The Role of the Carte di Regola in Cavalese

The picturesque town of Cavalese is one of eleven towns that make up the Magnifica Comunita di Fiemme. A special institution emerged in the 13th century (and was in place for six centuries) that was used to manage common property in the Alps which included forests and pastures. A contract among the villagers, that was approved by the regional government, was called the Carte di Regola. This agreement included a system for monitoring and sanctioning people who violated the contract regarding common property.

Anyone who was caught using resources above the established limit was fined in proportion to the damage they inflicted on the community. Villagers had an incentive to monitor and turn in their fellow villagers because if the violator was found guilty, the reporter would receive part of the fine as a reward. Villagers who were spiteful were more aggressive in their monitoring than villagers who were altruistic because they enjoyed harming others. Spiteful people provided a public good to the community by bearing the monitoring cost of the system. Overall, the Carte di Regola greatly improved the efficiency of resource use as compared to a system with no sanctions.

While in Cavalese, we had the chance to visit the sawmill where the Magnifica processes all of the wood that the eleven communities collectively own. While the communities manage their wood slightly differently than in the past, the Carte di Regola gave the Magnifica a solid foundation. At one point, each family was given a portion of the profits but some years back it was decided that all profits would be reinvested into the community for things like road maintenance. Any wood waste that is created during the milling process gets turned into electricity to heat and power much of the eleven towns, including Cavalese. The Magnifica also carefully manages their resources and never cuts down more trees than what the forest has grown by (either naturally or through replanting). The eleven towns that make up the Magnfica Comunita di Fiemme are still benefiting from the wise use of their common resources today.

Below are pictures of Cavalese,  the meeting place of the Magnifica Comunita di Fiemme, and the lumber yard.