Up There
Valtellina is a valley in the north of Lombardy, Sondrio province. It is the area with the highest number of active high pastures in the entire Alpine range. At the beginning of June, cows are being walked above 1800 meters to the summer pastures. It’s a hard job, found on sacrifice. The processing of milk at high altitude implies difficulties due to the harshness of the territory: no roads and often no electricity. Only respect and love for nature allows these ancient traditions to resist for generations.

The pastoral world has always had a central role in history, we think of painting and literature, not only because it is nice and bucolic – the word bucolic comes from the Greek “boukolos”, which means cowherder – but because it is essential. Mountain Pastures are a heritage which preserve memories of ancient knowledge, managing of natural resources and sustainable economies. Without it many life forms would be extinguished, hydro-geological instability would increase, the territory would become poorer, monotonous and inhospitable and would completely lose its tourist attraction.

In a world ruled by frenzy, people often don’t dwell on the surrounding reality and the signs of the past, on the reality that surrounds us, on the relationship with nature. Up there, there is still a timeless, deeply rooted in the mountain and peasant culture, that marks the daily life of its people and environment. We must support and respect all those who still dedicate their lives with sacrifice and dedication to these activities, so that our roots with the past are not severed.

AUTHOR BIOGRAPHY
Beniamino Pisati (b. 1977, Milan, Italy) lives in Sondrio, Lombardy and is a professional freelance photographer, He is specialized in geographic reportage and is actively working with international travel magazines and agencies. Being particularly interested in the interaction between man and the environment, his pictures have documented many areas of the world.

https://www.beniaminopisati.com/