We
returned to Canate on Jan 28, 2007, after seven years from our previous
visit. We were curious, and somehow worried, about what we would find
there after that time. Time continued its merciless work on the deserted
village and several houses we had seen , and photographed, during our
previous visit had collapsed and are now in
ruins. Similar to other abandoned villages, and expecially those that
are not too far from town, Canate has been often made target of pillages
and vandalisms, by cowardly actions of wanderers, who took advantege of
the place seclusion. One of the houses has been entirely destroyed by
the fire, set by unknown vandals perhaps for game, perhaps out of anger.
And the fire had already destroyed the entire village in 1944, when nazifascists
used it as a retaliation against the Canate people who gave refuge to
partisan, as remembered in a monument
along the main street of the village.
| Instructions to reach Canate
From Marsiglia of Davagna, follow the road as far as it ends and become a dirt trail (you can park after the small bridge at the end of the road); then, after approximately 20-30 meters, you will find a path climbing on the right. A wooden arrow indicates: "Canate per di qua", meaning "This is the way to Canate". Up you climb as far as the ridge and afterwards the path starts to descend steeply toward the valley bottom in the midst of chestnut wood. It is a quite ancient stone path, still partly well preserved. Amist the large trees, the village is now visible on the opposite slope. When you reach the bottom, cross the stream over a small wooden bridge, which someone dedicated to Guendalina. Then the path goes up on and reaches a first group of houses (Scandolaro), and finally it climbs steeply and sunny toward Canate a map is in this page |
