The hill of the machine and the brilliant idea of Silvestro Franceschi, Tete Dane
Around 1850 the Municipality of Marebbe cut large quantities of wood at Fanes and sold it to a Venetian merchant. To transport it down to the plain through the Boite, the timber had to be carried down to the Revis plain. A competition was therefore held, won by the Cortina horsemen. Carrying the wood down the road to Pusteria soon proved a hard job, especially because of the climb
through Cimabanche.
Silvestro Franceschi, well known as “Tete Dane”, had the brilliant idea of building a cableway from Pederù as far as the spur of rock that dominates the valley.
Silvestro Franceschi, Tete Dane, had the brilliant idea of building a cableway from Pederù as far as the spur of rock that dominates the valley.
The timber was carried up using a cableway complete with hydraulic wheel driven by water. From here a road was laid that passed through the village of Fodara and ended above Campo di Croce; from here, the timber was slid down to the plain below. The horsemen transported it from Campo Croce through Ra Stua and unloaded it at Revis. A trip and a half were made every day and the profit was high.
In spring, when work had finished, the cableway was offered to the people of Marebbe, who however wanted to pay much less than the asking price. Tete Dane, deeply offended, decided to burn the clever machine and the station rather than sell them for a low price.
The hill where the cableway ended has since then been known as the hill of the machine (in Italian Col de ra machina).
Born in 1793, Silvestro Franceschi began working as a carpenter; he learnt various skills and become an engineering contractor’ roads, river embankments on the Boite, Council Building, office and parish church roof restoration; he also
built the Socol saws and presented four different plans for the Cortina bell-tower which did not however convince the experts in Vienna.
In 1853, Bergmann’s project was approved and Franceschi was appointed foreman. Head of the Commune, councillor, commander of territorial defence, commissioner of national defence, Silvestro Franceschi died in 1870.
