The exhibition ‘Italian Routes. Montagne, alpinismo, cambiamenti climatici‘ (Mountains, mountaineering, climate change) intends to communicate to an international audience the great Italian tradition linked to mountain culture and mountaineering as a means of understanding the mountain territory, the values of which this environment is the bearer, the importance of environmental awareness in the practices of accessing natural habitats and the Italian focuses on the defence of ecosystems.
The central part of the exhibition, ‘Montagne Italiane’ (Italian Mountains), is an ideal voyage that from the Gran Paradiso group goes through the entire Alpine arc from west to east, crossing the massifs of Mont Blanc, Mount Rosa and Cervino, Bernina, Ortles-Cevedale and Adamello, moving on to the Dolomites and the Julian Alps in the east. The Italian route ends with a ninth stage dedicated to the main Apennine mountain group, the Gran Sasso.
Each of the nine mountain groups is represented by large-format photographs that highlight their evocative landscape aspects and by comparative historical and contemporary images that highlight the evolution of the glacial masses, underlining the effects of climate change on the mountain landscape. Each group is accompanied by an introduction panel illustrating its geographical, historical and geo-glaciological characteristics, together with a suggested itinerary. Finally, each mountain section is enriched by reproductions of documents and historical material on the first alpine explorations.
The photographic section is accompanied by video recordings of the expedition ‘On the Trails of the Glaciers – Alps 2020’, made in the same places of the nine proposed stages. A section displays historical and modern mountaineering equipment in comparison.
The final section of the exhibition, ‘A Look at the World‘, extends the perspective to the Earth’s most important mountain ranges, underlining the continuity of mountain culture at a global level. Beauty, awareness and respect for the environment are the great topics developed by the mountaineering culture starting from the Alps, extending them over the years in worldwide explorations. Retracing the steps of the project On the Trail of the Glaciers (Karakorum 2009, Caucasus 2011, Alaska 2013, Andes 2016, Himalayas 2018), this section shows a representative image of each mountain chain, with two photographic comparisons on the variations of the glacial masses. The photographs are accompanied by trailers of the documentaries made during the five expeditions.
