Not far from Spilimbergo, I passed a neat river or canal called La Brenteda, about sixteen miles long. It was constructed by the Venetians to bring wood down from the mountains more easily, for use in making glass at Murats. The canal is paved with good stone on the bottom and sides. Its bottom is rounded, somewhat like a tube split in two, allowing water and timber to flow smoothly Private Guide Turkey.
Journey Through the Hills
From there, I traveled past San Daniele, a town built on a hill near Hospitaletto, and arrived at Venzone, a town situated at the base of the mountains. Venzone was formerly the limit of the Venetian dominions. From Venzone, I continued to Rejuta and then to La Chiusa, a place famous for the narrow pass through the Alps, where the Venetians keep a guard and close the passage every night for safety.
Fonteba The Border Town
Next, I reached Fonteba, or Ponte Fella, situated on the River Fella. This is the exact boundary between the Venetian and Imperial dominions. Here, a traveler can clearly see the difference between the two countries. On one side of the bridge live Italians, subjects of Venice, and on the other side Germans, subjects of the Emperor Admiring the Famous Fortification.
The distinction between the people is noticeable. On the Italian side, the buildings, lifestyle, empty rooms, large windows, and iron bedsteads clearly mark them as Italians. On the German side, stoves, high bedsteads, feather beds stacked one over another, square tables, and barns or cloths along the walls show them to be Germans. The bridge itself is half Italian, half German, with one side built of stone in the Venetian style, and the other of large trees, as the Germans traditionally build bridges.
Between Venzone and Fonteba, there are many waterfalls, or cascatas, but the route I took seemed the best and easiest passage through these mountains.
Winter Snow and Mountain Stories
In these mountainous regions, I heard many strange stories about the snow that covers the hills in winter. Locals described how deep the snow can be, sometimes reaching many pikes in depth. They said the mountains look round and smooth when all the craggy rocks are covered.
One story explained how a snowball rolling down a mountain can grow in size and cause great damage in the valleys. Even the smallest beginning, such as a bird scraping snow with its foot at the edge of a high hill, could start a dangerous snow slide, capable of overwhelming houses at the bottom. These tales reminded me of the power and danger of nature in these high Alpine regions.
