Cortina d'Ampezzo
Encyclopedia
Cortina d'Ampezzo is a town and comune
in the southern (Dolomitic) Alps
located in Veneto
, a region in Northern Italy
. Located in the heart of the Dolomites
in an alpine valley
, it is a popular winter sport
resort known for its ski-ranges, scenery, accommodations, shops and après-ski
scene. After the scheduled 1944 Olympics had been cancelled because of WWII, it hosted the 1956 Winter Olympics
as well as various world cup events and motion pictures. Much of 1963 classic The Pink Panther, the progenitor of the series, was filmed in Cortina. One of the memorable James Bond
stunt sequences in 1981's For Your Eyes Only
, gunners on spike-wheeled motorcycles chasing Roger Moore
on skis, was filmed on its slopes, as were several scenes in the film Cliffhanger
.
Cortina is situated at the top of the Valle del Boite in the Dolomites
, and is positioned between Cadore
(to the south) and the Val Pusteria (to north), Val d' Ansiei (to east) and Agordo
(to the west). It is encircled 360° by the Dolomites. Among the more famous mountains are Tofane
to the west, Pomagagnon
to the north, Cristallo
to the northeast, Faloria and Sorapiss to the east, and Becco di Mezzodì, Croda da Lago
and Cinque Torri
to south. The city centre is located at an altitude of 1224 m (4,015.75 ft), although the highest summit is that of the Tofana di Mezzo, which towers at 3244 m (10,643.04 ft). There is a significant water presence in the territory, in the form of torrents, streams and little lakes (Ghedina, Pianozes, d'Ajal...), which fill particularly during the summer snow-melt season. Fauna include marmot
s, roe deer
s, chamois
es and hare
s.
, and of the Holy Roman Empire
. In 1420, the village was conquered by the Republic of Venice
. In 1508 it was conquered by Austria, and by 1511 people of Ampezzo swore loyalty to the Emperor Maximilian
. Although remaining a Habsburg
's possession until 1920, aside from being home for an ethnic German-speaking minority, Ampezzo never became a German-speaking
territory and conserved its original language, Ladin
, a Rhaeto-Romance language
.
When Italy entered the World War in 1915, most of the male inhabitants were fighting for Austria on the Russian front
. Six hundred sixty-nine (669) male inhabitants (most of them under 16 or over 50) tried to fight the Italian troops. Outnumbered by the Italians, they had to retreat. After the Austrian recovery in 1917, the town was occupied again by the Tyrolian Standschützen. Following Italy's victory in World War I
, Ampezzo was finally given to Italy.
After the war the city was renamed "Cortina d'Ampezzo" (Graveyard of Ampezzo), adopting the name of one of the six villages that made up the territory of Ampezzo, located in the middle of the Ampezzo valley.
Already an elite destination for the first British tourists in the late 18th century and early twentieth, Cortina d'Ampezzo became a favourite resort for upper-class
Italians as well after World War I. After the winter Olympics
were held there in 1956, Cortina became a world-renowned resort, experiencing increased mass tourism.
from the 1950s it grew rapidly . Only the furthest villages and hamlets in the commune have remained secluded and isolated from the main town, which today is known for its shopping. Cortina is home to some of the most prestigious names in fashion, including Bulgari
, Benetton
, Gucci
and Geox
, and various artisan shops, antiquarians, and craft stores. It is also home to many stores which specialize in mountaineering
equipment.
However, the symbol of Cortinese shopping remains La Cooperativa di Cortina, founded on June 28, 1893 under the name of Consumverein Ampezzo. In this shopping centre
many trades can be found, from confectioners to newspaper vendors, toys, gift shop
s, skiing stores and blacksmiths. The building is divided into three levels (more a raised plan and a balcony). The cooperative in Cortina was one of the first cooperatives founded in the Italian Peninsula
, and currently provides employment to approximately 200 people. Near the bridge on the Bigontina River is the Town Hall, a palace in the Tirolese style.
