Mem. Descr. Carta Geol. d’It. LXXXVII (2009), pp. 181-189 figg. 5 - tabb. 2 Assessment and promotion of cultural geomorphosites in the Trient Valley (Switzerland) Valutazione e promozione di geomorfositi culturali nella Valle del Trient (Svizzera) REYNARD E. (*), REGOLINI-BISSIG G. (*), KOZLIK L. (*), BENEDETTI S. (**) ABSTRACT – Within the framework of three cultural projects luppato nell’ambito di un progetto internazionale più ampio developed in the Trient valley (Switzerland) – the “Cultural sull’importanza degli scritti e delle osservazioni di Goethe Routes in Switzerland” (ViaStoria), the Alposcope, and Val- per lo sviluppo delle Scienze della terra, ha lo scopo di com- lis Triensis – several projects aimed at the promotion of the parare le osservazioni dello scrittore tedesco con la situa- geocultural heritage are being carried out. An inventory of zione attuale di molti geomorfositi nell’area. Vengono cultural geomorphosites of the Trient, Eau Noire and Sa- proposti numerosi prodotti geoturistici per turisti e ragazzi lanfe valleys aims at developing a database that will constitute delle scuole, con lo scopo di promuovere l’importanza dei the base for further projects. 39 cultural geomorphosites are processi glaciali nella valle. being assessed by using a method that considers the scienti- fic (geomorphological) and cultural values independently. A PAROLE CHIAVE: Geomorfositi, Beni culturali, Patrimonio, second inventory, developed within a larger international Trient, Svizzera. project on the importance of Goethe’s writings and obser- vations for the development of Earth sciences, aims at com- paring the German poet’s views with the current situation of several geomorphosites in the area. Several geotourist 1. – INTRODUCTION products, aimed at promoting the geomorphological impor- tance of glacial processes in the valley, are proposed for Several scholars (PANIZZA & PIACENTE, 2003; school children and tourists. PRALONG 2004; REYNARD & PRALONG, 2004) have KEY WORDS: Geomorphosites, Cultural sites, Heritage, Tri- demonstrated the potentialities of considering cul- ent, Switzerland. tural heritage not only with respect to its human- made elements – archaeological vestiges, historical RIASSUNTO – Nell’ambito di tre iniziative culturali che hanno buildings, infrastructures, etc. -, but also in a interessato la Valle del Trient (Svizzera) –“Vie Culturali in Svizzera” (ViaStoria), Alposcope, e Vallis Triensis – sono broader sense, including the natural (biological and stati sviluppati numerosi progetti volti alla valorizzazione e abiotic) elements of landscape. These studies open promozione del patrimonio geoculturale della valle. L’inven- new opportunities in history education that is not tario di geomorfositi culturali delle valli del Trient, Eau Noire restricted to the mere human history but covers e Salanfe ha lo scopo di sviluppare ed implementare un da- longer periods, including the geological and natu- tabase che costituirà la base per progetti futuri. Sono stati così valutati 39 geomorfositi culturali utilizzando un metodo ral history. New concepts such as geohistory che considera il valore scientifico (geomorfologico) e quello (PANIZZA & PIACENTE, 2003), total history (PRA- culturale in modo indipendente. Un secondo inventario, svi- LONG, 2004) or long history (P. Dubuis, oral com- ((*) Institute of Geography, University of Lausanne, Bât. Anthropole, CH – 1015 Lausanne – E-mail: [email protected] (**) ViaStoria Suisse romande, Postbox 16, CH – 1890 St-Maurice 182 REYNARD E. - REGOLINI-BISSIG G. - KOZLIK L. - BENEDETTI S. munication) may open new collaboration between site’s importance for the reconstruction of the sciences that are generally not, or poorly, con- Earth history; scientific value) and additional val- nected (geology, geomorphology, archaeology, his- ues that may be important in various contexts, tory, ethnography, heritage sciences, etc.). The aim such as, for example, tourism (see PRALONG, of this interdisciplinary approach is to consider 2005). landscape as the result a chain of natural and In this sense, cultural geomorphosites are geo- human processes as they are perceived by society morphological objects that also have a cultural (DROZ & MIÉVILLE-OTT, 2005; REYNARD, 2005). value. With respect to other geomorphosites, their Starting from this integrated approach, several use by Man gives them a higher value (LUGON & initiatives have emerged in Switzerland. One is the REYNARD, 2003). Examples of cultural geomor- recent modification (2006) of the Nature and phosites are glacial locks supporting castles or de- Landscape Protection Act that evolves from a leg- fence infrastructures, archaeological findings islation aimed at protecting individual natural or linked with a specific