The honour is given to Déodat
Tancrède Gratet de Dolomieu (1750-1801),
a Frenchman of noble origin, member of the "Institut
de France" and mineralogist, for the
discovery and the naming of the particular chemical
composition (double calcium-magnesium carbonate)
that distingueshes and renders unique the rock
of the Dolomites.
With great curiosity due to the mineral's anomolous
reaction to chlorine acid - in
1789, with great curiosity due to the mineral's
anomalous reaction to chlorine acid different
than that found with the other calcareous rock
formations which all give off a limited effervescence,
Dolomieu sent to the geologist Nicholas de
Saussare several samples of these strange
rocks that he had personally collected during
his visits to the Southern Tyrolean Alps. The
new mineral was quickly named "dolomite",
in honour of its discoverer. In 1864, within
the mountainous area in which this type of rock
is found prevalently, the rock gave the area its
name today: the Dolomites.
Sappada
- the secret heart of a fascinating land - lays
within an open and sunny valley surrounded by
vast fir forests, defined at its borders by decisive
Dolomitic peaks, painted in the lively and contrasting
tints of Cadore.
Sappada is a happy expression of an equilibrium
between the development of tourism and the respect
for the surrounding nature; an equilibrium that
has permitted this area to remain - especially
due to its "pure spirit" - a precious
destination not to be taken for granted.
The town, made up of
eleven distinct villages, extends from Comelico
to the Garto Canal, with Mount Peralba
towering above, where the Piave River's origin
lies. Following the historical events that brought
about its birth and due to its particular geographical
position at the northernmost extreme of the Veneto
Region, Sappada represents today a true linguistic
and ethnic island, rich in antique traditions
and culture, distinguished in the tourist's eye
for its characteristic homes, well-cared for fields
and for the orderly and neat general look of the
area. Among the places to visit, the Ethnography
Museum, the Museum-House of the Agrarian
Culture, the Acquatona Canyon, the Calvary and
the Cascatelle Waterfalls.
The winter season,
starting normally on the first Sunday of December,
is guaranteed to bring fun for all thanks to the
lifts for skiing and snowboarding and tracks for
cross-country skiing, all reachable by foot. This
is also the case for the celebrated ski school
for even the littlest ones and for the fascinating
cross-country loop that goes through the valley;
the training location of several of the most important
Italian ski schools
During the summer season, the miracle repeats
itself. The air is crystal clear and refreshing
and invites visitors to take healthy walks through
the countryside. The trails to walk are many and
offer to all direct contact with the immense and
uncontaminated natural patrimony of the Dolomites,
along with local history and the traces of the
First World War. The mountain huts - surrounded
by thick forests and immersed in the magic silence
of nature - offerso their speciality, the well-earned
rest. The warmth of the people of Sappada,
their folklore and traditions having remained
intact through the centuries, complete the picture
of a splendid and unforgettable vacation.