Piazza Venezia houses several popular spots. The Ciasa de ra Regoles is one of the more important legal buildings in Cortina, where the "regolieri" — a council for the local villages that stood before the town merged — trained the community and gave administrative orders. In the same building today is also found the office of the Scuola Sci Cortina, Cortina's skiing school.
. The 1944 Winter Olympics
were also scheduled to be held in Cortina, but were cancelled because of World War II
. The 1927 Nordic
, 1941 Nordic
and 1941 Alpine World Skiing Championships
were held in Cortina as well, although the 1941 Nordic championships were withdrawn by the FIS
in 1946. The region lost the bid for the 1988 Winter Olympics
to Calgary
, Canada.
The city is home to SG Cortina
, a professional ice hockey
team currently playing in the country's top division, Serie A1.
Cortina was the home of Olympic bobsledder Eugenio Monti
, who was the first winner of the de Coubertin medal
for fair play.
and The Pink Panther
. The resort was a major location for the James Bond 007
film For Your Eyes Only
, including action sequences set against a backdrop of various winter sports and one of the most famous ski chase sequences in film, where Roger Moore
as Bond has to escape a crew of assassins on spike-wheeled motorcycle
s, his route taking them all onto the bobsleigh run
. The actual town centre was the scene of the first attack on Bond and his partner Melina Havelock (Carole Bouquet
) by two motorcyclists who attempted to run them over, only for Bond to eliminate them both. http://www.bondmovies.com/locations.shtml#drno
Audrey Hepburn
was a frequent visitor to the slopes of Cortina.
Close to Cortina d'Ampezzo is San Vito di Cadore
.
and join the neighboring region, Trentino-Alto Adige/Südtirol. Cited motivations include cultural ties with the small Ladin-speaking community in South Tyrol
and a desire for lower taxes. The referendum is not executive and a final decision on the matter can only be taken by law of the Italian parliament with consent of both regional councils of Veneto and Trentino-Alto Adige.
with: Cattolica
, Italy
, since 16 March 1971 Skardu
, Pakistan
Comune
In Italy, the comune is the basic administrative division, and may be properly approximated in casual speech by the English word township or municipality.-Importance and function:...
in the southern (Dolomitic) Alps
Alps
The Alps is one of the great mountain range systems of Europe, stretching from Austria and Slovenia in the east through Italy, Switzerland, Liechtenstein and Germany to France in the west....
located in Veneto
Veneto
Veneto is one of the 20 regions of Italy. Its population is about 5 million, ranking 5th in Italy.Veneto had been for more than a millennium an independent state, the Republic of Venice, until it was eventually annexed by Italy in 1866 after brief Austrian and French rule...
, a region in Northern Italy
Northern Italy
Northern Italy is a wide cultural, historical and geographical definition, without any administrative usage, used to indicate the northern part of the Italian state, also referred as Settentrione or Alta Italia...
. Located in the heart of the Dolomites
Dolomites
The Dolomites are a mountain range located in north-eastern Italy. It is a part of Southern Limestone Alps and extends from the River Adige in the west to the Piave Valley in the east. The northern and southern borders are defined by the Puster Valley and the Sugana Valley...
in an alpine valley
Valley
In geology, a valley or dale is a depression with predominant extent in one direction. A very deep river valley may be called a canyon or gorge.The terms U-shaped and V-shaped are descriptive terms of geography to characterize the form of valleys...
, it is a popular winter sport
Winter sport
A winter sport is a sport which is played on snow or ice. Most such sports are variations of skiing, ice skating and sledding. Traditionally such sports were only played in cold areas during winter, but artificial snow and ice allow more flexibility...
resort known for its ski-ranges, scenery, accommodations, shops and après-ski
Après-ski
Après-ski refers to going out, having drinks, dancing, and generally socializing after skiing. It is popular in the Alps, where skiers often stop at bars on their last run of the day while still wearing all their ski gear. The concept is similar to the nineteenth hole in golf. This can also...
