Holiday homes, holiday cottages and apartments by PREDAIA VACANZE in Sfruz

Sfruz is a typical alpine village, one of the highest of the valley, situated on a green plateau between Mount Roen and Corno di Tres. It is also one of the oldest villages of the Val di Non. The archaeological findings proved its ancient origins. A number of typical Roman graves were found here. Some other objects decorating the graves are now preserved in the museum of Rovereto.

It keeps its original structure with rustic and noble buildings as the ones on the square Degasperi with portals in stone, hallways, particular wooden superstructures, some frescos and writings (a house shows the date 1579). Behind the church the via Predaia goes up presenting some interesting traditional architectural elements: a portal dating back to 1704 with coat of arms and a Gothic arch. At the end of the road a high relief of S. Barbara, the miners’ patron Saint is to be found. Stove of Sfruz

The big pottery stoves are typical of Sfruz. This craft work started in the Renaissance by "maestri fornelari" became famous thanks to the beautiful decorated majolica stoves sold in Austria, Alto Adige and Lombardia.

"SCALDATEVI O DONE CHE IL CALDO RAVIVA IL CORE" SFRUZ 1874 - The stoves : roots of a history

In the Museum of Folk Arts in Innsbruck you can contemplate an antique peasant stove from the XVI century, coming from Sfruz in Val di Non. It is characterized by a flattened vault in the upper part, with clearly reminds old bread ovens.
It does not seem inappropriate to suppose that the stove finds its roots in these antique artifacts, traces of which have been found in the lacustrian villages of the Bronze Age. These bread ovens were made of a clay base reinforced with bark with stone slabs laid on it, working as heat accumulators. The barrel vault of the oven was achieved through the weaving of flexible branches (i.e. willow) covered with clay, while the mouth of the oven was shut by stone tiles. When they realized that the oven, besides cooking, irradiated heat in the surrounding space, the concept of stove came to life. It is legitimate to think that this discovery was achieved in cold regions. Indeed, it is in regions like the Alps that a whole culture of the stove develops, first in terracotta, then majolica, all through this time.

Sfruz stove

THE ROMAN STOVE
In the Roman age they used two systems to heat the houses. The first consisted of underground stoves built in brickwork and connected to pipes in terracotta cylinders. These lines brought the heat into various environments of the house. The terracotta cylinders that formed this sort of piping were called “caccabus”; from this Latin name seems to come the Germanic “Kachel”, indicating those particular ceramic tiles that composed, and still do, majolica stoves, indeed called Kachelöfen. The second system consisted of braziers, widely spread but also dangerous for the fumes, and in closed portable equipments, to burn the firewood; a mean between the brazier and the metallic stove.

Stove of Sfruz

24 HOURS WITH ONE CHARGE
It is evident that, given the climatic conditions of Alpine areas, they needed stoves with high thermal performance, able to exploit at best the caloric value of the combustible, to last all day and night with one sole charge and, once turned off, maintain the heat for long. These strict requirements could only be answered in a satisfactory way by a majolica stove. Still today, majolica stoves from Alto Adige, thanks to the production of traditional companies, perfectly fulfill these specifications, besides representing a valid piece of furniture for their elegant look.

SFRUZ STOVES
In the production of Alto Adige, a particular position is occupied by Sfruz, in Val di Non. Some protestant Anabaptists from Faenza retreated in this alpine town, rich of clay caves, at the beginning of the ‘500, to escape the strict repressions of the Counter- Reformation. Among them there were also some majolica artisans who introduced, here, the art of ceramic. It is in the ‘700 that Sfruz becomes important for the production of majolica stoves (hundreds were produced here, all of great value) and in Val di Non there are still evidences of this antique art. Indeed in 1984, at the craftworks exhibition of Val di Non there were three new “Sfruz stoves”.

Sfruz offers a lot of pleasant walk, excursions on a green highland and in the woods on horseback and by mountain bike. The locality of Credai is just 10 minutes from Sfruz, with a tourist centre along the road towards Predaia. Continuing on, we encounter the locality of the Sette Larici and the Sores refuge; from here we can undertake a pleasurable hike up the Anauni mountains. Path n. 503 takes us to the Corno peak of Tres (1812 m, 3 hours) and passing the Predaia refuge and the Rodeva mountain hut. From the Sette Larici, on path n. 501, we can reach the peak of Mount Roèn (2116 m, 4 hours).

The "12 Anaunia routes" are excursions which pass through Sfruz, Smarano, Ton, Tres and Vervò. These routes come together to an old crossroad that meets with Rocchetta and Castel Thun and crosses over woods of conifers and beeches finally reaching Sfruz and Smarano. The route is sign posted. The routes are divided into two paths: the tourist one (roads on slightly different levels and quite easy) and the excursionist one (more difficult with different levels and much longer paths). For this reason it is important to study your journey well and decide on which shoes to take.
Click here to find details of maps and accurate descriptions of the routes.

Canyon Walking Tours The Valle di Non is a fascinating area full of natural beauty which has remained unknown for centuries hidden in the shadows of the forest, at the bottom of a deep narrow gorge where no-one has dared to venture… The site today is completely changed: thanks to new developments with trails and guard rails built on the mountainous rocks, one can visit and explore it with all the necessary safety measures . Its cascades and water-falls of crystal clear water; its paths and ten metre deep gorges; its unpolluted views where only the sun’s rays can reach are waiting for you… Come and visit these glorious paths that have been prepared for you! Discover the particular geological and natural valleys, led by expert guides across the: Canyon Rio Sass
The Novella Fluvial Park

Sfruz is positioned centrally in the Trentino-Alto Adige Region and is the perfect starting point for day trips giving you the possibility to make your holiday complete! Choose your route:
The Piana Rotaliana and Trento
From Passo Mendola to Bolzano
Merano and the gardens of Trauttmansdorff
Castle Innsbruck and the Swarovski Museum