The Valley of Venìa (Venegia), which extends from Pian dei Casoni up to the Travignolo Glacier and is characterized by the large grassy basin that acts as a natural amphitheater on the northern block of the Pala Group, is undoubtedly one of the most beautiful valleys of the Dolomites.
In addition to the watercourse of Travignolo, the valley has two historical huts: Venìa (Venegia) and Veniòta (Venegiòta), historically managed – respectively – by the breeders of the villages of Transacqua and Tonadico.
Apart from the west entrance at Pian dei Casoni, Venìa is a valley closed on all sides and it is possible to reach it only through high altitude gaps, in the past without trails and practically uncrossable. From the wise words of Samuele “Pape” Scalet: “this helps to understand the origin of the correct name Val Venìa which means Valley beyond which there is no nìa (nothing), and so it has always been called until a few years ago, until the invasion of the “Venegias”, which have no meaning at all. And it is a real shame to lose the original toponyms because these arose from precise meanings captured on the spot by the people who lived and worked in that place”.
A second hypothesis that has been circulating in recent times, for which the name Venìa / Venegia derives from Venice because of the timber that was transported from Venìa to Venice, is geographically very unlikely.
Until the 1960s, Venìa was also a place of military exercises and the erratic boulder, which now lies at the foot of the (former) Travignolo Glacier, was used as a target for light artillery.
References
Scalet, S. (2013). Camminare. Sentieri nelle valli di Primiero, San Martino, Pale di San Martino, Rolle e Vanoi. Versante Sud.
