It was a special morning in Plassa (fraction of Oltre il Colle) this past Saturday when we were present for the inauguration of the Cattedrale Vegetale, a “green” cathedral constructed as an expression of land art.
Begun in 2008 by italian artist Giuliano Mauri, the cathedral encompasses a total of 5 naves and 42 columns. Constructed with fir timber and branches of chestnut and hazelnut, each column contains a young beech tree that will eventually take the place of its natural “cage” when time and the elements have eroded the structure away.
Event organizers had a wealth of info on footpaths within the surrounding area so I see this as just the beginning for a push toward ecotourism. This (maniola jurtina – Meadow Brown) played a small but important role in a ‘Today I fly’ butterfly release. It’s one of the species found in the Sentiero delle Farfalle or Trail of the Butterflies.
Link: La Cattedrale Vegetale – Parco delle Orobie (italian)
Rubber Slippers In Italy 