The Association for the Heritage of the Prosecco Hills of Conegliano and Valdobbiadene has obtained double funding as part of the regional call for proposals “Interventions in favor of UNESCO sites,” promoted by the Department of Culture of the Veneto Region and included in the strategy “Strengthening the role of culture and sustainable tourism in economic development, social inclusion, and social innovation.”
The two grants, worth a total of over €990,000, will be used to support the costs of creating the Multimedia Visitor Center in Valdobbiadene, in collaboration with the municipal administration and the local tourist office, and for the regional extension of the “Narratori della Bellezza” (Storytellers of Beauty) project. They confirm the solidity of the work carried out by the Association and its ability to translate a long-term strategic vision into concrete projects with a high cultural, social, and territorial impact.
The Veneto Region is once again demonstrating its commitment to UNESCO sites by supporting, together with us, the implementation of two strategic projects with a common vision: to strengthen the sense of belonging of local communities, promote culture as a driver of sustainable and inclusive development, and build new forms of participatory governance around UNESCO values – said Marina Montedoro, president of the Association. The expected impact concerns not only the cultural and educational growth of the territories, but also the ability to generate innovative models of responsible tourism, activate local supply chains, and strengthen the UNESCO identity of the Prosecco Hills of Conegliano and Valdobbiadene at a regional and international level. These results – Montedoro continues – are the fruit of constant work in planning and building networks that the Association has been carrying out for years, in dialogue with the Veneto Region, municipalities, the Ministry of Culture, founding members, trade associations, schools, universities, and third sector organizations. The funding obtained represents a fundamental step in a long-term strategy that aims to consolidate the role of the UNESCO site of the Prosecco Hills of Conegliano and Valdobbiadene as a laboratory of good practices for the management and enhancement of cultural heritage. These two projects will be implemented in stages between 2026 and 2027. I would like to thank the Veneto Region – she concludes – which believes in our work and demonstrates this in practice. This is one of the reasons why we will continue to work hard to do our best for the Veneto region, driven by the love that inspires us every day to promote our territory.
The first project funded, worth €499,989.60, involves the creation of a Visitor Center for the UNESCO Site of the Prosecco Hills of Conegliano and Valdobbiadene, located in the former Villa dei Cedri factory in Valdobbiadene. The Visitor Center, which will be built in collaboration with the Municipality of Valdobbiadene, will be a permanent educational and information space, a reference point for local communities, schools, operators, and national and international visitors, dedicated to an innovative and accessible narrative of the universal value of the UNESCO Site.
The centerpiece of the center will be a tactile multimedia model of the area, reproducing the fifteen municipalities of the Core and Buffer Zones. The model, created using 3D printing technology based on high-definition Lidar scans in collaboration with FabLab Venezia, which has already produced a first prototype on Valdobbiadene, will be inclusive and accessible to people with visual impairments. On this basis, video mapping content with sound design and narration will be projected, dedicated to interpreting the landscape, towns, points of interest, and main geomorphological features of the World Heritage Site.
I would like to thank the Veneto Region and the Association for the Heritage of the Prosecco Hills of Conegliano and Valdobbiadene – said Luciano Fregonese, mayor of Valdobbiadene –for the opportunity to continue on the path that aims to make Villa dei Cedri, headquarters of the UNESCO Association, a true center of landscape culture in our territory. The completion of the multimedia landscape model, extended to the entire Core and Buffer Zone, will be an asset of extraordinary value for the knowledge and enhancement of the entire territory.
The Center will also house an immersive multimedia Dome, created with Fulldome.Pro technology and designed as a 360-degree experiential arena. The Dome, a dome-shaped ‘room within a room’, will offer high-resolution audiovisual content, which can be updated over time and developed with the support of Google technicians, offering immersive experiences dedicated to the landscapes, routes, cultural heritage, and food and wine of the area.
The second project, worth €494,340.00, is dedicated to actively involving the younger generation in the protection and promotion of UNESCO sites in the Veneto region. The project stems from the experience of ‘Narratori della Bellezza’ (Storytellers of Beauty), which has been active for over two years at the UNESCO site of the Prosecco Hills of Conegliano and Valdobbiadene, and has already led to the training of dozens of young people and obtained UNESCO’s international patronage in 2023. Building on these results, the project is now being extended to the regional level. The initiative consists of two integrated actions: the ‘Narratori della Bellezza – diffuso’ course, a training program replicated in all UNESCO sites in Veneto and aimed at young people under 35, and the Forum dei Giovani dei Siti UNESCO del Veneto (Veneto UNESCO Sites Youth Forum), a regional event scheduled for spring 2027. The Forum will bring together around 80 young representatives from the various UNESCO sites, together with national and international youth networks, and will lead to the drafting of the Forum Charter and the creation of the Youth Council of UNESCO Sites in Veneto as a permanent body for participation and dialogue with institutions. The aim is to strengthen the role of young people in the governance of UNESCO designations, supporting site managers in their efforts to involve the younger generation and offering participants a concrete opportunity for growth, discussion, and active participation in the sustainable development of the territories.
The projects will be developed according to a multi-year schedule, with activities and initial operational start-ups planned for 2026. The completion of the interventions is scheduled for 2027, with a view to continuity and consolidation of actions, for the benefit of local communities and the UNESCO sites in Veneto.
