Peio is a comune (municipality) in Trentino in the northern Italian

Italy

Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...

 region Trentino-Alto Adige/Südtirol, located about 50 km northwest of Trento

Trento

Trento is an Italian city located in the Adige River valley in Trentino-Alto Adige/Südtirol. It is the capital of Trentino...

. As of 31 December 2004, it had a population of 1,892 and an area of 160.3 km².

Peio borders the following municipalities: Martell

Martell

Martell is a manufacturer of cognac, founded by Jean Martell in 1715. It was sold in 1988 by the Firino-Martell family to Seagram and again in 2002 to the Pernod Ricard Group, which also owns the Cognac brands Biscuit and Renault....

, Valfurva

Valfurva

Valfurva is a comune in the Province of Sondrio in the Italian region Lombardy, located about 150 km northeast of Milan and about 50 km northeast of Sondrio, in the Alps...

, Rabbi, Ponte di Legno

Ponte di Legno

Ponte di Legno is an Italian comune of 1816 inhabitants in Val Camonica, province of Brescia, in Lombardy.-History:...

, Vermiglio

Vermiglio

Vermiglio is a comune in Trentino in the northern Italian region Trentino-Alto Adige/Südtirol, located about 40 km northwest of Trento...

, Ossana

Ossana

Ossana is a comune in Trentino in the northern Italian region Trentino-Alto Adige/Südtirol, located about 40 km northwest of Trento...

 and Pellizzano

Pellizzano

Pellizzano is a comune in Trentino in the northern Italian region Trentino-Alto Adige/Südtirol, located about 40 km northwest of Trento....

.

History

Until the end of World War I

World War I

World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...

 (1918) Peio, as the whole region, was part of the Austro-Hungarian Empire; the border between the Empire and the Reign of Italy was in the mountains over Peio, where a hard war took place, among cliffs, snow and glaciers. Even today, thanks to the melting of glaciers, can be found pieces of army equipment. A small museum in Peio shows them, together with filmed documents of those battles.

Peio was, till recent decades, a hamlet in the mountains, which sustained itself on agriculture and cattle raising. Since 1970 a rapid development began, making Peio a ski resort and a centre dedicated to wellness. Peio valley is rich in mineral waters, which now are exploited not only to produce bottled water but also for therapeutic purposes.

Another important factor of Peio's touristic development is its location in Stelvio National Park

Stelvio National Park

Stelvio National Park is a national park in the north-east of Italy, founded in 1935.The park is the largest in Italy and covers part of two regions: Trentino-Alto Adige/Südtirol and Lombardia, in 24 municipalities....

, a vast mountain zone where vegetal and animal biodiversity is strictly preserved. Easy walks and more difficult trekking routes allow visitors to explore valleys and woodlands from Passo del Tonale to Ortles

Ortler

Ortler is, at above sea level, the highest mountain in the Eastern Alps outside the Bernina Range. It is the main peak of the Ortler Range. It is the highest point of the Southern Limestone Alps, of the Italian province of South Tyrol, of Tyrol overall, and, until 1919, of the Austrian-Hungarian...

.