scene. After the scheduled 1944 Olympics had been cancelled because of WWII, it hosted the 1956 Winter Olympics
1956 Winter Olympics
The 1956 Winter Olympics, officially known as the VII Olympic Winter Games, was a winter multi-sport event celebrated in Cortina d'Ampezzo, Italy. This celebration of the Games was held from 26 January to 5 February 1956. Cortina, which had originally been awarded the 1944 Winter Olympics, beat out...
as well as various world cup events and motion pictures. Much of 1963 classic The Pink Panther, the progenitor of the series, was filmed in Cortina. One of the memorable James Bond
James Bond
James Bond, code name 007, is a fictional character created in 1953 by writer Ian Fleming, who featured him in twelve novels and two short story collections. There have been a six other authors who wrote authorised Bond novels or novelizations after Fleming's death in 1964: Kingsley Amis,...
stunt sequences in 1981's For Your Eyes Only
For Your Eyes Only (film)
For Your Eyes Only is the twelfth spy film in the James Bond series and the fifth to star Roger Moore as the fictional MI6 agent James Bond. It marked the directorial debut of John Glen, who had worked as editor and second unit director in three other Bond films. The screenplay by Richard Maibaum...
, gunners on spike-wheeled motorcycles chasing Roger Moore
Roger Moore
Sir Roger George Moore KBE , is an English actor, perhaps best known for portraying British secret agent James Bond in seven films from 1973 to 1985. He also portrayed Simon Templar in the long-running British television series The Saint.-Early life:Moore was born in Stockwell, London...
on skis, was filmed on its slopes, as were several scenes in the film Cliffhanger
Cliffhanger (film)
Cliffhanger is a 1993 American action film directed by Renny Harlin and starring Sylvester Stallone and John Lithgow. Stallone plays a mountain climber, who becomes embroiled in a failed heist set in a U.S. Treasury plane flying through the Rocky Mountains...
.
Geography
Dolomites
The Dolomites are a mountain range located in north-eastern Italy. It is a part of Southern Limestone Alps and extends from the River Adige in the west to the Piave Valley in the east. The northern and southern borders are defined by the Puster Valley and the Sugana Valley...
, and is positioned between Cadore
Cadore
Cadore is a "comunità montana" in the Italian region of Veneto, in the northernmost part of the province of Belluno bordering on Austria, the Trentino-Alto Adige/Südtirol and Friuli-Venezia Giulia. It is watered by the Piave River poured forth from the Carnic Alps...
(to the south) and the Val Pusteria (to north), Val d' Ansiei (to east) and Agordo
Agordo
Agordo is a town and comune sited in the Province of Belluno, in the Veneto region in Italy. It is located about 100 km north of Venice and about 20 km northwest of Belluno....
(to the west). It is encircled 360° by the Dolomites. Among the more famous mountains are Tofane
Tofane
Tofane is a mountain group in the Italian Dolomites, west of Cortina d'Ampezzo, in the province of Belluno, Veneto, northern Italy. Most of the Tofane lies within Parco naturale delle Dolomiti d'Ampezzo, a nature park.-Peaks:...
to the west, Pomagagnon
Pomagagnon
Pomagagnon is a mountain in the Veneto, Italy. It has an elevation of ....
to the north, Cristallo
Cristallo (mountain)
Cristallo is a mountain group in the Italian Dolomites, northeast of Cortina d'Ampezzo, in the province of Belluno, Veneto, northern Italy. It is a long, indented ridge with four summits higher than 3,000 metres.-Peaks:...
to the northeast, Faloria and Sorapiss to the east, and Becco di Mezzodì, Croda da Lago
Croda da Lago
Croda da Lago is a mountain of the Veneto, Italy. It has an elevation of 2709 metres....
and Cinque Torri
Cinque Torri
Cinque Torri are a small group belonging to Nuvolao group, in the Dolomiti Ampezzane north-west of San Vito di Cadore and south-west of Cortina d'Ampezzo.-Description:...
to south. The city centre is located at an altitude of 1224 m (4,015.75 ft), although the highest summit is that of the Tofana di Mezzo, which towers at 3244 m (10,643.04 ft). There is a significant water presence in the territory, in the form of torrents, streams and little lakes (Ghedina, Pianozes, d'Ajal...), which fill particularly during the summer snow-melt season. Fauna include marmot
Marmot
The marmots are a genus, Marmota, of squirrels. There are 14 species in this genus.Marmots are generally large ground squirrels. Those most often referred to as marmots tend to live in mountainous areas such as the Alps, northern Apennines, Eurasian steppes, Carpathians, Tatras, and Pyrenees in...
s, roe deer
Roe Deer
The European Roe Deer , also known as the Western Roe Deer, chevreuil or just Roe Deer, is a Eurasian species of deer. It is relatively small, reddish and grey-brown, and well-adapted to cold environments. Roe Deer are widespread in Western Europe, from the Mediterranean to Scandinavia, and from...
s, chamois
Chamois
The chamois, Rupicapra rupicapra, is a goat-antelope species native to mountains in Europe, including the Carpathian Mountains of Romania, the European Alps, the Tatra Mountains, the Balkans, parts of Turkey, and the Caucasus. The chamois has also been introduced to the South Island of New Zealand...
es and hare
Hare
Hares and jackrabbits are leporids belonging to the genus Lepus. Hares less than one year old are called leverets. Four species commonly known as types of hare are classified outside of Lepus: the hispid hare , and three species known as red rock hares .Hares are very fast-moving...
s.
History
In the Middle Ages, Ampezzo fell under the jurisdiction of the Patriarchate of AquileiaPatriarchate of Aquileia (State)
The Patriarchate of Aquileia was an Imperial State in the Friulian region of Northeastern Italy under the control of the Patriarchs of Aquileia.- Foundation :...
, and of the Holy Roman Empire
Holy Roman Empire
The Holy Roman Empire was a realm that existed from 962 to 1806 in Central Europe.It was ruled by the Holy Roman Emperor. Its character changed during the Middle Ages and the Early Modern period, when the power of the emperor gradually weakened in favour of the princes...
. In 1420, the village was conquered by the Republic of Venice
Republic of Venice
The Republic of Venice or Venetian Republic was a state originating from the city of Venice in Northeastern Italy. It existed for over a millennium, from the late 7th century until 1797. It was formally known as the Most Serene Republic of Venice and is often referred to as La Serenissima, in...
. In 1508 it was conquered by Austria, and by 1511 people of Ampezzo swore loyalty to the Emperor Maximilian
Maximilian I, Holy Roman Emperor
Maximilian I , the son of Frederick III, Holy Roman Emperor and Eleanor of Portugal, was King of the Romans from 1486 and Holy Roman Emperor from 1493 until his death, though he was never in fact crowned by the Pope, the journey to Rome always being too risky...
. Although remaining a Habsburg
Habsburg
The House of Habsburg , also found as Hapsburg, and also known as House of Austria is one of the most important royal houses of Europe and is best known for being an origin of all of the formally elected Holy Roman Emperors between 1438 and 1740, as well as rulers of the Austrian Empire and...
's possession until 1920, aside from being home for an ethnic German-speaking minority, Ampezzo never became a German-speaking
German language
German is a West Germanic language, related to and classified alongside English and Dutch. With an estimated 90 – 98 million native speakers, German is one of the world's major languages and is the most widely-spoken first language in the European Union....
territory and conserved its original language, Ladin
Ladin
Ladin is a language consisting of a group of dialects spoken in the Dolomite Mountains in Northern Italy in the border regions of the provinces Trentino, South Tyrol and Belluno...
, a Rhaeto-Romance language
Romansh
Romansh is one of the four national languages of Switzerland, along with German, Italian and French...
.
When Italy entered the World War in 1915, most of the male inhabitants were fighting for Austria on the Russian front
Eastern Front (World War I)
The Eastern Front was a theatre of war during World War I in Central and, primarily, Eastern Europe. The term is in contrast to the Western Front. Despite the geographical separation, the events in the two theatres strongly influenced each other...
