still have much to offer and should not be ruled out of excursions in search of relics of life from yesteryear.
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