Giassàra del Grietz

The Giassàra del Grietz, located in the hamlet of the same name, is about 4 km from the centre of Bosco Chiesanuova, along the road that leads to Malga San Giorgio. The giassàra was built in around 1870 by Innocente Menegazzi. He married, settled in Griez (or Grietz), and built the giassàra on land belonging to his wife, an only daughter from a wealthy family. From that point on, he devoted himself to making ice, which he continued to do until 1935–36. This giassàra, one of the most beautiful and original thanks to its slender roof with sloping stone slabs, is a circular construction that lies partly underground. It was once used to store ice that was cut from the adjacent pond in the winter. In summer, the ice was then sold in Verona and other places across the plain. Note the two 'bocàre' (openings): the lowest to stash the blocks of ice that were extracted from the pond, and the other at street level to load the ice directly onto carts and take it to the city.

It is not possible to visit the inside of the giassàra, but you can tell how deep it is thanks to the openings in its sides. There is also an explanatory panel nearby.

The giassàra is an integral part of the Bosco Chiesanuova Museum of Ethnography – 'Lessinia, Man and the Environment', along with the Baito della Coletta.