Discovering Val di Fiemme: In Search of the Perfect Violin Wood During Milano Cortina 2026

While the world is watching the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics, the forests of Val di Fiemme are once again at the center of international attention.

Athletes come here to compete on snow and ice.I come here in search of something quieter — the perfect resonance spruce for my violins.

Val di Fiemme: The Forest Behind the Sound

Val di Fiemme, in the Italian Dolomites, is famous for winter sports and now for the Olympic events linked to Cortina d’Ampezzo. But long before ski tracks were carved into these mountains, these forests were already known for something extraordinary.

The Picea abies, or European resonance spruce, that grows here has been used for centuries in the construction of high-quality violins, violas, and cellos.

Antonio Stradivari himself sourced wood from this valley.

The reason is not romantic — it is structural.

At this altitude, with slow growth and strong thermal variation, the spruce develops:

• Narrow and regular annual rings

• Excellent stiffness-to-weight ratio

• High sound transmission along the grain

• Elastic response under tension

These characteristics make it ideal for the violin’s soundboard — the true acoustic engine of the instrument.

Choosing Violin Wood in Winter

I often visit Val di Fiemme during winter.

There is something essential about seeing the forest under snow. The tree is at rest. The structure is visible. The silence helps you evaluate with clarity.

Selecting tonewood is not simply buying timber.

I look for:

• Perfect radial cut potential

• Straight, untwisted grain

• Homogeneous growth

• Natural acoustic response when tapped

Even before carving, you can sense whether a piece of spruce carries balance and projection.

I documented one of these winter visits in this video:

In the video, you can see the exact environment where my soundboards begin their journey — from forest to Cremona workshop.

From Olympic Mountains to a Cremonese Workbench

During the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics, Val di Fiemme represents athletic precision and controlled power.

In my workshop in Cremona, I seek similar qualities in wood:

• Lightness without weakness

• Strength without rigidity

• Tension that remains stable over time

Once selected, the spruce is naturally seasoned for years before being carved. The arching, thickness graduation, and final tuning of the plate depend entirely on the unique response of each individual piece.

No two soundboards are ever the same.

The forest gives the potential.The Cremonese method shapes the voice.

A Living Connection Between Landscape and Sound

It is fascinating to think that the same mountains hosting Olympic competitions are also home to the raw material of concert instruments played across Asia, Europe, and the United States.

Val di Fiemme is not only a place of sport. It is a source of sound.

And every time I return there, I am reminded that a violin begins long before it reaches the workbench.

It begins in silence, at altitude, between snow and trees.

If you would like to see how this wood becomes a finished instrument in my Cremona workshop, I invite you to explore more on my official website:

www.marcoosio.com

There you can discover my instruments, my working method, and the ongoing research behind each violin, viola, and cello.