Vodo Cadore
Vodo Cadore è un piccolo comune di circa 900 abitanti nella media Valle del Boite, in provincia di Belluno, a 910 metri di quota,...
Ενημερώθηκε στις 12 Ιουλίου 2026
Η ιστορία
Η ιστορία του/της Vodo Cadore
In the heart of the Boite Valley
Vodo Cadore lies in the middle Boite Valley, at 910 metres above sea level, in a position historically referred to as d'Oltrechiusa, being situated upstream of the Chiusa fort in Venas di Cadore, once a strategic control point for access to the Alto Cadore. The municipal territory, modest in size and home to around 900 residents, includes several hamlets, among them Peaio and Vinigo, laid out along the valley floor and the first mountain slopes. The village's origins are very old, as shown by archaeological finds uncovered over time, confirming human settlement in this area since remote periods, well before the area's modern tourism development.
Between Antelao and Pelmo, giants of the Dolomites
Vodo Cadore's position is defined by the presence of two of the Dolomites' most celebrated mountains: the Antelao, which rises above 3,260 metres and ranks among the highest peaks of the whole Dolomite group, and the Pelmo, which nears 3,170 metres and is known for its unmistakable shape, often compared to a rock throne. These two massifs, recognised as a UNESCO World Heritage site as part of the Dolomites, shape the municipality's skyline and define its landscape identity, offering spectacular scenery both in summer, for hiking and climbing, and in winter, when snow turns the valley into a destination for winter sports. It is no coincidence that Vodo Cadore serves as a natural starting point for those wanting to approach both mountains.
The village that invented the ice cream cone
Among the curiosities that make Vodo Cadore a distinctive village is the birth, in the hamlet of Peaio in 1868, of Italo Pietro Marchioni, credited with inventing the ice cream cone, an innovation that would forever change the way ice cream is enjoyed around the world. Vodo Cadore was also the birthplace of Gianpietro Talamini, born in 1845, founder of the Venetian newspaper Il Gazzettino, which would go on to become one of the most widely read papers in northeastern Italy. The fact that a municipality of a few hundred residents produced two figures of this stature speaks well of the cultural and entrepreneurial vitality that has often characterised the mountain communities of the Cadore, able to project themselves well beyond the valley's borders.
History and faith among the hamlets
In the hamlet of Vinigo stands the Church of San Giovanni Battista, built in 1376 and today protected as a national monument by the Venice Superintendency, one of the oldest and best-preserved examples of religious architecture in the area. Not far away, within the municipal territory, stands the Rifugio Venezia, built in 1892 and considered the first Italian mountain refuge built in the Dolomites, a historic reference point for climbing in the area that still welcomes hikers heading toward higher altitudes today. Together, these two places tell a story of popular faith and alpine pioneering that complements the more recent history tied to the notable figures born in the municipality.
A four-season mountain village
Life in Vodo Cadore still follows the rhythm of the mountain seasons today, with a summer dedicated to hiking toward the Antelao and Pelmo, the trails of the Boite Valley and visits to the Rifugio Venezia, and a winter bringing snow and winter sports, in a setting less crowded than the nearby, more touristy destinations of the Cadore, such as Cortina d'Ampezzo. This quieter dimension is probably the municipality's main added value: a village that allows visitors to experience the Dolomites authentically, without the crowds of the more famous destinations, yet with the same natural and landscape heritage of great value that characterises the whole area.
Experiences not to miss
- Hike toward the Rifugio Venezia, the first mountain refuge in the Dolomites
- Visit the 14th-century Church of San Giovanni Battista in Vinigo
- Admire the walls of the Antelao and the Pelmo from the valley floor
- Discover Peaio, birthplace of the ice cream cone's inventor
- Walk the trails of the Boite Valley in every season
Αξιοθέατα
What to see in Vodo Cadore
Routes · Trovido Route