. Six hundred sixty-nine (669) male inhabitants (most of them under 16 or over 50) tried to fight the Italian troops. Outnumbered by the Italians, they had to retreat. After the Austrian recovery in 1917, the town was occupied again by the Tyrolian Standschützen. Following Italy's victory in World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
, Ampezzo was finally given to Italy.
After the war the city was renamed "Cortina d'Ampezzo" (Graveyard of Ampezzo), adopting the name of one of the six villages that made up the territory of Ampezzo, located in the middle of the Ampezzo valley.
Already an elite destination for the first British tourists in the late 18th century and early twentieth, Cortina d'Ampezzo became a favourite resort for upper-class
Upper class
In social science, the "upper class" is the group of people at the top of a social hierarchy. Members of an upper class may have great power over the allocation of resources and governmental policy in their area.- Historical meaning :...
Italians as well after World War I. After the winter Olympics
Winter Olympic Games
The Winter Olympic Games is a sporting event, which occurs every four years. The first celebration of the Winter Olympics was held in Chamonix, France, in 1924. The original sports were alpine and cross-country skiing, figure skating, ice hockey, Nordic combined, ski jumping and speed skating...
were held there in 1956, Cortina became a world-renowned resort, experiencing increased mass tourism.
Cityscape
Cortina is situated more or less to the centre of the Ampezzana valley, encircled nearly completely by the high Dolomites. Originally it was composed of numerous frazioni, isolated villages and hamlets, but with the advent of the tourismTourism
Tourism is travel for recreational, leisure or business purposes. The World Tourism Organization defines tourists as people "traveling to and staying in places outside their usual environment for not more than one consecutive year for leisure, business and other purposes".Tourism has become a...
from the 1950s it grew rapidly . Only the furthest villages and hamlets in the commune have remained secluded and isolated from the main town, which today is known for its shopping. Cortina is home to some of the most prestigious names in fashion, including Bulgari
Bulgari
Bulgari is an Italian jeweler and luxury goods retailer which has been owned by the French firm LVMH since October 2011. The trademark is usually written "BVLGARI" in the classical Latin alphabet , and is derived from the surname of the company's Greek founder, Sotirio Voulgaris...
, Benetton
Benetton Group
Benetton Group S.p.A. is a global luxury fashion brand, based in Treviso, Italy. The name comes from the Benetton family who founded the company in 1965. Benetton Group is listed in Milan....
, Gucci
Gucci
The House of Gucci, better known simply as Gucci , is an Italian fashion and leather goods label, part of the Gucci Group, which is owned by French company PPR...
and Geox
Geox
Geox is an Italian brand of shoe and apparel manufactured utilising waterproof/breathable fabrics.-Corporate history:The company was founded in 1995 by Mario Moretti Polegato. The brand name, Geox, was created from a mixture between the Greek word “geo” , and “x”, a letter-element symbolizing...
, and various artisan shops, antiquarians, and craft stores. It is also home to many stores which specialize in mountaineering
Mountaineering
Mountaineering or mountain climbing is the sport, hobby or profession of hiking, skiing, and climbing mountains. While mountaineering began as attempts to reach the highest point of unclimbed mountains it has branched into specialisations that address different aspects of the mountain and consists...
equipment.
However, the symbol of Cortinese shopping remains La Cooperativa di Cortina, founded on June 28, 1893 under the name of Consumverein Ampezzo. In this shopping centre
Shopping mall
A shopping mall, shopping centre, shopping arcade, shopping precinct or simply mall is one or more buildings forming a complex of shops representing merchandisers, with interconnecting walkways enabling visitors to easily walk from unit to unit, along with a parking area — a modern, indoor version...
many trades can be found, from confectioners to newspaper vendors, toys, gift shop
Gift shop
A gift shop is a store primarily selling souvenirs relating to a particular topic or theme. The items sold often include coffee mugs, stuffed animals, t-shirts, postcards, handmade collections and other souvenirs....
s, skiing stores and blacksmiths. The building is divided into three levels (more a raised plan and a balcony). The cooperative in Cortina was one of the first cooperatives founded in the Italian Peninsula
Italian Peninsula
The Italian Peninsula or Apennine Peninsula is one of the three large peninsulas of Southern Europe , spanning from the Po Valley in the north to the central Mediterranean Sea in the south. The peninsula's shape gives it the nickname Lo Stivale...
