THE WATER MUSEUM
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Water has a “discreet” presence on the Asiago Plateau: due to the karst soil, the water here disappears almost immediately after the rain or after the snow melts. Water is a valuable resource that plays an important role in life and work of the Plateau inhabitants.
Thus, not far from the centre of Asiago city, in a cottage in the Kaberlaba area, you can find a museum dedicated to water.
THEMATIC EXHIBITIONS
1 - WATER AND MORPHOLOGY OF THE TERRITORY
The Asiago Plateau represents the second largest karst massif in Europe that gives life to the most abundant water spring of Europe, called Oliero. Countless forms of water sources therefore characterize the landscape, both underground (karst) and on surface (epigean). The themes of this section are: water cycle, karst, history of caves.
2 - WATER AND HUMAN LIFE
A karst area is rich in rainfall, but poor in stable perennial water springs, which means that over the history people had to develop techniques to collect and preserve the available water. The topics presented in this section are: relationship between residential areas and perennial springs and streams; facilities to keep and use the water, such as canals, fountains, small city fountains, small wells, troughs, covered wells, cisterns, pasture pools, etc.
3 - WATER AND WORK
As everywhere in the alpine region, the local people of the Plateau have also preserved their techniques for water conservation, some of which come even from the Middle Ages. The particular climatic and economic conditions have favoured the spread of various professions related to water. The themes of this section are: mills and factories, the use of water in the limestone caves, and the old professions, such as laundress, “giasàro” (ice seller), etc.
4 - WATER AND FUN
Themes of this section include skiing, skating, water games and all the other customs and sports connected with water, snow and ice, in historical overview.
5 - WATER AND THE WORLD OF INSPIRATION
The Asiago Plateau is rich in legends and fantastic characters from Scandinavian sagas. The legends often refer to specific locations and many of them tell us about water. In developing this topic, the research and the preservation of many toponyms in Cimbrian language became an important goal.
6 - WATER AND THE FIRST WORLD WAR
In order to provide water to the Italian troops and animals on the front line, military engineers had to develop and to carry out great hydraulic works in the shortest time. This section presents us information about this little-known aspect of the Great War: aqueducts, pumping stations, storage tanks, etc.
7 - WATER AND AIR POLLUTION
The topics of this section are: quantity and quality of water resources, the importance of karst aquifers underground, pollution and purification of water, water for domestic and industrial use, water treatment and the process of re-entering of the wastewater into the environment.
THE “WATER CYCLE” PATH
The path starts near the Museum. In the Kaberlaba area, water always played a central role from a natural and a historical point of view. The importance of water and its pervading presence are witnessed by the various elements of this “water circle” path: the ancient cistern of stone slabs; the well of rainwater; the pasture pools; the road in the old town called “Pria dell’acqua” (literally “before the water”); the so called "rock city" created by water erosion; and other underground and surface karst phenomena such as limestone pavement, slabs (“clints”) isolated each other by deep fissures (“grikes”) and caves (“loch”).
(images: Speleological Group of the 7 Municipalities)
Visit the website!
Thus, not far from the centre of Asiago city, in a cottage in the Kaberlaba area, you can find a museum dedicated to water.
THEMATIC EXHIBITIONS
1 - WATER AND MORPHOLOGY OF THE TERRITORY
The Asiago Plateau represents the second largest karst massif in Europe that gives life to the most abundant water spring of Europe, called Oliero. Countless forms of water sources therefore characterize the landscape, both underground (karst) and on surface (epigean). The themes of this section are: water cycle, karst, history of caves.
2 - WATER AND HUMAN LIFE
A karst area is rich in rainfall, but poor in stable perennial water springs, which means that over the history people had to develop techniques to collect and preserve the available water. The topics presented in this section are: relationship between residential areas and perennial springs and streams; facilities to keep and use the water, such as canals, fountains, small city fountains, small wells, troughs, covered wells, cisterns, pasture pools, etc.
3 - WATER AND WORK
As everywhere in the alpine region, the local people of the Plateau have also preserved their techniques for water conservation, some of which come even from the Middle Ages. The particular climatic and economic conditions have favoured the spread of various professions related to water. The themes of this section are: mills and factories, the use of water in the limestone caves, and the old professions, such as laundress, “giasàro” (ice seller), etc.
4 - WATER AND FUN
Themes of this section include skiing, skating, water games and all the other customs and sports connected with water, snow and ice, in historical overview.
5 - WATER AND THE WORLD OF INSPIRATION
The Asiago Plateau is rich in legends and fantastic characters from Scandinavian sagas. The legends often refer to specific locations and many of them tell us about water. In developing this topic, the research and the preservation of many toponyms in Cimbrian language became an important goal.
6 - WATER AND THE FIRST WORLD WAR
In order to provide water to the Italian troops and animals on the front line, military engineers had to develop and to carry out great hydraulic works in the shortest time. This section presents us information about this little-known aspect of the Great War: aqueducts, pumping stations, storage tanks, etc.
7 - WATER AND AIR POLLUTION
The topics of this section are: quantity and quality of water resources, the importance of karst aquifers underground, pollution and purification of water, water for domestic and industrial use, water treatment and the process of re-entering of the wastewater into the environment.
THE “WATER CYCLE” PATH
The path starts near the Museum. In the Kaberlaba area, water always played a central role from a natural and a historical point of view. The importance of water and its pervading presence are witnessed by the various elements of this “water circle” path: the ancient cistern of stone slabs; the well of rainwater; the pasture pools; the road in the old town called “Pria dell’acqua” (literally “before the water”); the so called "rock city" created by water erosion; and other underground and surface karst phenomena such as limestone pavement, slabs (“clints”) isolated each other by deep fissures (“grikes”) and caves (“loch”).
(images: Speleological Group of the 7 Municipalities)
Visit the website!
