Do not follow the footsteps of the Mazaròl!

Once upon a time in the Trentino woods you could meet mysterious creatures...

Walking through the woods of the Primiero Valley, at the foot of the impervious Pale di San Martino, you could happen to see strange tracks on the ground. If you look at them carefully, they do not look like those of a fox, nor of a chamois: they look like footprints of very small feet, like those of an elf. Perhaps they could be the footsteps of the famous Mazaròl, who lives in these places.

Look at them carefully, but never follow them! Legend has it that whoever follows his footsteps, will gradually end up losing their memory, until they reach the Mazaròl’s cave. He is a small man with a long beard, a strawberry red coloured hood, a black cloak and strange pointed shoes, who works tirelessly from morning till night. He knows all the secrets of how to process milk and cheese and he is always looking for someone to help him in his work.

San Martino di Castrozza - Primiero - Calaita

"He is a small man who works tirelessly from morning till night"

A long time ago, a young girl who followed his footsteps lost her memory, forgetting who she was. When she arrived at the Mazaròl’s cave, the elf kept her with him as a servant and taught her how to make butter, cheese and tosèla, a tasty, fresh, typical cheese of Primiero. However, one day a hunter who was passing by recognised the girl who had disappeared and managed to bring her back to the village. The poor girl though couldn’t remember anything, so her fellow villagers turned to a wise old lady who made the girl drink some milk milked from a white kid. Suddenly, her memory came back and she joyfully told her fellow villagers the secrets that the Mazaròl had revealed to her. That is why, even today, the inhabitants of Primiero are very good at making cheese, such as tosèla, which we would suggest you taste when you go and see them, at the foot of the Pale di San Martino.

Published on 19/10/2021