Valdidentro includes four villages, Premadio, Pedenosso, Isolaccia and Semogo, located between 1250 and 1500 metres above sea level along the road that leads from Bormio to Livigno. The permanently snow capped Cima Piazzi Glacier dominates over Valdidentro, contrasting with the clear blue sky and underlying centuries-old green woods with its pine and fir trees framing the Stelvio National Park. The Valdidentro has a full history; it was crossed by the Imperial Way, which linked the Dukedom of Milan and the Republic of Venice to Engadine and the North of the Alps. The valley has also deep-seated traditions deriving from a millenary population who cultivated with the utmost respect the culture belonging to their mountains.
The Valdidentro valleys has an abundance of water supplied by rivers, streams, cascades, alpine lakes and artificial basins in Cancano. The water from Cancano furnishes the hydro-electric network system for the production of energy for Milan and the Lombardy Region.
Valdidentro is characterized by a geological structure of 9 hot spring water sources that gush from living rock at a steady temperature of 40°C found at the Baths of Bagni Vecchi. These Baths were already mentioned by Pliny and Cassiodoro. The Fonte Pliniana (Pliny Source), the Bagni Romani (Roman Baths) and the Sweating Grotto have been dedicated to them.
Valdidentro stands for a holiday in the sign of tranquillity, where, within short distance it is also possible to enjoy the tourist and sports facilities available including the facilities provided by Alta Valtellina, Bormio, Livigno, Santa Caterina and Stelvio. Stelvio is the most important summer skiing training ground in the World.
People have lived in this vast territory since the eleventh century as it was the passage between Bormio and Livigno, between Bormio and Engadine, it was the last bulwark between the South and the North of the Alps. This territory expanded due to the pastoral-agricultural economy typical of alpine tradition marked by the rhythm of summer mountain grazing - village, alpine pastures, summer pasturing in the mountains - in search of grass, the only food available for cattle, and also thanks to the commercial trade between the Dukedom of Milan and the Republic of Venice with the German Empire.
The territory has maintained the signs of the past: wooden and stone houses with attached stable, these being the ordinary farmers' houses; then there were the wooden summer mountain huts on the outskirts of the woods and surrounded by alpine pastures; the further up the mountain beyond the woods we have stone huts surrounded by summer pasture completely without plant life. Even today there is evidence of the cultural traditions of the mountain.
We can also see the landmarks of commercial and military communications used in those days: the Pedenosso Church that stands isolated on a rock like a fortress and further up we find the Fraele Towers located on the narrow passage way, overlooking Valdidentro and leading to San Giacomo Valley.
Valdidentro - a short distance from Bormio and Livigno
Valdidentro:The Fraele Towers
Further up the mountain from Pedenosso we come to the Prada plateau. Here the valley opens out onto a boundless amphitheatre of intense alpine green meadows, an endless horizon and an enchanting panoramic view of the glaciers and the peaks. It is certainly one of the most fascinating and relaxing corner, where you can breathe an air of peace not to be found elsewhere. From the plateau we ascend the eighteen curves; when we get close to the fifteenth bend, from the right hand side we can see the steep mule-track that once led to the Fraele Towers Pass. These two massive structures were constructed to protect the extremely narrow gorge between the Mount Scale (2521 mt. ) to the east, and the Plator Peak (2910 mt. ) to the west.
The first tower, the biggest one, is in good state, while the second one is in bad state of repair, the roof and a wall have fallen in, and it is reduced to ruins. A restoration project has been programmed so that the cultural-historical property can be seen and appreciated as the symbol of our valley.
Until the First World War the towers were fortified with impregnable trenches on the side of the Fraele Valley, while in the ravine steps were hollowed out in the rock and beams were driven into the rock transversely, thus forming an overhanging stairway ( the name Scale "Steps" has its origin here). These steps were placed so that they could be quickly taken away.
According to local traditions, the "Forcella di Scale" must have been an old roman pass. The old mule-track and the towers could date back to the roman period; the historian Alberti writes that the Towers certainly date back to at least the 14th century.
