As part of the Pelmo d’Oro Award established by the Province of Belluno, the television presenter was chosen by the jury to receive a special prize dedicated to the “UNESCO Dolomites”. Massimiliano Ossini was praised in the citation for his “ability to describe the Dolomites and the mountains to the general public, communicating his passion for these wonderful places and urging us to reflect on the ideas of sustainability, respect and slowness in our approach to the environment around us.”
All award winners for 2019
The 22nd edition of the Pelmo d’Oro Award was held in Chies d’Alpago. Tribute was paid to the “Chies e le sue montagne” (Chies and its Mountains) event, which has offered tales and insights into the mountains and their inhabitants over the last eighteen years. Stefano Santomaso from Agordo received the prize for active mountaineering, Lorenzo Lorenzi from Cortina was rewarded for a career in mountaineering, and the Venetian author Armando Scandellari received the prize for Alpine culture. We could not fail to offer thanks to all the volunteers who worked during Storm Vaia: a special symbolic award was presented to the young people who wrote “Belluno Raises its Voice“, a piece of music that brought the people of Belluno together in a spirit of solidarity. The award named after the doctor and mountaineer Giuliano De Marchi went to the memory of Maudi De March, a young mountain enthusiast, member of the CNSAS, journalist and organiser of the “Chies and its Mountains” exhibition, who fell to an early death during a climb in 2012. There was also a special mention for the magazine “Archivio Storico di Belluno, Feltre e Cadore”, an important cultural reference point for the province of Belluno since 1929.
Not just views
The 22nd edition of the Pelmo d’Oro also referred to conquest, memory, culture and solidarity. Equally important, however, is the way it can promote mountain values, not only in terms of beauty and not just for tourist purposes. The jury for the special UNESCO Dolomites prize wished to emphasise this aspect of Massimiliano Ossini: “Whenever he leaves the hustle and bustle of the city, and starts to climb and take in the amazing panorama of nature, he finds silence in the rocks and the far horizons: a teacher beyond price who teaches him to love, understand, and look within himself.” Ossini often described this relationship with the mountains in his first book: “Kalipè. Lo spirito della montagna. La mia Vita, le mie Vette e la Ricerca della Felicità” (Kalipè. The Spirit of the Mountains. My Life, my Peaks and the Pursuit of Happiness) (Rai Libri). The word “kalipè”, with which Ossini often concludes his broadcasts, is used in the Himalayan region and means “slow pace”, and can become a way of life, and a touchstone for one’s relationship with oneself and with others. “A hymn to silence, to nature, and to life”, as the author himself describes it.