Why Civetta (the Italian for Owl)?
“because it enchants” or perhaps “because it checks up all over”
These two colorful expressions, which clearly identifies the mountain, were attributed to the great mountaineer Emilio Comici. Actually the answer, typically blunt mountaineer, has its own charm and it contains the secret that every mountain has exercised at least once on each man.
But there is also a historical explanation for this strange name proposed by Domenico Rudatis. Indeed, he traces the introduction into common use of the Latin word Civitas to the Romans early settlers, arriving in early Christian period to the head of Cordevole through the northern valleys. The name was likely inspired by their uniting the forest of peaks glimpsed in the distance, the spire of a giant “city with turrets and battlements.” So the name Civetta (Owl) seems to have a precise meaning evoked by the shapes and colors of this mighty rock while the reference to the bird at night seems to have entered into common speech only more recently.
Details and features of the Group
The Civetta-Moiazza group is morphologically characterized by three key aspects:
- A powerful basement that from the bottom of the valley rises to about 1000 m and is the medium for the high walls above
- The building that rises above 2000 mt to 3220 mt of the main peak
- Some minor walls on north and west side that fit and recall the less harsh forms of Zoldo east side
The complexity of the mountain is immediately evident from the different conformation in which the Civetta is presented from different sides. Stately and elegant from the west, from north rises with impressive walls, like an enormous spur. Eastward towards the Valley Zoldo degrades with less harshness managing to deceive the viewer about its actual size. The southern part, consisting of three formidable coastal branch off from main peak completes the complexity of the morphological aspects.
Further south, separated only by a high fork (fork of Sasse 2476 m), Moiazza complete the Group, which reproduces both east to west as the morphological characteristics.
The main peak of the mountain with his 3220 m has an amazing view thanks to a central position respect to Dolomites. However, the Civetta is not intended only as a beautiful terrace in the Dolomites, to become the main protagonist are close views on its own mountain foothills through which we show in the role and scale appropriate to a true queen.
Finally at the summit, but without damaging the environment, the small and cozy M.V. Torrani (2984 m) refuge, will give you the opportunity to stand at great heights and to fully enjoy the subtle sensations that only up there the red twilight will offer you.