Special Award goes to Franco Michieli’s book “Vie invisibili” (Invisible paths)

“Through the stories of his adventures, explorer Franco Michieli’s book investigates the relationship between man and nature, traveller and destination, built on the solid foundations of knowledge, awareness and responsibility.” So begins the presentation of the Dolomites World Heritage Special Award for the works “Le vie invisibili – Senza traccia nell’immensità del nord” by author Franco Michieli, on occasion of the pordenonelegge 2024 literature festival.

The event

The ceremony to present the Dolomites UNESCO World Heritage Site Special Award to Franco Michieli is scheduled for Friday 20 September at 3.00 p.m. at the Auditorium of the Regional Council in Pordenone. The award ceremony will open the session with the author, which will be led by Luca Calzolari and Roberto Mantovani. Michieli is a geographer, explorer, writer and Mountain Wilderness international guarantor. An expert in long crossings over mountains and wildernesses, he has learned to read nature without maps and technology to guide him and has built up some forty years of experience exploring the fjords, plateaus and mountains of the Great North, from Norway to Iceland and from the Shetlands to Greenland and the land of the Sami.

The decision

Here is another passage from the notes explaining how the decision was reached: “UNESCO recognises sites of Outstanding Universal Value all around the world, helping communities to develop their awareness and become custodians of these places, preserving them to pass on to future generations. Promoting an informed and “ecological” approach to the local area and, in particular, to the environment and natural features that characterise it, Michieli is an ambassador for the “Outstanding Value” of the places he explores. He is fully aligned with the principle of responsibly enjoying these areas that we hope will be increasingly adopted by tourists visiting the Dolomites World Heritage Site.”

«pordenonelegge 2024» (… and #mountainhutlife)

The “festival of literature and freedom” will be held from 18 to 22 September 2024. Over 600 authors and 340 events over five days, taking place at 43 locations in Pordenone, in the surrounding towns and across the region. You can see the complete programme for the 25th edition of pordenonelegge here.

In addition to the event on 20 September at the pordenonelegge literary festival, those interested in meeting Franco Michieli and exploring the themes of his life work and writing can also take part in a session up in the mountains. On 6 September, as part of the #mountainhutlife initiative, the author will be speaking at the Roda di Vael mountain hut.