The story weaves legend with history and tells how the first Walser settlers who reached Italy in the 13th century brought a souvenir of their native land to seal the profound and indelible link with those who remained in their homeland: a small lime tree, the symbol of love among the Walser peoples and respect for the land.
Today, the Old Lime Tree, with its broad crown, still protects the village, soaring like a king under the glorious east wall of Monte Rosa of Macugnaga. It is an imposing tree, under which administrative and legal meetings that concerned the whole community were held.
In the trunk of the Old Lime Tree, from time immemorial, there lived elves with their little feet turned backwards. These elves, called “götwiarchjini” (or “good workers”) in the Titsch dialect, were somewhat touchy.
They would accompany the chamois to pasture, were charged with guarding the gold mines, and had the power to transform tree leaves into gold. The inhabitants of the village – woodcutters, shepherds, hunters, climbers, and gold diggers – lived with them and greatly appreciated them. The story goes, in fact, that without their suggestions, the Walser could not have survived the difficulties and rigours of the mountain. It was, in fact, the götwiarchjini who taught the inhabitants of Macugnaga how to make butter, cheese, and ricotta from milk.
It is said that one Sunday morning, mass being over, the whole population of Macugnaga went in procession to the old church. At the end of the line was a mother who held her child by the hand: passing under the lime tree, the child saw a götwiarchj and started to mock it for its little, crooked feet. The mother tried to shut the child up in vain, immediately saying sorry to the götwiarchj who, in any case, was very offended and murmured: “If the youngest one is so rude, who knows what the eldest are like!” Enraged, it called all the götwiarchjini together, threw a ball of wool up into the sky, beyond the leaves of the old lime tree, and, to general dismay, they all climbed up it, disappearing among the clouds.
From that moment, no one has seen them anymore and only the cavities in the old lime tree trunk, where they had always had their home, remain of their passing.
In the trunk of the Old Lime Tree, from time immemorial, there lived elves with their little feet turned backwards. These elves, called “götwiarchjini” (or “good workers”) in the Titsch dialect, were somewhat touchy.
They would accompany the chamois to pasture, were charged with guarding the gold mines, and had the power to transform tree leaves into gold. The inhabitants of the village – woodcutters, shepherds, hunters, climbers, and gold diggers – lived with them and greatly appreciated them. The story goes, in fact, that without their suggestions, the Walser could not have survived the difficulties and rigours of the mountain. It was, in fact, the götwiarchjini who taught the inhabitants of Macugnaga how to make butter, cheese, and ricotta from milk.
It is said that one Sunday morning, mass being over, the whole population of Macugnaga went in procession to the old church. At the end of the line was a mother who held her child by the hand: passing under the lime tree, the child saw a götwiarchj and started to mock it for its little, crooked feet. The mother tried to shut the child up in vain, immediately saying sorry to the götwiarchj who, in any case, was very offended and murmured: “If the youngest one is so rude, who knows what the eldest are like!” Enraged, it called all the götwiarchjini together, threw a ball of wool up into the sky, beyond the leaves of the old lime tree, and, to general dismay, they all climbed up it, disappearing among the clouds.
From that moment, no one has seen them anymore and only the cavities in the old lime tree trunk, where they had always had their home, remain of their passing.
Realized with the European Regional Development Fund
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