"Zamberlan" Area

The hamlet of “Zamberlan,” located at an elevation of about 1,300 meters, likely takes its name from one of the village’s historic family lineages—a surname that has, remarkably, remained unchanged over time. In the past, this area was a mid-altitude meadow dotted with hay barns, where families would go up in the summer to make hay. Today, many years later, the landscape has changed profoundly: the old barns have disappeared, and all that remains of the ancient meadow is a small clearing bordered by a forest of Norway spruce (Picea abies) and silver fir (Abies alba). The only remnant of the old rural way of life is an old “tabià,” consisting of a stone base (used as a stable and sometimes as a kitchen) topped by a wooden upper section for hay.

The preservation of the Zamberlan surname is a rarity in Auronzo. In 1680, in fact, the Magnifiche Regole of Villagrande and Villapiccola mandated the adoption of a second surname for nearly all families. This decision was necessary to resolve frequent cases of homonymy, resulting from the deep-rooted tradition of naming a newborn after his grandfather.

In the past, and even today, possessing a historical surname was not merely a matter of official records but a fundamental requirement for being recognized as a “regolieri” and enjoying the associated benefits. In fact, much of the Cadore region was, and still is today, managed by the Regole, local organizations governed by ancient customs (the charters of the Magnificent Regole of Villagrande and Villapiccola date back to 1321), which remain largely valid and binding to this day. The Regole were thus family-based communities intended to facilitate the collective management of agricultural, forestry, and pastoral lands: in an environmental and climatic context as hostile as that of the mountains, the population’s survival was possible only through unity, cooperation, and solidarity among the inhabitants.

Recognized by Italian law, the “Regole” still restrict the right to membership today to the descendants of the original families alone: an important choice, yet essential for keeping alive the purpose for which these family communities were founded—namely, to manage the territory’s resources on the one hand and to safeguard local identity on the other, even in the face of a serious demographic phenomenon that has long characterized the mountains: depopulation.