The terraced landscape of the Terragnolo Valley

The steep terraced side of the Terragnolo valley (Trentino, Italy) is today almost completely reforested. Depopulation, which began with the First World War, resulted in the abandonment of cultivation of terraced fields. By traversing the territory on foot, it is possible to discover and recognize its features and concretely visualize the kilometre-long development of the ancient terracing walls with their ecosystems. Walking among terraces, at first glance made uniform by forest, agricultural and manufacturing ruins are revealed. The toponymy of places and oral testimonies help to understand the ancient and recent past of the territory and the new ways of inhabiting the valley. The International Terraced Landscape Festival and Competition, organized by Sassi e non solo and held in the Terragnolo Valley since 2017, aims to promote the ancient construction technique, inscribed in 2018 on the UNESCO’s Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.