The creation of the "Tarabin" fountain, exploiting the spring of the same name at a thousand meters above sea level, was one of the last environmental recoveries carried out by the Ruial de San Tomè Committee. The ancient spring, also called "del Grillo", is the only source of water in the Budoiese mountains.
In past centuries, shepherds and woodcutters walked the paths that lead to that precious source of water to refresh themselves and quench the thirst of sheep and goats. With the stones from the mountain, the "Ruial" volunteers transformed the spring into a fountain, also using a stone artefact from Ruial de San Tomè himself to make the pure water flow from the spring.
The new fountain has become a destination for many hikers and mountain bikers who venture onto the cycle path that goes from the Belvedere restaurant up to the 1400 meter Casera Campo.
The recovery of the source of the Tarabin, with the construction of the stone fountain, obtaining two benches made of fir trunks on the sides, seems, at the moment, to remain the latest creation of the volunteers of the Ruial de San Tomè, an association which was chaired by Valentino Zambon. The association was in fact dissolved last month by will of its members.
The Tarabin fountain combines with the underlying stone canal of the "Ruial", a 17th century artefact recovered by the committee of the same name as an example of local ingenuity to activate a textile factory, later transformed into a mill, and to provide the Budoia villages with running water . From that ancient story was born the much more recent one of the last six years of voluntary commitment of the Ruial Committee, a reality that many hope will still continue.