, and currently provides employment to approximately 200 people. Near the bridge on the Bigontina River is the Town Hall, a palace in the Tirolese style.
Piazza Venezia houses several popular spots. The Ciasa de ra Regoles is one of the more important legal buildings in Cortina, where the "regolieri" — a council for the local villages that stood before the town merged — trained the community and gave administrative orders. In the same building today is also found the office of the Scuola Sci Cortina, Cortina's skiing school.
Climate
The Ampezzano climate is typically alpine, with short summers, and long winters that vacillate between frigid, snowy, unsettled, and temperate. Between the end of December and first of January of every year, some of the lowest temperatures recorded in Italy are in this region, particularly in heights of the Cimabanche Steppe, the area on the border between the provinces of Belluno and Bolzano. The average seasons are generally rainy, cold, and very windy.Frazioni
Acquabona (Agabòna), Alverà, Bigontina (Begontina), Cadelverzo (Cadelvèrzo), Cademai, Cadin (Ciadìn), Campo (Ciànpo), Chiamulera (Ciamulèra), Chiave (Ciàe), Cianderìes, Coiana (Cojana), Col, Cortina, Crìgnes, Doneà, Fiames (Fiàmes), Fraìna, Gilardon (Jilardòn), Gnòche o Gràa, Guargné, Lacedel (Lazedèl), Manaigo, Majon, Melères, Mortisa (Mortìja), Pecol (Pecòl), Pezié, Pian da Lago, Pocol (Pocòl), Rònco, Salieto, Socol, Staulin (Staulìn), Val, Verocai, Vera (Vèra), Zuel (Zuèl)Sports
Cortina d'Ampezzo was the host town of the 1956 Winter Olympics1956 Winter Olympics
The 1956 Winter Olympics, officially known as the VII Olympic Winter Games, was a winter multi-sport event celebrated in Cortina d'Ampezzo, Italy. This celebration of the Games was held from 26 January to 5 February 1956. Cortina, which had originally been awarded the 1944 Winter Olympics, beat out...
. The 1944 Winter Olympics
1944 Winter Olympics
The anticipated 1944 Winter Olympics, which would have been officially known as the V Olympic Winter Games , were to be celebrated in February 1944 in Cortina d'Ampezzo, Italy...
were also scheduled to be held in Cortina, but were cancelled because of World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
. The 1927 Nordic
1927 FIS Nordic World Ski Championships
The FIS Nordic World Ski Championships 1927 took place between February 2 and February 5, 1927 in Cortina d'Ampezzo, Italy. Neither Finland nor Norway took part in these championships.- 18 km :February 3, 1927...
, 1941 Nordic
1941 FIS Nordic World Ski Championships
The FIS Nordic World Ski Championships 1941 took place February 1–10, 1941 in Cortina d'Ampezzo, Italy. The previous championships of 1940 were scheduled for Norway, but were cancelled in the wake of Germany's invasion of Norway during World War II. At the 1946 meeting in Pau, France, the FIS...
and 1941 Alpine World Skiing Championships
Alpine World Skiing Championships
The FIS Alpine World Ski Championships are organized by the International Ski Federation . The first world championships in alpine skiing were held in 1931. During the 1930s, the event was held annually in Europe, until interrupted by the outbreak of World War II, preventing a 1940 event...
were held in Cortina as well, although the 1941 Nordic championships were withdrawn by the FIS
International Ski Federation
The International Ski Federation, known by its name in French, Fédération Internationale de Ski is the main international organisation for ski sports...
