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Nova Levante - Lake Carezza introduces itself

Nova Levante was mentioned for the first time in 1140. Findings of tools at the boundaries of the forest, just below the Catinaccio indicate that hunters and gatherers came to this region during the cultural era, between the Neolithic period and the Bronze Age. Over the course of the centuries, shepherds from the Fassa Valley began to build huts on their summer pastures, which they used all year round.
They also rooted out trees down towards the valley. With time, the shepherds built new dwellings, which were called "nova" or "neva" by their inhabitants (this means "new land").
As the people living in that area spoke Rhaetia-Roman and the newly arrived Bajuvarian settlers did not understand this language, the name of this location became "Welisch-Nove". "Welisch" means "the unknown language".
- 1142 - Nova Levante is mentioned for the first time.
- 1300 approx. - The first church is built in Nova Levante.
- 1604 - Establishment of their first parish.
- 1860 - Building of a road through the Ega Valley.
- 1870 - Through separation from the large rural community Cornedo, Nova Levante becomes independent.
- 1889 - Foundation of improvement association.
- 1896 - Opening of "Hotel Karersee".
- 1896 - Completion of the road across the Carezza Pass.
Extension of community area: 50,84 km²; it is located at an altitude above sea level of between 850 m (Ponte Nova) and 2,842 m (Catinaccio).
Inhabitants: 1.865
The mermaid of the Lake Carezza (Karersee)

Once upon a time, there was a lovely mermaid, who lived in Karersee lake. She often sat at the edge of the water, braided her blond hair and quietly sang a sweet melody. The wizard of Masaré heard her sing and fell in love with the mermaid. He used all his magic power to try and kidnap the mermaid, but she always escaped his grip. Finally the wizard asked his friend, the witch Langwerda, for help. Langwerda adviced him to dress up as a jewelry saleman, stretch a rainbow from Rosengarten to Latemar mountain and go to Karersee lake to lure the virgin ashore and kidnap her. The wizard followed the witch's advice, but forgot to put on a disguise. The mermaid was awed by the glory and glitter of the rainbow and the many precious stones, but she was aware of the magician, who kept himself hidden on shore. As quickly as she had appeared, she slipped back into the lake and was gone again. From that day on, she was never seen again. The wizard was so angry about the failure of his plan that he tore the rainbow from the sky and hurled it with all its jewels into the lake: This is why to this day the Karersee lake shimmers with the most gorgeous rainbow colors such that the locals call it "Lec de ergobando" (rainbow lake) in their Ladin language.
Nova Levante Parish Church

It is said that during the 11th Century, the first Christian church was built in Nova Levante. Legend has it that the first inhabitants of Nova Levante lived in two areas: 'Im Loch' (lit: in the hole) and 'Zischgl'. There, they wanted to build a church. In the end, however, they decided to renovate an old heathen temple. Today, the church is found on the old temple grounds.
In 1298, the church gets its first historical mention. By 1365, the 'Chapel Saint Ingenuin' is mentioned and this saint seems to be the patron of the church from this time on.
During the first half of the 18th Century, the church was renovated. Between 1827 and 1828, a new church was built and in 1965 it was demolished apart from the tower. Again, the church was totally rebuilt.
The parish church as it stands today was inaugurated in May 1967, after two years of construction. It is a modern church with a low side aisle underneath a pointed gable roof. The church tower, 37 metres high, is the oldest building in the town. The substructure was built in the 13th and 14th Centuries and in 1741 restructured from the belfry upwards.
Chapel Saint Sebastian

The chapel is consecrated to the saints Rochus and Sebastian and owes its existence to an oath which the people of Nova Levante made during the plague in 1635/36. However, the chapel was only built between 1662 and 1666 and inaugurated in 1697.
The long space of time between the oath and the chapel's completion was due to the fact that the people of Nova Levante were in disagreement over the location. The chapel is a building with a round apse, barrel vault and low-arch windows.
Inside, there are several altars, the pulpit, sculptures and paintings - Baroque works from the 17th Century.
Saint Joseph in Carezza
The Joseph chapel at the 'Moartalalmwiese' (Moar Valley alpine meadow) was built in 1897 by the Association for Alpine Hotels. In the summer of the years prior to World War I, a mass was held there every day. For this reason, the management of the 'Grand Hotel Carezza' employed a hotel chaplain. In 1976, the parish of Nova Levante bought the chapel. Thereafter, the little church was renovated and extended. Today, it offers space for 200 people. The renovated chapel was consecrated on the 18th June 1983.
King Laurin and his rose garden

Long, long time ago, when there were still giants and dwarves in the Alpine valleys, Dwarf King Laurin ruled inside his mountain, known by the name of Rosengarten. He horded incredible treasures, but his most prized possession was his magic cap that made the wearer invisible. Laurin took great pride in an exquisite garden at the gate of his mountain fortress; all year round, this garden was filled with countless blooming red roses. The garden was fenced in with a golden thread of silk so that nobody could pick even one of the roses. Woe to that person who tore the thread apart! Laurin threatened to chop off the left hand and right foot of the perpetrator. One day, Laurin caught sight of the handsome, blond princess Simhild in the neighboring castle. He fell in love with the human girl, made himself invisible with his magic cap and kidnapped her. From that time on, Simhild lived in the mountain world of the king, surrounded by gold, silver and precious stones, waited upon by dainty noblewomen and guarded by dwarf knights. But Simhild was sad and homesick for the flowery meadows. Meanwhile at the castle of her brother Dietleib, everyone was terrified and grieved. While looking for his sister, Dietleib met Dietrich von Bern, king of the Goths. Dietleib and the king and other knights banded together to confront King Laurin. Dietrich was stunned when he saw the beauty of the roses fenced in by the golden thread. His friends, however, tore up the thread and trampled down the roses. In a fit of rage, King Laurin charged against them on a white horse and demanded that the perpetrator have his hand and foot chopped off. An uneven battle ensued, but initially Laurin was able to protect himself with his magic cap. When somebody grabbed it from his head, he lay on the ground pleading for mercy. He was bound and had to take the victors inside his realm, where they freed Simhild. Laurin planned to attack the victors with one thousand dwarves during a meal but the plan failed. The end of the realm of dwarves was at hand. The bound king said a magic word to let the rose garden's beauty die forever: Nobody was ever to see the glory of the roses again, neither during the light of day nor during the dark of night. All that was to stay were naked, pale rocks. However, Laurin forgot to include the dusk of the sunset in his magic word. And thus it is that before the sun sets on the pale mountains, they gleam and glow in fiery hues of red and orange just like the roses of that garden a long time ago.



























































