Magredi means "poor land", that is, arid soils that are poor in water due to the presence of stones, even though the amount of rainfall in Friuli Venezia Giulia makes it the rainiest Region in Italy. In summer, the dry meadows of the “magredi” appear barren and sun-scorched creating a landscape similar to some desolate areas of the south or the continental Steppes of Eastern Europe.
The gravels originate from the surrounding mountains being broken down over thousands of years by the torrents that carry away the detached fragments and transform them into smooth round pebbles.
Once the torrents have reached the plains they slow down and are free to meander due to the decreased slope, therefore, the water courses at the mouth of the deep alpine valleys abandon most of the heavy rough material, scattering it like a farmer does when sowing by hand. In the first part of these deposits, the water is completely absorbed the gravel, resulting in a typical arid landscape, devoid of surface hydrography.
Every year in June we organise a sporting event called Magraid to explore the Magredi lands, the ecosystem and typical products of the "poor land".