car ving ▁industry ▁has ▁fl our ished ▁in ▁Val ▁Gard ena ▁since ▁the ▁ 1 7 th ▁century . ▁Since ▁the ▁ 1 9 th ▁century , ▁stat ues ▁and ▁alt ars ▁car ved ▁in ▁the ▁area ▁have ▁been ▁sh ipped ▁to ▁Catholic ▁Church es ▁throughout ▁the ▁world . ▁In ▁the ▁ 1 8 th ▁century , ▁besides ▁religious ▁stat u ettes , ▁the ▁production ▁of ▁wood car ved ▁figur ines ▁of ▁genre ▁art ▁was ▁w ides p read ▁in ▁the ▁valley . ▁Among ▁them ▁stat u ettes ▁of ▁begg ars ▁generally ▁in ▁pairs ▁( f em ale ▁and ▁male ), ▁four ▁seasons , ▁watch stand s ▁were ▁very ▁popular . ▁In ▁the ▁ 1 9 th ▁and ▁ 2 0 th ▁century , ▁car ving ▁of ▁wooden ▁to ys ▁was ▁such ▁a ▁w ides p read ▁occupation ▁in ▁all ▁Garden ese ▁families ▁that ▁Am elia ▁Edwards ▁called ▁U rt ij ë i ▁the ▁" cap ital ▁of ▁Toy land ". ▁One ▁of ▁the ▁valley ' s ▁best - known ▁products ▁is ▁the ▁p eg ▁wooden ▁doll ▁which ▁was ▁popular ▁all ▁over ▁Europe ▁and ▁America ▁in ▁the ▁ 1 9 th ▁century . ▁ ▁In ▁one ▁of ▁her ▁many ▁tri ps ▁Margaret ▁Warner ▁Mor ley ▁went ▁to ▁Europe ▁to ▁Val ▁Gard ena ▁where ▁she ▁was ▁inspired ▁to ▁write ▁the ▁novel ▁Don key ▁John ▁of ▁the ▁to y ▁valley . ▁ ▁The ▁Par ish ▁Church ▁of ▁U rt ij ë i ▁displays ▁a ▁rich ▁collection ▁of ▁stat ues ▁car ved ▁by ▁local ▁artists ▁in