Pian del Tivano is a karst plateau at around 1,000 metres of elevation, shared by the municipalities of Nesso, Sormano and Zelbio, bordering Monte San Primo to the north. It is one of the starting points for the climb to Monte Palanzone.
History
According to local tradition, Queen Aufreda — wife of Theodoric, king of the Ostrogoths — built a castle here, where she took refuge with a page boy; an area of the plateau was known as “the Queen’s garden” until the last century.
Three ski lifts were built here in the 1970s, serving around 10 kilometres of slopes; they closed about a decade later because of the low elevation and unfavourable exposure. A 10-kilometre cross-country skiing loop remains active today and is popular in the winter months.
What to see
The plateau formed from glacial deposits on limestone terrain and hosts one of Italy’s most important karst systems: the Valle del Nosè complex, which includes the Tacchi Cave, the Zelbio Cave and the Stoppani Abyss, among others. According to the FAI, with about 58 kilometres of development (47.5 for Fornitori-Stoppani and 10.5 for Tacchi-Zelbio-Bianchen), it is the most extensive karst system in Italy. Nearby is also the Bus della Niccolina, a roughly 5-kilometre cave that has yielded Roman-era artefacts.
Getting there
By car, it can be reached from Sormano along the paved road that climbs through the Colma di Sormano pass, or from Nesso via Zelbio.
