On entering the house, I am overwhelmed by the smell of wood, revealing the nature of the building's structure, primarily made up of original planks and wood recovered after Storm Vaia. Inside are 5 bedrooms with private bathrooms, a shared kitchen, and many common spaces furnished with recovered furniture and works of art.     I soon meet Gertrud and Markus, the two owners. We begin to speak with ease over a few glasses of wine, as if we had known each other for years.

I ask them what their journey has been.

"Our story began - replies Markus - in the family company, in Brunico, where we live: Pescoller Werkstätten Srl, which works in restoration. It is a fourth-generation family business, where I started to work after my education in history of art and then in restoration. After that, I studied for a doctorate in theory of restoration."

"I was a music teacher - says Gertrud - but after meeting Markus, I decided to study economics and business in order to join Pescoller as their administrative manager. We have worked together for around 25 years, during which we have also had three children."

How did the idea of CEDÄ M come about?

"It all started from the desire to work on a widespread hospitality project - Gertrud and Markus's voices overlap - and then from a dialogue with architect Daniela Zambelli of HZ Eco-architetti, who we met during her internship at our company. She is from Padola, the next town over from Dosoledo, and she promotes various initiatives for the development of Comelico, at both a tourist and social level. She was the one who suggested bringing our idea to life here, working together on a project that could function as a model and inspiration for the entire local community."

A way to promote slow, conscious tourism.

"Exactly. - they reply in unison - Widespread hospitality is a significant opportunity for small villages like Dosoledo, offering accommodation that integrates into the social and economic fabric of the area. The goal is to fight against the desertion and depopulation of mountain areas, involving both artisans and local accommodation facilities. The guests benefit too, getting to know the people, rhythms and lifestyles typical of these places. For us, this is fundamental: we want to attract people who respect the places they visit, and want to contribute to supporting their social fabric. Culture is not just monuments, it is also social. It is an opportunity to learn, also for the guests."

A real virtuous model that branches out and reverberates positively onto everyone involved. How did you do the renovation?

Markus - "We started from a specific desire, which was to preserve what for us is the real luxury: history. We followed a philosophy of minimal intervention, communicating from the beginning to the artisans that the house should be respected as if it were a work of Michelangelo. 

Gertrud - Despite the connections we had from our work, we wanted to involve only local businesses. Daniela was essential in educating some of the professionals who worked on the project, acting as a spokesperson for our values and goals.

Markus - We restored CEDÄ M preserving the authenticity and simplicity of the past, without sacrificing comfort and services. When you come inside the house, you immediately notice the signs of the old stube (parlour), the soot, the cracks and signs of old repairs. The plaster is original, and precedes the renovation made in the '70s, as are the wooden boards used for the floors and ceilings. We removed them, reinforced them and repositioned them after adding insulating material such as sand, jute, cardboard and wood fibre. It was a very short supply chain, in order to guarantee the principle of sustainability at the foundation of CEDÄ M."

So Cedä M is not just a place to stay; it represents a concrete example of how hospitality can act as a catalyst for the local economy, involving artisans, industry and the community in a virtuous cycle of sustainable growth and development that puts people and the value of the area at the centre.

We suddenly realise that over two hours have gone by since we began talking. I say goodbye to Markus and Gertrud as they leave for Brunico, grateful for the time spent together and for having been able to hear the story of this special place directly from its owners.

Evening falls and the lights in the house come on. After dinner at the table, shared with the other guests, I go out with my camera and take a photo of the sky, by chance catching a meteor as it crosses a sea of stars. I look at it in wonder as I think about CEDÄ M, how it is just like one of these stars: part of a great constellation able to light up the sky, communities and individual people.