The history:
Puos d'Alpago stretches along the southern slopes of the Alpago basin and its history is documented from the Roman period with the finding of coins and the toponyms of some centers; the barbarian invasions, which affected the municipal territory and the scarce traces of the Sitran castle, suggest a Lombard presence. The continuous floods of the Valda and Tesa streams, which made the area unhealthy and marshy, prevented any type of economic and urban development of Puos at least until the 13th century. The territory was organized into Regole, each with its own Statute. There were 3 Regole: Sitran, Valzella, and Puos, from which Cornei broke away in 1732. Under the Serenissima, the Regole collectively enjoyed the municipal assets. These were lands whose ownership remained with the Venetian Republic, while the usufruct belonged to rural communities. Benefits were granted to nobles or individuals who distinguished themselves for services or loyalty to the established authority; for this reason, the assets were referred to as feudal; a mention is worthy of the Feud of Pluro and that of Vimena and the extensive properties of the Gera nobles. During the 16th century, Puos became an important economic center, thanks mainly to the numerous hydraulic workshops in the area. In 1873, the village was struck by a strong earthquake that caused death and destruction. This seismic event, the last in a series of calamities, devastated the village and its inhabitants. According to testimonies collected at the time, frightened people rushed into the streets and found a desolate scene: the church had collapsed, the bell tower, the town hall, and the school had fallen, there were many injured and some dead. The centers of Bastia and Puos, during the 1800s, benefited from their proximity to Lake Santa Croce and hosted important productive and service activities such as the Public Saws, the Cansiglio Forest Inspectorate, Fairs, and notable Exhibitions; this trend has been consolidated subsequently to make Puos the effective center of the Alpago area.
The economy:
The secular trend of the resident population in the Municipality of Puos d'Alpago presents the typical characteristics of the Belluno mountains, marked at different times by positive phenomena (increase in birth rates in the 1920s and 1950s) and negative aspects such as significant migratory movements during the periods 1935/37 and 1951/61; only the third phase (1971/96) shows a certain stabilization of social and natural demographic indicators, a sign of a achieved balance. In fact, the positive total balance of natural and social movement, together with the indicators of the productive sector, trade, and tourism movement, explain the favorable economic situation of the municipality. It is noteworthy that the percentage of the construction industry exceeds 50% of local units even though it only employs 28% of the workers: the productive tradition in the building sector finds its origin in the skilled stone craftsmen of Cornei.
Famous figures:
Antonio Sandi: Born in Puos on October 9, 1733, and died on September 14, 1817, in his native town. He was buried in the Valzella cemetery.
He studied at the "Scuola di Pietro Monaco" in Venice, where he specialized as an engraver.
Despite copying the paintings of other authors, he was able to elaborate the most vivid element of nature in his works, deriving beauty and sublimity.
The subjects of his works are churches, canals with boats, palaces, and squares with passersby; a whole series of movements that Sandi's style expressed great human values. His engravings are displayed in the museums of Venice, Padua, and Florence.
Rodolfo Sonego: Born in Belluno on February 27, 1921. When the family moved to Turin for work, Rodolfo enrolled at the Academy of Fine Arts, where he completed his studies.
After the conflict, Sonego abandoned his career as a cartoonist to embark on that of a screenwriter. Moving to Rome, the center of Neorealism, he met Alberto Sordi, who would become the great protagonist of most of his films. In a short time, he became one of the most sought-after screenwriters of the last century, working with great actors and actresses such as Totò, Marcello Mastroianni, Ugo Tognazzi, Anna Magnani, Claudia Cardinale, as well as with important directors: De Sica, Risi, Monicelli, Fellini. Among the great films, we remember: I Vitelloni, (Fellini, 1953); Un americano a Roma (Steno, 1953); Un eroe dei nostri tempi (Monicelli, 1961).
In his work, he was always assisted by his wife Allegra Rossignotti, with whom he had a son, Giulio.
He died in Rome in the night between October 14 and 15, 2000.
