March 11, 2025 0 Comments Old pictures

‘How we were’ – episode 1

The ancient ritual of transhumance on Lake Como in 12 shots from the 1980s

Foreword: I have a photographer dad.

For years he roamed the lake capturing life as it went by, in times when every photo was a bet you knew you had won, or lost, only after you had developed the whole roll.

He would shoot, look for stories to tell and photograph them. He would capture forever in an image those rituals and traditions that once marked life, days and seasons.

Then I came along, with my blog and my passion for the land and the desire to tell it.

How could it be?

That those dozens and dozens of boxes overflowing with photographs left to ‘age’ will now become a wide-open window on an ‘80s lake’, which, if you like, you can look out too!

It will be a four-part event (for now), discovering ‘How We Were’.

1# THE ANCIENT RITE OF TRANSHUMANCE

The photos we have chosen for the first month tell of a thousand-year-old tradition, the rite of transhumance.

This is an ancient practice of pastoralism that consists of the seasonal migration of livestock from the high-altitude pastures to the lower stables, and vice versa.

Do you know it?

I remember it well! And although over the years it has become increasingly rare to witness these fascinating parades through village streets, the good news is that something seems to be changing.

An increasing number of young people are rediscovering their passion for the shepherd’s trade, keeping invaluable traditions alive.

For the area, this translates into greater care for the mountains, production of excellent cheeses and local products, and the preservation of historic breeds that are at risk of extinction. Here on the lake, one of these is the Goat of Livo, a small village above Gravedona.

It is easy to see why buying local products becomes so important! It is the principle of the circular economy, ‘I buy local and the land lives’.

It all adds up!

Speaking of local products, here are the 6 typical products of Lake Como and where to buy them.

Regarding transhumance, another good news is that, in 2019, this practice has been proclaimed intangible cultural heritage of humanity! A clear demonstration of how important it is for a territory to preserve its traditions!

The photos immortalise some moments of the long walks that shepherds used to take in autumn and spring along the paths of our mountains, through the streets of the villages, until they reached and crossed the lake.

Transhumance between opposite shores, on board the typical Larian gondolas, was also once a normal custom.