ArcheoAlps Excursion: Val del Gallo from S. Giacomo di Fraele to Prà Grata – Following the traces of iron
From the parking in S. Giacomo di Fraele (1,950 m), we will follow the path of the Valle del Gallo which, slightly downhill, leads to the large collection of rock fragments formed by the accumulation of debris from Paolaccia Valley. Immediately after, at a crossroads, we will follow the trail on the left which, slightly uphill, leads to the small bridge that crosses the Val Bruna, the highest point of the excursion (1,947 m), and then descends to the large grazed meadows of Prà Grata (1,850 m). This is where the ancient Cazzabella furnace once stood, used for the first smelting of iron ore from the mines present in the valley. In fact, many toponyms of the peaks of the ridge that borders the Gallo Valley to the south testify to how common the mining activity was (Cassa del Ferro, Pizzo del Ferro, Dosso della Miniera). The route is characterized by thick forests of mountain pine, called “hooked pine” here because of a particular arboreal aspect it presents. On the way back, a different route is possible: after the small bridge of Val Bruna, it is possible to take the old military road on the right which, at first flat and then downhill, leads back to the parking.
