For hay transport to the villages
Monte Guardiabella (1216 m) rises above the village of Aurigo and has been, with its pastures, the primary source of fodder for the Valle Impero from the Middle Ages until the middle of the last century, when the peasant economy was inextricably linked to the pack animals.
To transport the bales of hay, called “bériùi”, some cableways were installed, the most important of which took its name from the owner: Stéva.
The ropes along the slope brought the bales near the villages to be loaded on mules and then stowed in the barns. Being a collective service, the maintenance of the cableways was financed by the rental of the pulleys.
Testo a cura di Gian Piero Martino, immagini di Nicola Ferrarese.