The scattered village

Every ‘maso’ is a village

Based on an appreciation of the land to be cultivated, the ‘maso’ (in Mòcheno dialect: der hoff) is the founding nucleus of the Mòcheno community. It comprises several buildings, such as the manor house, the barn, the stable, the cellar for storing wine and cured meats, and the dairy for processing milk. In addition to the land to be cultivated, it also has a vegetable garden and an area for grazing. 

It is self-sufficient, like a small village. 

But who are its inhabitants? 

All under one roof

In the Mòcheni Valley, there is no rule of closed farmsteads, whereby the ‘maso’ is inherited only by the eldest son. Here, upon the death of the head of the family, the ‘maso’ is divided among all the sons, who inhabit it with their families. 

This means that there are many people living under the same roof. 

And often there are not enough resources for everyone. So, once the sowing season is over, the men stop farming and leave. They become krumers, travelling traders on the roads of the Austro-Hungarian Empire. 

To reduce the number of mouths to feed at the ‘maso’ and earn some money at the same time, they load heavy wooden chests (kraks) onto their shoulders and set off along the paths that criss-cross Valle dei Mòcheni like a spider's web. 

Scattered but united

The network of paths connects all the farms in the the Mòcheni Valley and illustrates how the farmsteads, despite being self-sufficient like small villages, cannot exist without their neighbours. 

They come together for holidays, to celebrate weddings and ratify agreements, but above all to manage the valley's precious natural heritage together. 

From cutting trees in the woods to managing waterways, from maintaining roads to caring for high-altitude pastures. Everything is organised according to precise rules that the Mòcheni people have established amongst themselves. Equal among equals. 

And that is why there are no squares or castles here. Because in the enchanted valley there are no kings.