Merisana

In the Val Costeana area, which descends from Falzarego Pass towards Ampezzo, beautiful aganes (nymphs) could be seen around midday emerging from the brook Ru de ra Vergines. Their queen was Merisana, who possessed all the most beautiful things one could desire in the mountainous landscape. The flowers, trees, bushes and waters obeyed her, and her kingdom stretched from Cristallo mountain to the land of the Durans. But Merisana was not happy at the thought that so many creatures in the world lived in suffering. One day, the Rei de Rajes (King of Rays), whose kingdom was behind mountain Antelao, saw her and fell in love with her. Merisana would have married him if he had granted her wish to make all creatures happy, but that was not possible. So she asked him if it could be possible for at least one whole day, but even that could not be achieved. Only for one hour, around midday, on the day of Merisana’s wedding to the King of Rays, could her wish be fulfilled. People and animals honoured Merisana with the most beautiful flowers. So many, in fact, that two dwarves from the Amarida forest used them to create a new tree, the larch, which drew life from Merisana’s bridal veil.