Friulian Dolomites, UNESCO
World Heritage Site, Alpine Bioregion
Uninhabited for millennia, this territory was colonized by humans only starting from the 16th century.
The intensive exploitation of virgin resources, relative prosperity, and
population growth over two centuries led to a progressive depletion of natural capital and consequent emigration.
In 1963, a hydroelectric basin reshaped the
geography, effectively completing the
diaspora that had begun at the end of the
19th century.
Today, the wild has reclaimed almost all the
slopes and entire villages. Over half of the
territory is protected, while the rest is a
living laboratory of coevolution among
species.