The origin of the name Vas is unclear, but one of the most likely explanations is that it derives from "Flumen de Avasio", indicating the Fium watercourse that runs through the village, the limpid waters of which were used for the production of high-quality paper. In the seventeenth century the paper mill in Vas was one of the largest in the Serenissima Republic of Venice, of which Vas by that time had become part after moving towards the territory of Treviso. The paper mill stood on the spot where there had previously been a fulling plant and a sawmill. The mill, in which water-powered wheels provided energy to the fulling machines used to break down the fibres of the strips, belonged to a succession of Venetian families: the Corner, the Bembo, the Gradenigo and the Dolfin. In the 18th century the management of the paper mill was given over to the well-known printers Remondini, who after working the mill, moved to Valstagna in the Brenta Valley. The mill was then closed for a few years, until 1827, when the Marsura family purchased the building, keeping it in operation throughout the nineteenth century. Modernisation did not take place until the twentieth century, when new machinery was introduced. After being turned into a fishery, the paper mill ceased production in 1963; now that the machinery has gone and the structure has been renovated, it is expected to take on a new destination. Among the structures furthest to the north is the oldest part of the complex, which probably dates back to the time when it was used as a textile plant.

The former paper mill is situated at the entrance to the village of Vas along the SP1bis. Coming from the left side of the Piave, at the fork for Vas, enter the village from Via Case Sparse; after about 400 m, take right – the mill is clearly visible in the large basin lying between the provincial road and the craft area of the village, separated along this stretch by the Colon torrent, which originates at the beginning of the village.

ACCESSIBLE: outside only
MUNICIPALITY: Vas
PLACE: Torresella
GEOGRAPHICAL COORDINATES: X 1727453 – Y 5091305
PROVINCE: Belluno

FILE COMPILED BY: Antoniol

For centuries, the only way to reach these areas was by river: the area of the municipality of  as stretches alongside that of Quero, on the left bank of the Piave, which is particularly good for fishing along this stretch (Piave Riverbed at Vas, 94 NS). Worth a visit is the Caorera History Museum or Piave Museum, where you can see exhibits including tools and documents dating back to the fiercely fought First World War.

A. Dallo, La cartiera di Vas in S. De Vecchi, opere nel tempo. Le tradizioni dell’industria e dell’artigianato tra i monti della provincia di Belluno, San Giovanni Lupatoto, 1991