INTRODUCTION TO
"And the mountains opened"

sually, school texts allow little space to the examination of Roman history and to the relation between Romans and the population generally defined as "Barbarians". By simply flipping through the pages of the main school books, one can find hundreds of historical events summarized in short paragraphs, where it is said, for instance, that the Holy Roman Republic was built on the ashes of the Roman Empire. Local historical events, even if important and conclusive are not carefully examined, on the contrary they are not mentioned. The present research lead by the students of class 2B, school term 1998-1999 of the Liceo Scientifico "Giorgio Dal Piaz" under Prof Innocenzo Grimaldi's supervision, has tried to carefully examine the most important historical events occurred in our territory. Events have been reconstructed by paying attention to every single situation and are able to offer a valuable contribution to the study of the Roman civilization as well as to add a further chapter of our local history. Students have investigated the early history of the region, the pre-roman population and the road network system connecting the whole peninsula. They have dedicated particular attention to the via Claudia Augusta, the only road among those crossing the Alps which can boost the title of "Emperor Route".

he research was interesting and well carried out. Therefore, the students' commitment has been rewarded, also in order to promote the school participation in such researches. Feltre has been promoting and supporting a series of events aiming at exploiting the via Claudia Augusta as well as traditions, historical and environmental features of the related territory. The important military road connecting Altino to Augusta Vindelicum (Augsburg) has represented for centuries the communication link between the Latin and the German countrief