geomorphological context cultural objects to a more territorial and integrated (e.g. karstic caves, habitats in rockfall deposits) or approach, with the creation of new parks, aiming particular landforms used for religious rituals (e.g. at the sustainable management of the rural land- Uluru inselberg in central Australia, Lourdes scape. Another case is the project of the 3rd Rhone karstic cave in Southern France). River Corrections (started in 2000) that was devel- oped with the clear objective of co-ordinating the protection of the population against floods, the 3. – KNOWLEDGE AND PROMOTION OF rehabilitation of the ecological functions of the THE TRIENT VALLEY HISTORY watercourse, and the social use of the river. The project managers have developed a large partici- Several projects are currently being carried out pative process and in this context, historians have in the Trient valley. They have been launched after created a network of studies aimed at the recon- a Master’s thesis study on the contribution of ed- struction of the long history of the river and its ap- ucational trails to sustainable development in the propriation by society. Specialists of both natural Alps (BENEDETTI, 1998). The first phase was ded- and cultural sciences are involved in this network. icated to the development of several interpretative The Trient valley, in the Swiss part of the trails – supported by panels and brochures – in Mont-Blanc massif, is another place where scien- various parts of the valley and its surroundings, tists have developed a similar process of integra- with the aim of contributing to the summer tion involving natural, cultural and social sciences. tourism in the area. In this case, geomorphologists have taken the ini- Currently, three more complex projects, all aim- tiative and several projects are being carried out in ing at a better comprehension of the Alpine his- order to improve the common knowledge of the tory, concern the valley: the “Cultural Routes in valley’s natural and human history. The objective Switzerland”, the Alposcope and the activities of of this paper is to present the first results of three Vallis Triensis. studies that are currently being developed in the Under the label “Cultural Routes in Switzer- valley by the Institute of Geography at the Uni- land”, ViaStoria – Center for transport history re- versity of Lausanne within the framework of search – is currently establishing a network of broader cultural projects co-ordinated by the Vi- twelve historical routes (fig. 1) throughout Switzer- aStoria local office. All three projects aim at ob- land. “Cultural Routes in Switzerland” provides ac- taining better knowledge and promoting cultural cess to natural and cultural curiosities of the geomorphosites. landscape, Swiss cultural historical peculiarities, spectacular evidence of the routes’ landscape, known and less conventional historical means of 2. – CULTURAL GEOMORPHOSITES transportation, the history of regional customs, and the products of the various regions. The entire Geomorphosites are geomorphological objects program is led and co-ordinated by ViaStoria that to which a value can be given (PANIZZA, 2001). The collaborates with national, regional and local or- importance of the site may be purely scientific (re- ganisations for tourism, economy, and culture, and strictive definition, REYNARD, 2004a; 2005) or may with the public services and transports. The proj- also include other ecological, cultural, economic or ect started in February 2004 and the twelve routes cultural values (broader definition, REYNARD, of national interest were opened in 2007 (www.vi- 2004a; 2005). We have proposed to distinguish two astoria.ch). One of them – the Via Cook – con- levels of value (REYNARD, 2005): a central one (the cerns the Trient valley. ASSESSMENT AND PROMOTION OF CULTURAL GEOMORPHOSITES IN THE TRIENT VALLEY 183 Alposcope is a network linking natural and tourist sites together and aiming at describing the long history of the Alps (www.alposcope.ch). The proj- ect is viewed as a promotional instrument devel- oped by and for the local communities. It aims at promoting the tourist infrastructures and the nat- ural and cultural sites of the region situated be- tween Chamonix (France) and Martigny (Switzerland) by following the principles of sus- tainable development. The Trient valley is the ge- ographical core of the project. The long history of the Alps, from their geological formation to the hydropower scheme building (Emosson dam) at th Fig. 1 -– Map of the “Cultural Routes in Switzerland”. the end of the 20 century, constitutes the the- – Carta delle “Strade Culturali in Svizzera”. matic core of the project. Geology and orogeny, landscape formation by glaciers and rivers, fauna and flora