Cavalese ( ) is a '' comune '' of 4,004 inhabitants in Trentino , northern Italy , a ski resort and the main center in the Fiemme Valley . It is part of the Magnifica Comunità di Fiemme ( Magnificent Community of Fiemme ) and , together with Predazzo , is the administrative , cultural and historical center of the valley . The town is a renowned tourist location , during winter for cross-country and alpine sky , and during summer for excursions . The town was the site of the Cavalese cable car disaster in 1998 , when a US aircraft tore down the cable-car connecting the town to the nearby Cermis mountain during a training exercise , killing 20 people . The origins of Cavalese can be dated back to the Bronze Age , with the creation of a small settlement . The proper village developed during the 12th century , with the creation of mills , sawmills and blacksmiths for copper manufacturing along the Gambis brook . By that time , the Fiemme Valley was ruled by prince bishop of Trento , which allowed a broad autonomy to the local community ( from here the name , Magnifica Comunità di Fiemme ) . During the 16th and 17th centuries Cavalese became the vacation resort of bishops and aristocrats from the region , who greatly contributed to the development of the village . The palace of the bishops will eventually became the abode of the Magnificent Community during the 19th century . During the 1900s , and especially in the years following the end of World War II , the town underwent an impressive growth thanks to the development of the construction industry , craftsmanship and tourism , with the creation of numerous hotels and more accessible ways of communication . The cable car from Cavalese to the nearby mountain Cermis has been the site of two major cable-car accidents , one in 1976 and one in 1998 ( due to a U.S. Marine Corps Northrop Grumman EA-6B Prowler aircraft cutting the cable during a training exercise , killing 20 people ) . In both cases the car , descending from Cermis , fell to the ground
one in 1998
Cavalese cable car disaster (1998)
Cavalese