Pian: Alpine Settlement and Historic Stations of the Cross

Alpine Settlement and Hay Barns

Pian is a district of Campitello di Fassa and a collection of historic hay barns. This typical alpine settlement includes masonry houses and wooden hay barns connected to the stables. Masonry refers to a construction method made up of individual stones or bricks. A hay barn is an agricultural building used to store hay. Some houses in Pian also preserve traditional bread ovens located outside the surrounding walls. In these buildings, the connection between the hay barn and the stable is just as specific as the location of the bread ovens outside the surrounding walls. For visitors interested in alpine architectural forms, the focus is therefore on the houses and their associated agricultural buildings.

Stations of the Cross between Campitello and Pian

The Stations of the Cross between Campitello and Pian date back to the 18th century. They lead from the church of Campitello to the church of Pian, which is dedicated to the Blessed Virgin Mary. The chapels of the Stations of the Cross associated with Pian were built in 1760, restored in 1978, and feature distinctive Ladin contemplation sayings. A Stations of the Cross is a sequence of religious stations; contemplation sayings are short texts that encourage religious reflection. For the section between Campitello and Pian, the two churches and the chapels between them are therefore the spatial reference points.

House Paintings and Local Details

The picturesque houses in Pian feature murals with traditional and religious motifs, as well as flowers and gnomes. Murals are images executed directly on building surfaces. Their direct execution on building surfaces makes the house walls themselves the carriers of the motifs.

Campitello–Val Duron Route

The Campitello–Val Duron route passes through the picturesque village of Pian. From Fossèl, the route then continues along an unpaved path towards Val Duron. The route leads to Pian via the paved Strèda de Col and Strèda de Pian. It then continues to the village of Fraines and subsequently follows a pronounced ascent to the Rifugio Micheluzzi mountain refuge. An unpaved path has no asphalt surface. A pronounced ascent refers to a clearly uphill section. A mountain refuge is a building that provides shelter in the mountains. When planning this route, distinguish between the paved sections, the unpaved path from Fossèl, and the later ascent.

Geological Traces around Pian

The rocks around Pian bear witness to explosion breccias from the beginnings of ancient volcanic activity in Val di Fassa. Explosion breccias are rocks made up of volcanic fragments that form in connection with explosive processes. Around Pian, older geological formations overlap with younger ones. Geological formations are distinguishable rock units that differ from one another in their origin and composition.

Other places: Cavalese, San Martino Di Castrozza, Vigolo Baselga, Taio, Alba, Lavis, Pergine Valsugana, Rundscheinberg

To the higher-level travel overview: Trentino–South Tyrol.