Livinallongo del Col di Lana
Livinallongo del Col di Lana, called Fodom in Ladin, is a scattered high-mountain municipality at the heart of the Belluno Dolomit...
Updated 13 July 2026
The story
The story of Livinallongo del Col di Lana
History and Ladin identity
For centuries the territory was part of historic Tyrol and the Austro-Hungarian Empire, sharing with the neighbouring Ladin valleys its own Neo-Latin language and a strong sense of community. The Ladin population, which numbered over two thousand inhabitants in the early twentieth century, kept its identity alive even in the difficult war years, when residents were evacuated first north and then south. Annexation to Italy in 1918 paradoxically strengthened the community's Ladin awareness, which today is expressed in the spoken language, place names and local traditions, clearly visible in the municipality's hamlets.
Col di Lana and the memory of the Great War
Lying along the border between the Kingdom of Italy and the Austro-Hungarian Empire, the valley was one of the harshest fronts of the First World War. On Col di Lana, months of mine and trench warfare cost thousands of lives; on 17 April 1916, the detonation of five tonnes of dynamite set off by the Italians beneath the Austrian summit changed the mountain's shape forever, earning it the nickname Col di Sangue, Hill of Blood. Today an equipped historic trail allows visitors to retrace trenches, tunnels and gun positions, making Col di Lana a place to visit and remember for anyone interested in the history of the Dolomite front.
Nature, the Marmolada and the great Dolomite passes
The municipality opens onto some of the Dolomites' most famous landscapes: to the south rises the Marmolada, the group's highest peak, with its glacier; to the north and east the territory borders the Pordoi Pass and the Falzarego Pass, historic hubs of the Dolomite roads and starting points for hiking, climbing and, in winter, alpine and ski touring. The network of mountain huts and trails branching out from the valley floor makes Livinallongo a solid base for exploring a UNESCO World Heritage territory.
Local life and traditions
The life of the municipality still revolves around its hamlets, each with its own character: from the pieve, the administrative and religious seat, to the small settlements scattered along the valley. The local economy is based mainly on mountain tourism, livestock farming and craftsmanship that preserves traditional woodworking techniques. Patron saint festivals and events tied to Ladin culture, together with the everyday use of the language, keep alive an identity that clearly sets these villages apart from the rest of Veneto.
How to get there and location
Livinallongo del Col di Lana lies in the Alto Agordino area, in the province of Belluno, along the state road that connects Belluno to the valleys of Alto Adige via the Pordoi Pass. The municipality borders Trentino-Alto Adige and the Val di Fassa, in a strategic position for anyone wishing to travel between the Belluno Dolomites, the Val Gardena and the Val di Fassa on a single alpine itinerary.
Experiences not to miss
- Walk the historic Col di Lana trail among First World War trenches and outposts
- Drive up to the Pordoi Pass or the Falzarego Pass for a view over the UNESCO Dolomites
- Admire the Marmolada and its glacier from the municipality's viewpoints
- Discover Ladin culture through the language, place names and traditions of the hamlets
- Go hiking in summer or alpine skiing in winter on the local slopes
- Visit the small historic settlements scattered along the Cordevole valley
To see
What to see in Livinallongo del Col di Lana
Routes · Trovido Route
