Venetian Sawmill of Predaia

The Venice sawmill is one of the most important historical and cultural landmarks in the municipal area of Predaia. Introduced by the Serenissima Republic of Venice, it was once the downstream factory of six mills and sawmills which here, as elsewhere, constituted a small industrial district of hydraulic machines powered by water.Owned by the municipality, it was renovated in 1994 for educational and demonstration purposes. The Wood Museum is set up there, where original tools are exhibited that were once used by woodcutters for felling trees, by carters for transporting logs, by squarers, carpenters and sawyers for transforming logs into boards, beams, joists and cellars. These tools and the sawmill itself bear witness to the experience and technical inventiveness of the men who worked in this important sector of the mountain economy. It can be visited by appointment in July and August.