Val Calanca

The Calancatal (Italian Calanca ) is a tributary of the Misox. The eight municipalities in the district Calanca ( Circolo di Calanca ) together and belong together with the circle and Mesocco Roveredo to Moësa district. The Calancatal is like Misox, Poschiavo, the Bergell and the village Bivio on the Julier Pass, part of the Italian-speaking region of the canton of Graubünden.

Geography

The Calancatal starts at Grono (332 m above sea level. M. ) and runs parallel to the Misox in the east and in the west to the Ticino Riviera 27 km north to the highest point, the Puntone Fracion ( 3202 m above sea level. M. ). In the valley floor Calancasca which opens at Grono in the Moësa flows. The climate in the lower part is rather mild with chestnut trees, above it is very alpine. The history of the wild valley are also repeatedly landslides. The causes are the head downhill prone foliation of the rocks on the slopes and the Calancasca, removes the parts of the valley floor, thus destabilizing the rock masses. In June 2007, 400,000 cubic meters of rock fell in the quarry Arvigo down the valley. Around 400 people in the back of the valley were included because the only road had to be closed.

History

The valley was settled from the north (San Bernardino, Misox ) because it had no passable access to the south. The name Calanca ( steep, steep) indicates Ligurian immigrants (about the 8th century BC). The initial scattered Hofsiedlungen were abandoned with the transition to the division of labor Alpwirtschaft. From the 15th century individual villages, where the population completed extensive work jointly ( joint work ) were formed. This included creating and maintaining water pipes and Alpwegen, cleaning up the pastures of stones and boulders, the Join and hats of the cattle at the various Alpstufen, the Cheese production etc.

Since the 12th century the Calancatal belonged to the Misox to rule the resident in the castle Mesocco of Sax ( de Sacco ). 1480 was the domination of the Milanese Count Trivulzio. 1496 joined the valley together with the Misox the horror collar on as a protective alliance. At that time, there was a spirit of optimism in the small Alpine republic of the Three Leagues. For republican sovereignty of full political maturity they wanted with the help of the Reformation and the liberation of the supremacy and political participation of the Catholic Church.

In 1549 the Calancatal gained its political independence by the redemption of Trivulzio. With the Cantonalisitation in 1851 and the division into eleven communes, the Calancatal lost a part of its independence again.

Recently (2005) the Calancatal fell under the so-called evacuation strategy of new regional policy in the headlines. A study by Basel architects believed that the task of " unprofitable " mountain areas would be financially beneficial. Critics such as the Organizzazione Regionale della Calanca, however, point to the many tasks of the peripheral valleys in the interest of the whole country (recreation space for urban population, renewable energy production, water resources, protection against natural hazards such as flooding lower lying valleys, etc.).

Population

The villages of Calanca are with Arvigo as the capital in eight political communities together (in order from south to north ):

• Castaneda
• Sta. Mary
• Buseno including Molina
• Arvigo including Landarenca ( Fusion 1980)
• Braggio
• Selma
• Cauco including Bodio
• Rossa including Augio and Sta. Domenica ( Fusion 1982)

The Calancatal has a decreasing population since 1733. At that time, there were 2,900 inhabitants; In 1773 there were 2246; 1850 1595; 1950 1287; 1990 740; 2000 809 attempts to stop the depopulation have led in recent years to stabilize.

Economy

In Calancatal livestock and Alp and timber industry is mainly driven because the steep slopes and the high altitude allows only little agriculture (rye, wheat, and later potatoes ). Many emigrants who worked in the neighboring countries as basket-makers, glaziers, pitch seller and Harzer, brought the valley welcome additional income. The largest employer in the valley and only industrial operation is the stone quarry of Polti in Arvigo. The Calanchiner Gneiss ( gneiss) is appreciated for its quality and exported half abroad. Here also the rare minerals Babingtonit and hedenbergite were found. Above Cauco earlier soapstone ( steatite, steatite ) was mined and processed into vessels. Today, in the summer of tourism (holiday house) plays an important role.

Transport and Tourism

The Calancatal can be reached by car only from the south from Grono. The main road ends in Rossa. There is a post bus connection from Grono after Rossa and to Santa Maria.

The Calancatal is a wild, yet very pristine landscape. The mountain lovers will find numerous mountain and hiking trails here. It is known especially the Sentiero Alpino Calanca. On the left side of the valley transitions Misox are: the Pass de Omenit and pass di Passit (of Rossa to San Bernardino ), the Bocchetta de Trescolmen (of Rossa to Mesocco ), and the Passo Buffalora (of Rossa via Capanna Buffalora after Soazza ). On the right side of the valley are the gateways to the Riviera and Bleniotal: Bocchetta di Pianca Geneura (of Landarenca via Capanna Cava to Biasca ) and the pass Giümela (of Rossa via Val Pontirone after Malvaglia ). (. 2 727 m above sea level ) The well-known scenic mountain in southern Switzerland, the Pizzo di Claro, can of Landarenca (cableway Selma Landarenca ) or from the Capanna Brogoldone (cableway Pizzo di Claro: Lumino - Monti Saurù ) be climbed. Distributed throughout the valley are located some bouldering areas.

Tourist accommodation is available at the Culture Hotel La Cascata in Augio, in guest houses and village inns of Landarenca, Selma, Sta. Mary and Cauca and in the lying directly on sentiero Buffalorahütte.

Pass de Buffalora ( 2261 m above sea level. M. ), Transition to Soazza Misox

Sentiero Alpino Calanca - west ridge of Cima del Nomnom

Goat milking on Alp Naucal