SCALARO

There is a spot, as you climb above Quincinetto, where the woodland opens up to reveal a sun-drenched plateau, seemingly suspended amongst the mountains. The hamlet of Scalaro still holds great historical and scenic value today, thanks in part to the care taken over its well-restored stone and timber houses.

The location is no coincidence: the ancient inhabitants chose this spot because it was sheltered from the winds and avalanches, a small natural refuge where winter was less harsh and summer more bountiful. In the past, the only way to reach it was via the mule track that climbs up ‘La Rupe’, a 200-metre cliff face that overlooks Quincinetto like a dizzying balcony. Today there is also a long, winding road, but those who reach Scalaro on foot can still feel the footsteps of the mountain folk who have walked the same path for centuries.

The houses, clustered close together, tell the story of a simple, hard life: dark stone, heavy roofs, small windows looking out onto the pastures. All around, water flows in thin streams, the meadows stretch out like green carpets, and the silence has a distinctive, almost ancient quality.

At the heart of the village, beating gently like a heart, stands the little church of San Quirico, built in the 18th century. Inside, it houses a fresco by the painter Cogrossi – a surprising find for such a remote place. Every time the community makes the climb up here for the saint’s feast day, it feels as though one is witnessing a ritual that has been repeated exactly the same way for generations: a link between past and present that has never been broken.

Today, Scalaro is no longer a permanently inhabited place, but it is far from being abandoned. Hikers, families and mountain enthusiasts follow the GTA 831 trail, which passes right through here, and each time the village welcomes visitors with the same age-old calm. It is a place that asks for nothing, yet gives so much in return: peace, memories, and a sense of continuity with those who came before.

This is what Scalaro is: a little mountain tale that lives on, suspended between sky and woods, the silent guardian of a precious part of Quincinetto’s soul.