In the territory of Rocca Pietore, Sottoguda is the last village before Malga Ciapéla and the Marmolada, in the heart of the Belluno Dolomites. This ancient village is characterised by the numerous tabièi, wooden barns common in the Dolomite area of Ladin culture, used by farmers to store hay and to shelter livestock and agricultural tools. Today, the tradition of artistic wrought iron work has survived thanks to some craftsmen who have their shops on the road that connects the village of Palue to Sottoguda.
The original population of Rocca Pietore came from the Adige and Isarco valleys, like the people from the Badia, Gardena, Fassa and Livinallongo valleys. In ancient times, the territory of Rocca Pietore was a Longobard arimannia. The arimannie were military settlements placed in defence of a given territory and headed by a fortification, such as in this case the ancient Rocca Bruna (Rukepraun in German), whose territory of competence, around the year 1000, also included the upper Val di Fassa, Livinallongo and perhaps part of the upper Val Badia, all territories of the ancient region of Norico. In 1395 the territory came under the control of the city of Belluno, but managed to maintain a strong autonomy, formalised in 1417 with the Statutes of the Magnifica Comunità della Rocca. These treaties allowed it to rise to the status of a small republic that lived for 411 years in a state of strong administrative autonomy. At that time there was even a court located in Saviner di Laste, called "el Banch de la Reson", formed by democratically elected heads of families. This status lasted until 1806 when the arrival of Napoleon Bonaparte put an end to this extraordinary historical period. Since then the destiny of the territory of La Rocca remained linked to Veneto, including the period of Habsburg domination over Lombardy-Veneto (1813-1866).
The oldest building in Sottoguda, the only one spared by the fire of 1881, is the small church dedicated to the Saints Fabiano, Sebastiano and Rocco, consecrated in 1486 when it was intended to serve a community of about ten houses. The bell tower dates back to 1550 and the altar to 1616. Immediately after the last houses, the Serrai di Sottoguda gorge begins, a deep canyon of about two kilometres, now a Park of regional interest, which reaches the Malga Ciapéla basin at the foot of the Marmolada. The entire length of the gorge is traversed by the small Pettorina torrent, which in its relentless flow has eroded the rocks to form chasms and numerous caves. A visit to the Serrai can be made either starting from the valley and climbing towards Malga Ciapela, or coming from the opposite side, descending towards Sottoguda. Along the way, you can admire the splendid Franzei waterfall, which, when well fed, reaches as far as the road, the small church of Sant'Antonio and, further on, the statue of the Madonna dei Serrai, located in a natural grotto. The Serrai have always been an inexhaustible source of myths and legends. The most famous is that of King Ombro, which tells of how the sovereign lived in the gorge, protected by solid gold gates. The Serrai have been declared a nature reserve and can be visited both in summer and winter, when the numerous waterfalls on either side of the road freeze over.
In the past, herds of cows and flocks of goats used to pass through the Serrai on their way to the high mountain pastures, and loads of timber and hay were brought down from the forests and mowing areas. In winter, when the freezing waterfalls cover the rocky walls with a thick layer of ice, the gorge becomes one of the most popular ice-climbing sites in Europe. Today the Serrai di Sottoguda are temporarily closed following damage caused by the Vaia storm at the end of October 2018.
