The stunning beauty of the Dolomites is apparent to anyone who visits Italy's Alps. But Fabio Ognibene sees much more in this forest: He selects wood that's just right for making musical instruments. Pointing to one tree he notes, "This, for me, is for the piano soundboards."
Doane asked, "When you look around a forest like this you can say, 'That's a violin, that's a cello, this is a piano soundboard'?" "Yes," he replied. For example, one tree -- its trunk long and straight, with few branches or knots -- is perfect for the violin. Ognibene's colleague and sister-in-law Piera Ciresa says instrument makers have been harvesting from the Fiemme Valley for almost six centuries.
