In just a few hours, you can travel from the traces that the first humans left on these rocks thousands of years ago all the way to modern architecture that unites ingenuity and beauty.
The Rupe Magna is one of the largest engraved rocks in the Alpine Arc. The carvings – discovered by Davide Pace in 1966 – number more than five thousand, dating from the end of the Neolithic period (4th millennium BC) to the Iron Age (1st millennium BC). Looking closely at the engravings on the bare rock, we find ourselves surprised by the mountain’s ability to be many different things: shelter, obstacle, nature and even canvas. A stubborn canvas that speaks to us of peasant life, of animals, of symbols around which, perhaps, our ancestors laid their hopes and fears.
A little further on, we step into a completely different world, a scene that unites industry and landscape: the Grosio hydroelectric power station. Here, human ingenuity has transformed the energy of water into technology, integrating it seamlessly into the surrounding panorama. The plant’s machine room is located in a vast cavern inside the mountain, reached by walking through a 600-metre tunnel. Volumes, conduits, turbines and materials tell us that building also means shaping the landscape.
The contrast between who we were and who we have become raises many questions, including about our future.
The contrast between sunny days and cool evenings encourages colour development and a perfect balance between sugars and acidity. Valtellina Apple PGI is more than a variety, it tells the story of an agricultural landscape, peasant knowledge and local supply chains.
