There is no information available about the origins of the small village of Bratta, but valuable information about life and events from the last century can still be obtained from the testimonies of elderly residents of Bratta. In 1939, Bratta had around 400 inhabitants and about a hundred families. After the Second World War, the population significantly decreased, both due to emigration to faraway lands (such as Australia and South America, as well as nearby provinces in Brianza), and because many people relocated to Bianzone. For the residents, who were engaged in the cultivation of rye, buckwheat, and potatoes, and in some cases even in the breeding of a few sheep and goats, life was not easy and everyone tried to make do as best they could. During the Second World War, when essential goods were scarce, it was common to smuggle products such as cheese, flour, and chestnuts across the Swiss border, in exchange for salt, which was unavailable in Valtellina. After the war, this activity shifted to smuggling cigarettes and later coffee, contributing for years to the economy not only of Bratta but of the whole country. Despite smuggling being illegal, it was never particularly hindered by authorities. It is likely that the difficult economic situation caused by the war served as a mitigating factor and morally justified this activity, carried out to meet the survival needs of a completely isolated community, as there was no paved road connecting the village to the town. In the 1970s, the last two remaining families abandoned the hamlet, and the area remained uninhabited for many years. Today, only my family lives permanently in Bratta, and many return during the summer, staying in the old renovated houses, immersed in the peace of the mountains.