The peat

Peat excavation

Peat’s excavation started at the end of 1700s when it was discovered that its heat output was higher than the wood’s. The massive exploitation of the peat deposits started in 1826, when the excavation was organized by the Peat Italian Society.

The excavation of peat was made mostly by the local manpower.

The modern configuration of the Reserve has an anthropic origin made by the peat digging. The landscape before the excavation was completely different: a big swampy hollow covered by plants and greenery that originated from the gradual planting of organic substances which have turned into peat.

The importance for the local economy

The use of the peat stopped entirely around the 1950s with the discover of petroleum. Until then the peat was very important for the economic development thanks to its use in lots of industries such as spinning mills, ovens, factories, and also for its use as fuel for the trains Brescia-Iseo-Edolo.

The artifacts made by concrete.

Before the 80s, when the Reserve hasn’t already been declared Natural Reserve, hunting was very common. As a testimony of that, along the central route you can find a boat and a hunting hide.

The peculiarity of these structures is the material which are made of: concrete. It’s difficult to imagine navigating with a boat made in concrete, nevertheless the structure of these boats was based on Archimede’s principle and the weight of the boats guaranteed the hunting activities.