Lievora

Monte Freddone is a little-known mountain in the Apuan Alps, and perhaps for this very reason, it is capable of profound surprise. It rises like an isolated pyramid in the center of the Turrite Secca valley, with a sharp, rugged shape that emerges distinctly from the surrounding landscape. Despite being surrounded by more famous and higher Apuan peaks, Freddone maintains a recognizable presence from every side. It is a mountain with a precise identity, capable of leaving a lasting impression on those who observe or traverse it.

Its position is peculiar. Freddone is located at the heart of a closed basin, surrounded by higher peaks that prevent its visibility from the sea. This configuration promotes a marked thermal inversion and difficult penetration of sunlight into the valleys that surround it. From this, its current name, Freddone, is derived, linked not so much to its altitude as to the persistent sensation of cold that characterizes these slopes. The older name, however, was Lievora, attributed to the frequentation of the area by the Leivi, a pre-Roman Ligurian tribe who inhabited these mountains.

Human presence on this mountain dates back to ancient times. The interest of prehistoric people was linked to the mineral wealth of the territory, and it is no coincidence that a dolmen is present on the slopes of Freddone, a silent testament to an ancient and ritual relationship with the mountain. Here, the landscape was never just a backdrop, but a lived, feared, and respected place.

The winter of 2021 radically transformed this scenario. Abundant and persistent snowfalls covered the entire Apuan complex, erasing the usual landscape features and restoring a more integral and primordial form to the mountains. Freddone, which rarely appears with such complete snow cover, took on a completely different character. Its pyramid, dressed in white, acquired a new, almost sacred solemnity.

In Lievora, I captured this rare moment. The clouds drifted low, merging with the snow cover and making the peaks part of a single living and mutable body. The sunset light caressed the ridges, separating them and at the same time uniting them with the sky. At that moment, Freddone was no longer just a mountain: it returned to being what it had been at the origin of its name, an ancient, isolated presence, laden with memory.