in 1946. The region lost the bid for the 1988 Winter Olympics
1988 Winter Olympics
The 1988 Winter Olympics, officially known as the XV Olympic Winter Games, were a winter multi-sport event celebrated in and around Calgary, Alberta, Canada from 13 to 28 February 1988. The host was selected in 1981 after having beat Falun, Sweden and Cortina d'Ampezzo, Italy...
to Calgary
Calgary
Calgary is a city in the Province of Alberta, Canada. It is located in the south of the province, in an area of foothills and prairie, approximately east of the front ranges of the Canadian Rockies...
, Canada.
The city is home to SG Cortina
SG Cortina
Sportivi Ghiaccio Cortina is an ice hockey team from Italy. They play their home games at Stadio Olimpico del Ghiaccio, located in Cortina d'Ampezzo, Veneto...
, a professional ice hockey
Ice hockey
Ice hockey, often referred to as hockey, is a team sport played on ice, in which skaters use wooden or composite sticks to shoot a hard rubber puck into their opponent's net. The game is played between two teams of six players each. Five members of each team skate up and down the ice trying to take...
team currently playing in the country's top division, Serie A1.
Cortina was the home of Olympic bobsledder Eugenio Monti
Eugenio Monti
Eugenio Monti was an Italian bobsledder. He is one of the most successful athletes in the history of this sport, with ten World championship medals and 6 Olympic medals, but is known also for an act of sportsmanship during the 1964 Winter Olympics in Innsbruck, Austria that made him the first...
, who was the first winner of the de Coubertin medal
Pierre de Coubertin medal
The Pierre de Coubertin medal is a special medal given by the International Olympic Committee to those athletes who demonstrate the spirit of sportsmanship in Olympic events.The medal was inaugurated in 1964 and named in honour of Pierre de Coubertin, founder of the International Olympic...
for fair play.
Culture
The surroundings of Cortina have been the location for a number of movies, including mountain climbing scenes for Cliffhanger, KrullKrull (film)
Krull is a 1983 heroic fantasy film directed by Peter Yates and produced by Ron Silverman. Released by Columbia Pictures, it stars Ken Marshall as Prince Colwyn and Lysette Anthony as Princess Lyssa....
and The Pink Panther
The Pink Panther (1963 film)
The Pink Panther is a 1963 American comedy film directed by Blake Edwards and co-written by Edwards and Maurice Richlin, starring David Niven, Peter Sellers, Robert Wagner, Capucine, and Claudia Cardinale...
. The resort was a major location for the James Bond 007
James Bond
James Bond, code name 007, is a fictional character created in 1953 by writer Ian Fleming, who featured him in twelve novels and two short story collections. There have been a six other authors who wrote authorised Bond novels or novelizations after Fleming's death in 1964: Kingsley Amis,...
film For Your Eyes Only
For Your Eyes Only (film)
For Your Eyes Only is the twelfth spy film in the James Bond series and the fifth to star Roger Moore as the fictional MI6 agent James Bond. It marked the directorial debut of John Glen, who had worked as editor and second unit director in three other Bond films. The screenplay by Richard Maibaum...
, including action sequences set against a backdrop of various winter sports and one of the most famous ski chase sequences in film, where Roger Moore
Roger Moore
Sir Roger George Moore KBE , is an English actor, perhaps best known for portraying British secret agent James Bond in seven films from 1973 to 1985. He also portrayed Simon Templar in the long-running British television series The Saint.-Early life:Moore was born in Stockwell, London...
as Bond has to escape a crew of assassins on spike-wheeled motorcycle
Motorcycle
A motorcycle is a single-track, two-wheeled motor vehicle. Motorcycles vary considerably depending on the task for which they are designed, such as long distance travel, navigating congested urban traffic, cruising, sport and racing, or off-road conditions.Motorcycles are one of the most...
s, his route taking them all onto the bobsleigh run
Eugenio Monti track
The Eugenio Monti track is a bobsleigh and skeleton track located in Cortina d'Ampezzo, Italy. It is named after Eugenio Monti , who won six bobsleigh medals at the Winter Olympic Games between 1956 and 1968 and ten medals at the FIBT World Championships between 1957 and 1966...
