A day of words, music and flavours, with concerts, meetings and a lunch service by award-winning chefs; as well as a presentation of our new projects, including the one to rebuild the Serrai di Sottoguda gorge after Storm Vaia
On June 26, we will be in Cortina d’Ampezzo to celebrate the first 10 years of the UNESCO Dolomites with a wonderful day out. The town centre will be turned into a stage from which to proclaim a great chorus of good wishes for our World Heritage mountains, a precious asset for everyone. The inclusion of these mountains on the UNESCO list marked both the birth and the revival of an idea: that of the Dolomites as a World Heritage that needs to be protected and promoted as a unique whole. This milestone was a very important form of international recognition, but it was also a starting point for designing future plans and pathways for development, all under the banner of sustainability.
All in a ‘shell’
The celebrations in Cortina d’Ampezzo will begin at 11 a.m. The town centre with the Piazza Dibona and its spectacular Conchiglia (‘shell’) will act as the headquarters for these celebrations, and for the presentation of over 140 other events taking place during the summer in Veneto, Trentino, South Tyrol and Friuli Venezia Giulia.
The day will begin with contributions from the representatives of the various institutions starting with the Ministry of the Environment, which set up a Committee chaired by Undersecretary Gava to celebrate the tenth anniversary of the UNESCO World Heritage Dolomites.
And then there’s the music: there will be four bands performing, spaced out between the various official contributions. The groups are from different areas within the World Heritage site, and will be playing together in the spirit of cooperation that forms the basis of UNESCO identity.
Path camp
There will be a focus on young people during the day, with attention paid to various sports groups and especially to the “path camp” planned by the UNESCO Dolomites Foundation and SAT (the Tridentine Alpinists Society), and set up in collaboration with the Alpine Clubs of South Tyrol, Friuli Venezia Giulia and Veneto.
A group of 45 young people will be leaving Cortina d’Ampezzo in the afternoon, to go to the Monte Pelmo area and help repair some of the damage left by the storm at the end of October 2018. A chance to meet each other and be together, developing a sense of belonging to the Dolomites, building relationships and learning about the importance of caring for the land. It is not enough simply to expose young people to the beauty of the mountains, they must also be taught to take care of them. Especially at a time when so many paths have suffered considerable damage.
A film for us all: Dolomites today
The Dolomites are a World Heritage, and so belong to us all. Indeed they are special to each of us, and so the UNESCO Dolomites Foundation has had a new and very engaging idea, based on the premise that every day in the Dolomites is a unique experience of beauty, emotions, and wonderful memories for every one of us. And so there is space in the Dolomites of each of us, and on this day everyone who lives in the Dolomites or has a place for them in their heart will be able to make a personal wish for the world’s most beautiful mountains. The “Dolomites Today” project has been developed in collaboration with the University of Udine storytelling workshop; anyone who wants can send in a short video with their thoughts about the meaning of 10 years as UNESCO Dolomites. All the contributions will then be used to create a collective video-story.
The distant past described with cutting-edge technology
From written words to virtual worlds: the Dolomites will enter the new decade of this third millennium right up to date with the latest technology. An augmented reality project is now being developed, which focuses on the complex geology that makes these mountains so unique. It will be an invaluable tool to help explain the huge transformations that took place over 200 million years ago, causing tropical atolls out at sea to turn into the world’s loveliest mountains.
The taste of the crags
There will be plenty of room to display many fine and tempting products from the Dolomites, which will be on show in a special area, next to a large buffet open to all visitors. This luncheon buffet will be in the centre of Cortina, in front of the Museo delle Regole d’Ampezzo, and will feature a tasting session with famous chefs, who will use all the flavours of the Dolomites to make their dishes. There’s meat from an organic farm, and goat’s cheese; as well as barley, spelt, mead and beans from some of the local cooperatives. The honey and herbs are all organic, while the local wines are very drinkable and a match for the mead and the barancino liqueur. So here are the Dolomites on a plate, helping the area to come together by focusing on quality.