Venetian Sawmill in Ortisè

Description

Standing on the orographic left of Val di Sole, at an altitude of 1,487 m, ten minutes drive from the town of Mezzana, are the hamlets of Ortisè and Menas. Despite the time, these villages have kept all the characteristics and the traditions of the Val di Sole communities. Between Ortisè and Menas stands the recently renovated Venetian sawmill, located on the northern shore of Rio Valletta; this river flows out of Lake Ortisè at the base of the Ortles mountain massif. The former Ortisé sawmill, together with the nearby mill, shows how the power of running water was once exploited via simple yet effective water wheel technology. Used by Alpine communities for centuries, water mills are included in a vast literature collection.

Thanks to a meticulous renovation, the building has been completely restored to its former glory and made fully functional. Today's sawmill is the result of painstaking reconstruction of the stonework, wooden structures and machinery. The building has four levels:

• the upper floor housing the actual saw, where logs enter and finished products come out
• two floors where you can observe the mechanical parts, perfect replicas 
• the lower floor containing the mill's engine; thanks to the power of water, channelled from the nearby stream, the turbine generates drive and turns the gear needed to run the mill

Opening period

Guided tours every Tuesday morning in July and August from 10am to 11am. Visit www.marilleva.it e www.apslalveare.it for more info.