. The actual town centre was the scene of the first attack on Bond and his partner Melina Havelock (Carole Bouquet
Carole Bouquet
Carole Bouquet is a French actress and fashion model, who has appeared in more than 40 films since 1977. Bouquet was born in Neuilly-sur-Seine, France....
) by two motorcyclists who attempted to run them over, only for Bond to eliminate them both. http://www.bondmovies.com/locations.shtml#drno
Audrey Hepburn
Audrey Hepburn
Audrey Hepburn was a British actress and humanitarian. Although modest about her acting ability, Hepburn remains one of the world's most famous actresses of all time, remembered as a film and fashion icon of the twentieth century...
was a frequent visitor to the slopes of Cortina.
Close to Cortina d'Ampezzo is San Vito di Cadore
San Vito di Cadore
San Vito di Cadore is a small town and comune in the province of Belluno, Veneto, northern Italy. It is located 9 km from Cortina d'Ampezzo, in the Dolomites, and is next to Monte Antelao....
.
Politics
The town voted in October 2007 to secede from the region of VenetoVeneto
Veneto is one of the 20 regions of Italy. Its population is about 5 million, ranking 5th in Italy.Veneto had been for more than a millennium an independent state, the Republic of Venice, until it was eventually annexed by Italy in 1866 after brief Austrian and French rule...
and join the neighboring region, Trentino-Alto Adige/Südtirol. Cited motivations include cultural ties with the small Ladin-speaking community in South Tyrol
South Tyrol
South Tyrol , also known by its Italian name Alto Adige, is an autonomous province in northern Italy. It is one of the two autonomous provinces that make up the autonomous region of Trentino-Alto Adige/Südtirol. The province has an area of and a total population of more than 500,000 inhabitants...
and a desire for lower taxes. The referendum is not executive and a final decision on the matter can only be taken by law of the Italian parliament with consent of both regional councils of Veneto and Trentino-Alto Adige.
Twin towns — sister cities
Cortina is twinnedTown twinning
Twin towns and sister cities are two of many terms used to describe the cooperative agreements between towns, cities, and even counties in geographically and politically distinct areas to promote cultural and commercial ties.- Terminology :...
with: Cattolica
Cattolica
Cattolica is a town and comune in the Province of Rimini, Italy, with 16,233 inhabitants.-History:Archaeological excavations show that the area was already settled in Roman times....
, Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
, since 16 March 1971 Skardu
Skardu
Skardu , is the main town of the region Baltistan and the capital of Skardu District, one of the districts making up Pakistan's Gilgit Baltistan....
, Pakistan
Pakistan
Pakistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan is a sovereign state in South Asia. It has a coastline along the Arabian Sea and the Gulf of Oman in the south and is bordered by Afghanistan and Iran in the west, India in the east and China in the far northeast. In the north, Tajikistan...
Notable people
- Lino LacedelliLino LacedelliLino Lacedelli was an Italian mountaineer.-Early life:Lacedelli was born in Cortina d'Ampezzo ....
(1925–2009), Italian mountaineer - Angelo DibonaAngelo DibonaAngelo Dibona was an Italian mountaineer. He is remembered as one of the great pioneers of climbing in the Dolomites and is responsible for many first ascents throughout the Alps. The Aiguille Dibona in France and the Campanile Dibona in Italy are named after him.-Biography:Dibona was born in...
(1879–1956), Italian mountaineer - Giovanni SiorpaesGiovanni SiorpaesGiovanni Siorpaes was an Italian mountaineer. Santo Siorpaes was his father....
(1869–1909), Italian mountaineer - Santo SiorpaesSanto SiorpaesSanto Severino Siorpaes was an Italian mountaineer....
(1832–1900), Italian mountaineer