The geological marvel exhibition comes to Pordenone
The annual meeting of the Supporters of the UNESCO Dolomites Foundation was held on 12 December in Pordenone. An opportunity to reaffirm tangible support for the Foundation’s work: Collegio dei Sostenitori (College of Supporters) is a statutory body that brings together those who support the Foundation through their work or contributions. The 2025 meeting, however, also served an additional purpose: reflecting together on the priceless scientific value of the geological heritage of the Dolomites. The location for the supporters’ gathering was chosen as Pordenone because, in these weeks and until 21 December, the Friulian city is hosting the travelling exhibition “Dolomites: walking through the geology of wonder,” created by the UNESCO Dolomites Foundation and set up at Palazzo Gregoris in celebration of the centenary of the CAI of Pordenone.
PADRIN: “A FOUNDATION ROOTED IN THE TERRITORY”
“The Supporters’ meeting,” commented Roberto Padrin, Chairman of the UNESCO Dolomites Foundation and President of the Province of Belluno, “is an opportunity to thank all those who have chosen to contribute to an activity increasingly rooted in the territory. The many initiatives of 2025 show how local communities, institutions, associations, and the productive sectors with which we collaborate have now embraced the World Heritage recognition as a shared commitment. The UNESCO Dolomites Foundation is strongly investing in raising the awareness of the geological heritage,” continued Padrin, “also because it allows us to learn how to read the landscape, to move beyond a consumer logic, while still experiencing the excitement that only the extraordinary beauty of our mountains can trigger, but investing this excitement with a deeper value, such as that shaped by over three hundred million years of Earth’s history.”
A LOOK AT 2025
Before visiting the exhibition, participants gathered together to review the activities and projects undertaken by the UNESCO Dolomites Foundation during 2025. The Foundation’s Director, Mara Nemela, outlined several of them, also managed by the Operating Networks coordinated by the various provinces and dedicated, for example, to training local administrators, teachers and students, strengthening the mountain hut managers’ network, and facilitating dialogue among small quality producers. Room for discussion was also given to the topics of: responsible communication about the World Heritage Site, to promote a less stereotyped image than what offered by social media; inclusion and accessibility (with a brochure in easy-to-read language and support for inclusion initiatives in the territory); and mountaineering, with the upcoming series on Dolomitism. Geotrekking activities on the territory also took place this year, completing the extensive reflection on geological heritage that characterized 2025.
WHY GEOLOGY
“Why do we talk about geology in the Dolomites?” is the underlying question that may arise. This was discussed by Pierpaolo Zanchetta of the biodiversity service of the Friuli Venezia Giulia Region and Alfio Viganò, geologist of the Autonomous Province of Trento. Among the ideas that emerged was the notion that promoting the geological knowledge of the Dolomites is a way to give value to the landscape and encourage slow and conscious visitation of the “fossil archipelago,” especially when enhancement pathways – such as the Dolomites World Heritage Geotrail and the “Dolomites: walking through the geology of wonder” exhibition – are created with the involvement of the territory and the local communities. In short, looking back to the Triassic can become a way to look forward to a sustainable future for World Heritage visitation.