Peter Sattler is a herdsman on the Alpe di Siusi
With the towering white walls of the Sassolungo and the Sassopiattoel peaks as a backdrop and forests and green alpine meadows stretching away below as far as the eye can see - this realm belongs to Peter Sattler, a "Saltner" (herdsman and livestock guard) on the Alpe di Siusi. "I've been working up here for forty years," says the wiry, tanned man. Even up here in the mountains he has seen many changes in that time, but his task has stayed the same. He looks after 350 steers and 50 horses from June to September and ensures that they return to the farmers in autumn well-nourished and in good condition. For his work he wears the traditional outfit of heavy boots, lederhosen, blue overalls and Tyrolean hat: just as he always has. He has, however, also embraced modern technology and now never leaves the house without his telescope and his mobile phone.
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Mother Nature's Memory
For explorers looking for more than just esthetic pleasure, the work of Edgar Moroder is a treasure trove of information and also a useful manual for discovering, understanding, and appreciating the many facets of the Alpe di Siusi.
Moroder's work on the Seiser Alm / Alpe di Siusi consists of a map which catalogs 530 toponyms (the names of geographic locations, including hamlets, historical sites, etc.), a parcel map listing 415 meadow names and 75 high-altitude meadow names, and an accompanying handbook with a rich selection of illustrations. Readers will find not only explanatory legends, but also a lot of information on the place-names appearing in the maps, their history, their etymology, and their significance. Chapters on specific topics relating to the place-names contribute to the readers' understanding. Thus, there are short sections on geographic considerations, meadow agriculture, geology, and botanical aspects. There is also a brief overview of prehistoric sites, numerous old standard reference works are mentioned, the rights and duties of meadow farmers and the authorities responsible for monitoring their observance are explained, and finally, there is also a section on the legend-haunted places and areas – of which the Alpe di Siusi has no lack.
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