There is a special place in the heart of the Scalve Valley (Bergamo) which, for all its inhabitants, represents a sort of distinction between what the valley was like before and after the "Gleno disaster". A beautiful panorama, a natural recess surrounded by majestic peaks including Monte Gleno.
On December 1st, 1923, the Gleno dam, a 260-metre artificial barrier, could not sustain the strength of the 6 million cubic metres of water that pressed behind it.
The central pylon of the dam collapsed and, in less than 15 minutes, the imposing mass of water poured over the valley, destroying everything that it encountered in its path, aided in this terrible disaster also by the frightening displacement of air that preceded it.
The wave immediately hit the village of Bueggio, demolished the Povo and Valbona power stations, the Formello bridge area, the Madonnina Sanctuary and then continued its run towards Via Mala, the road that connects the Scalve Valley to Valcamonica.
Before entering the Via Mala gorge, it brought destruction to the town of Dezzo (a village with 500 people, 209 of which died), knocking down the power station and the cemetery in Mazzunno and then continued its run towards the urban area of Corna di Darfo; to reach the waters of Lake Iseo in 45 minutes, leaving behind over 500 victims and a completely overwhelmed territory.
The dam’s ruins remained. They are a destination for many hikers who reach the homonymous lake to enjoy the breathtaking view (in front of the lake stands the Presolana massif) via two trails that connect the area to Pianezza and Nona of Vilminore di Scalve.
It’s a place to immerse yourself in nature, between heaven and earth, suitable for spending days in a carefree atmosphere, it is a place full of history but also of all that makes nature precious.
In remembrance of those tragic days, the "Gleno Exhibition Space" was opened in the centre of Vilminore, by the Pro Loco Vilminore and with the contribution of the Lombardy Region. It’s a collection of documents, photographs and testimonies that describe what the dam represented in the 1920s for the industrialisation of the Valley and its surroundings, and today retells that story to the tourists who climb up there to let themselves be enveloped by the charm of the long row of arches that composed the dam.
During the summer a shuttle operates from Vilminore to Pianezza, where the trail is located to reach the dam. Possibility of accompaniment and guide for groups of hikers.
Info at the Vilminore Pro Loco tel. 0346 51002.
There is a special place in the heart of the Scalve Valley (Bergamo) which, for all its inhabitants, represents a sort of distinction between what the valley was like before and after the "Gleno disaster". A beautiful panorama, a natural recess surrounded by majestic peaks including Monte Gleno.
On December 1st, 1923, the Gleno dam, a 260-metre artificial barrier, could not sustain the strength of the 6 million cubic metres of water that pressed behind it.
The central pylon of the dam collapsed and, in less than 15 minutes, the imposing mass of water poured over the valley, destroying everything that it encountered in its path, aided in this terrible disaster also by the frightening displacement of air that preceded it.
The wave immediately hit the village of Bueggio, demolished the Povo and Valbona power stations, the Formello bridge area, the Madonnina Sanctuary and then continued its run towards Via Mala, the road that connects the Scalve Valley to Valcamonica.
Before entering the Via Mala gorge, it brought destruction to the town of Dezzo (a village with 500 people, 209 of which died), knocking down the power station and the cemetery in Mazzunno and then continued its run towards the urban area of Corna di Darfo; to reach the waters of Lake Iseo in 45 minutes, leaving behind over 500 victims and a completely overwhelmed territory.
The dam’s ruins remained. They are a destination for many hikers who reach the homonymous lake to enjoy the breathtaking view (in front of the lake stands the Presolana massif) via two trails that connect the area to Pianezza and Nona of Vilminore di Scalve.
It’s a place to immerse yourself in nature, between heaven and earth, suitable for spending days in a carefree atmosphere, it is a place full of history but also of all that makes nature precious.
In remembrance of those tragic days, the "Gleno Exhibition Space" was opened in the centre of Vilminore, by the Pro Loco Vilminore and with the contribution of the Lombardy Region. It’s a collection of documents, photographs and testimonies that describe what the dam represented in the 1920s for the industrialisation of the Valley and its surroundings, and today retells that story to the tourists who climb up there to let themselves be enveloped by the charm of the long row of arches that composed the dam.
During the summer a shuttle operates from Vilminore to Pianezza, where the trail is located to reach the dam. Possibility of accompaniment and guide for groups of hikers.
Info at the Vilminore Pro Loco tel. 0346 51002.
