Preone – Spaia – Socchieve 

Major port facilities between Preone and Socchieve

Another vital link between Preone and Socchieve passed through the locality of Spaia, crossing the wide riverbeds at the confluence of the Lumiei stream and the Tagliamento river. Once a bustling logistical hub, this area—now quiet and seldom visited—was home to port facilities dedicated to timber rafting. The management of the northernmost port on the Tagliamento, along with the organization of the rafts bound for Venice, was entrusted to the wealthiest families of Socchieve and several foreign entrepreneurs.

Starting from the village of Preone, take the cemetery road and then turn onto a charming cart track that runs along the gentle ridge where, historically, the village’s main crops were concentrated. The path winds through meadows that are still well-tended and areas of recent woodland.

The route offers clear evidence of agricultural abandonment, visually illustrated by the encroachment of spontaneous vegetation. Intensive farming, mainly apple orchards and potato plantations, persists on only a few plots of land.

In 1938, an element of the defensive system known as the Vallo Littorio was integrated into this rural setting. These are reinforced concrete bunkers, designed by the Fascist regime for anti-German purposes, which housed anti-tank guns and heavy machine guns. One of these fortifications was recently restored by the Municipality and can now be visited upon request.

The route continues on a dirt track before merging back onto the paved road leading to Spaia, a small hamlet in Socchieve located on the right bank of the Tagliamento river. The journey is made pleasant by wide views of the northern peaks and the remaining traditional agricultural landscapes.

The Alpine Wall planned for the distribution of fortifications all along the road: small machine gun posts and cannons and, moving towards the bridge and the ford, concrete bunkers designed to block the passage of armored vehicles.

In questa zona sorgeva l’antico porto di Spaia, una vasta distesa di ghiaia dove i tronchi trasportati dalla corrente venivano recuperati per assemblare le zattere. Poco distante, una presa d’acqua alimentava la vasca di carico di una segheria, oggi riconvertita in abitazione privata.

By the narrow concrete bridge, the Tagliamento, though reduced in flow, appears very calm. Once, however, this stretch was crossed by barriers for intercepting timber and by footbridges for the passage of people and livestock.

The return to Socchieve follows a secondary road leading to the Lumiei ford, which is now permanently dry. Since the stream’s waters are currently channeled through underground pipes toward the Somplago power station, the riverbed is crossable for most of the year, filling up only during exceptional rainfall.