Limestre

If walls could talk, the ones of its ancient mill would surely be the first to be surprised by the village of Limestre. Indeed, the Mill of Riccio was the only existing building in this area and, slowly, it saw it change completely, developing and growing. The mill turned a little reluctantly into a renowned hotel and, in the end, it also saw the river drift away.
Everything began with the construction of the Ximene road which started to lead the first travelers to cross that road, still semi-deserted.
Later, two more mills were built; they were fed by the waters of the torrents Fredda, Nebbiana and Limestre, but it was only a matter of a few years and everything changed again. The Cini brothers bought the mills and turned them into buildings to produce handmade paper, starting the industrial production of the village and marking its destiny.
The buildings passed from property to property, stopping only in 1899 when S.M.I bought all of them. After the birth of the plant in Campo Tizzoro, the factory was expanded and strengthened and, as it did in other villages, S.M.I built primary schools for the children of their employees together with many other buildings that can still be seen.
The most important one, not just for what it represents but also for its difficult realization, was the church dedicated to the Madonna della Neve. To build the square in front of the church, months of work were needed, as they had to divert the course of the river and to create space. This was an unmatched engineering work in our area. All the fields and farms surrounding the factory were used to create an agricultural enterprise and they guarantee food and well-being for the employees and the inhabitants of the village. This work was documented in a book and it was considered by many factories in Europe as a model to follow.
Unfortunately, the factory closed permanently in 1985. In the last few years, it had become very famous for the production of screws, pins, and nails, leaving an enormous void in the soul of the village.
However, in 2007, Dynamo Camp was inaugurated, the first center for recreational therapy in Italy, thanks to which, every year, thousands of sick children can spend a period of fun in a safe and protected environment. In the surrounding woods a protected oasis affiliated to the WWF was built, in which it is possible to make wonderful excursions.