Sotćiastel

A fortified Bronze Age settlement 1600-1250 B.C.

The Bronze Age settlement near the Sotćiastel farm is sited on a high rocky outcrop to the north of Abtei/Badia and near the old route connecting upper and lower Gadertal/Val Badia. This position meant protection for the inhabitants, while at the same time giving them control over one of the Dolomite commercial routes.

The small settlement flourished between 1600 and 1400 B.C., a time when alpine valley dwellers were intensifying their agricultural and mining activities and the Dolomite valleys were strengthening their interregional trade links. Cultural exchange with the surrounding regions also grew.