Church in Valmalenco seen from the area of Ponte

The pine wood and the Grand Hotel Malenco were considered two jewels in the crown of the valley, in harmony with each other and a great attraction for tourists and a draw for the local economy.

The top-class hotel accommodation in the Alpine mountain range lost its identity in 1980, when it was transformed into a residence. As a result, the surrounding garden also changed its image.

When the Grand Hotel closed, the building fell into decline and is now reduced to almost nothing.

The pine wood sees very few visitors today and those who walk through, do so in such a hurry they barely notice the torrent has been reduced to a lifeless trickle.

Times change. By following fashion trends, we sometimes go against nature and common sense. In the words of the maestro Dioli: he who follows fashion, does not follow Christ, which is the same as saying "he who does not abide by Nature, goes against himself".

Everyone talks of redesigning, revalorising, relaunching, requalifying, but the suffix "re" alone is proof the valley was already qualified, it had no need for anything else, it just needed to keep it intact without inventing anything new.

The people of the mountains dislike such terms and academic studies. Knowledge should not have to be bartered or sold to consumerism. It should be given its true value, via direct interventions without any intermediary. Thus, we could relive our origins as men of the Alps, without hiding behind convenient, false identities.