It was in the air, now it's official: the Prosecco hills of Conegliano and Valdobbiadene, in Veneto, are a UNESCO World Heritage Site. This was decreed in Baku, Azerbaijan, by the UNESCO World Heritage Committee made up of representatives of states who have the task of evaluating the candidacy of sites. The "toast" of satisfaction from the Foreign Minister, Enzo Moavero Milanesi, immediately arrived on Twitter: "Thanks to their unique scenic, cultural, agricultural beauty and the great promotional team work of the country-system", reads the tweet from the Farnesina .
After winning the Milan-Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics, another important international recognition arrives for Italy, once again the result of effective teamwork at an institutional level: this time the blue team convinced Unesco after last year's controversy, when the same dossier was rejected, by only two votes (from Spain and Norway). The candidacy of the renowned town in Northern Italy started way back in 2010, only to be re-launched two years ago by the then Minister for Agricultural Policies Maurizo Martina. And so, after the art of Neapolitan pizza makers, Italy still conquers a Unesco heritage. Also decisive was the contribution of the Veneto Region with the president Luca Zaia, and of the long-time manager Franco Bernabé, president of the Italian National Commission for UNESCO for three years (interviewed by FIRST Arte).
The result thus rewards the land that produces the now famous sparkling wine, which has also conquered foreign markets, thanks to its 30 square kilometers of hills covered with vineyards as far as the eye can see, now recognized as a World Heritage Site, like other pearls of this part of Italy like the Dolomites and the Venice Lagoon. Of the 464 million bottles of Doc sold last year, produced on over 24 thousand hectares of vineyards between Veneto and Friuli Venezia Giulia, about 2 out of 3 were sold abroad where Great Britain - Coldiretti points out - is by far the country that consumes the most. And the record 21% increase in sales confirms that Prosecco is the most exported made in Italy wine.
In the official description of Unesco, we read that "the area includes a series of hill ranges, which run from east to west, and which follow one after the other from the plains to the Pre-Alps, equidistant from the Dolomites and from the Adriatic, which has a positive effect on the climate and the countryside. If Conegliano hosts many institutes related to wine, Valdobbiadene is instead the productive heart of the wine area. The steep slopes of the hills make it difficult to mechanize the work and consequently the management of the vineyards has always been in the hands of small producers. It is thanks to this large, peaceful army of workers and thanks to the love of their land that it was possible to preserve these beautiful hills and create a strong bond between man and the countryside. The result of this strong link is an extraordinary example of how this ancient culture is deeply rooted in its land".
With today's nomination, the primacy of theItaly, which boasts the largest number of sites recognized worldwide: the Belpaese can in fact count on many treasures registered in the representative list of the intangible cultural heritage of Unesco, such as the Opera dei pupi (registered in 2008), the Canto a Tenor (2008), the Mediterranean Diet (2010), the The art of the violin in Cremona (2012), the shoulder machines for the procession (2013), the sapling vine of Pantelleria (2014), the art of Neapolitan pizza makers (2017), the Falconeria (an initiative in which Italy participates together with 17 other countries) and from November 2018 the Art of dry stone walls, on the basis of the application submitted together with Croatia, