Canalitt Cortaccio Curenone

Water:
It is certainly worth emphasizing the importance of water — a fundamental element, a precious resource, a treasure that had to be conquered, preserved, and used wisely through great effort and the use of significant means.

Resource protection:
The construction of an aqueduct responded to the essential need to protect the land and its resources, a concern already emerging in the medieval statutes (13th century) of the Brissago community.
The “Canalitt” were built to meet the need for watering livestock, domestic use (fountains), and irrigation of pastures and meadows.
The enormous water demand during the summer grazing period made it necessary to capture all available water sources to meet the higher needs of that time of year.

A result of the ingenuity, tenacity, and perseverance of our ancestors,
this was an infrastructure deeply rooted in rural society.

A collective effort:
The “Canalitt”, the result of collective work for the public good, aimed to ensure survival in difficult conditions and to support agricultural and pastoral activities.
Indeed, the entire community (Vicinia / Patriziato) was always involved in the construction, maintenance, and regulation of this water system.
There was also a clear intention to prioritize the common good by regulating water use and preventing potential damage caused by nature or human activity, while preserving what the land offered.

Surveillance:
In the area, a figure known as the camparo (forest ranger), a municipal officer, was in charge of monitoring compliance with rules, especially those related to the protection of natural resources.