Uphill you will see a washhouse, the first of three that you will see during your visit. There everyday laundry was washed, and it is still sometimes used.
However, it is the large wood-stack here that draws the eye. It is called “The Landslide”. It is 80 square metres and is made up of 18000 pieces of larch wood that create a mosaic background. It is a powerful reminder of the landslides and floods of 4th November 1966, which had Mezzano in dire straits, caught between the enormous landslide from the Stona valley and the flooding of the river Cismon. The map of the village of that morning in 1966 is represented; many houses had to be demolished afterwards due to severe damage. To the left there is a shrine representing “good”; it was built by Davide Orler in 1956 as a vow of gratitude to the Madonna, who protects the centre of the village from the fury of the nature that surrounds it. To the right side, “evil”, here there are great waves ridden by demons made of Apulian tuff rock; they represent the muddy landslide that threatened the community. The caged waves are symbolic of how man could prevent certain catastrophes. There is an information panel here to explain this.
There is a gazebo in front of you, take a moment and sit down, reflect on things, leave a message. The photos you have taken today will be put in your album at home. However, the hidden thoughts you have written here today, will one day be rediscovered at the bottom of the table, will divulge something about you and will remain here; a little piece of the collective memory of the village. You can read how to do it on the totem.
