Photo exhibition

LES VILES

An architectural heritage, which has lasted for many centuries and stands proudly for ladin culture and tradition.

Have you noticed, that in our whole valley you can find little groups of houses located all throughout the territory?

We call them “les viles”. This small rural settlements have a maximum of ten houses and their ten barns. Some of this settlements have been preserved for centuries, some have been renovated and others made space for new buildings.

In this photo exhibition we focused on the “viles “ of our village Badia. Try to look out for them!

What is this all about?

Based on the landform of our valley, farmers had to organize the use of land in a vertical way. This is why the “viles” are located on the sunny hillsides on a height of 1200 and 1700 meters, as their property is usually located all around them, the “viles” can be pretty far away from each other.

Although the ladin “viles” are very different and unique between each other, they share some important aspects. The size and the location of the single buildings do not establish a hierarchy. It is quite the opposite – if you take a better look, the “viles” form a harmonious whole. There are few exceptions, the settlements that present big houses with a different origin and a strong connection to the medieval feudal system.

In the past the exposition to the sun had big importance, as a matter of fact all buildings are exposed in the best way possible to the sun, the houses had big priority.

The heart of our landscape:

The “viles” represent a balance between human presence and nature as they were built with the intention to look for the adaption to the territory and for the best way of taking advance of the climate conditions. They are for sure the heart of the rural scenery of our valley.

• Location: SummerPark La Crusc, little hut in the relax zone, Badia