The Giant Bench
An unforgettable walk with breathtaking views over the village
Beneath the Pietra della Gnazzita
Longobucco's Giant Bench was unveiled on 12 August 2022 beneath the Pietra della Gnazzita, a huge solitary rock that towers over the Trionto valley, at about 900 metres above sea level. From up there you can see the village set among the Sila mountains. It is the first giant bench in the province of Cosenza and in the Sila National Park.
It is about 3 metres long and 2 metres high, and weighs over 700 kilos. The local association Rarike Experience wanted it, and village craftsmen built it by hand in more than a month of work: the iron frame is by the smith Domenico Aurea, the wooden seat by the carpenter Antonio Cruceli. It was paid for by the people of Longobucco, those who live here and those who have moved away, through donations and sponsors.
Chris Bangle's idea
It is Big Bench number 244 of the Big Bench Community Project, born from an idea of Chris Bangle, the American designer who led BMW's design for years. In 2010, with his wife Catherine, he built the first giant bench in Clavesana, in the Langhe hills of Piedmont, where they have lived since 2009.
The project is non-profit: the bench design is granted free of charge to anyone who wants to build one at a scenic spot, as long as it is paid for privately rather than with public money. The idea is to help people rediscover the landscape and to support the villages that host the benches and their craftsmen. And sitting up there, feet dangling, makes you feel like a child again.