The presence of man
inside Fondotoce Natural Reserve
Far away in the past
The first witnesses of the presence of man at the mouth of river Toce were left by the ancient communities of Liguri Leponti, who established, before the Roman period, by Lake Maggiore. The presence of docks and small harbours at Gravellona Toce, a town that is now some kilometres far from the lake, shows the old extension of the lake. Graves have been found dating back to a period between V cent. B.C. and V cent. A.D., along the old Roman road that would then become the road to Simplon pass.
During the following centuries, river Toce became a very important way of trades on the water (the town of Mergozzo was a stop on the way from Genova and from Milan).
Fishing was the main activity of the people living in this area until XVI cent., together with works related to transports and ferrying.
Starting from XVI cent. man began colonizing the plain of river Toce. In those times, agriculture saw the cultivation of cereals (corn, maize and rye) and of meadows. On the contrary, today they grow flowers (azaleas and rhododendrons, that like acid soils), but we also find orchards and trees for wood production.
In more recent times, a lot of firms and plants have been built.
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Last updated February 20th, 2004
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