Cuisine and solidarity: the shelter that gives work to migrants

It comes right from the mountain, the natural barrier par excellence, a response in the opposite direction to those who want to build walls in Europe. A response of openness and inclusion, through hospitality and especially the kitchen. The Carducci Refuge in Veneto, already protagonist of the "Dolomites without borders" initiative, a 90 km high-altitude route that ignores the borders between Austria and Italy, was among the winners of the first edition of “Cook Awards” for having given work, as cooks, to some migrants.

"The Carducci is an open refuge: here we believe that no one is a foreigner", commented Giuseppe Monti known as Bepi, manager of the structure located at an altitude of 2.300 meters, a few steps from the Tre Cime di Lavaredo (Auronzo di Cadore, in the province of Belluno ), And winner in the category "Sustainable project", which rewards those who create culture, awareness and sharing through gastronomy.

Among the various stories emerges that of Sekou, 18: fled in 2017 from Gambia, crossed the Mediterranean on one of those dinghies that fill – often tragically – the political chronicles. Pardoned by the sea, he then found redemption in the mountains: for a year he has lived in Auronzo where he is a baker, in the village in winter and at high altitudes in summer. “In my village – says the young man – I had learned to make bread in a small bakery, it's a passion I've always had. I thank the Carducci refuge which trusted me, making me feel like one of the family right away".

“The arrival of 18 African boys for the first time – added Monti – as one can imagine has created fear and distrust in a small town in the Veneto region like Auronzo di Cadore. But thanks to some friends an Italian course was organized and within a few months everyone found work in the restaurants and hotels of the town. We brought Sekou here with us because we needed a dishwasher and, if necessary, an assistant cook. The bread surprise arrived a few months ago: we gave him a test kneading six loaves by hand and we were thrilled. Now he is our official baker and today the most requested product, together with the historic dumplings, is his bread”.

In fact, Carducci is also famous for its good cuisine: the main dish of the refuge (open in the summer from June to early October and offering 54 beds) is the famous "trio di canederli", typical dish of Trentino Alto-Adige of which Bepi Monti is considered a master (“According to a specialized German magazine, here you can eat the best of the Dolomites”, he reveals), and those made with nettles stuffed with gorgonzola, with a cream of cheese and walnuts on top.

So even in a place as suggestive as it is impervious and difficult to reach (the Carducci is one of the few refuges that can only be reached on foot), it is possible spreading values ​​such as hospitality, solidarity and at the same time cooking, with which the refuge has an increasingly strong link: the construction of the walls dates back to 1908, but only in 1978 the dining room and services were modernized and expanded and in 2014 the dining room was completely renovated again transforming it, as needed, even in the classroom.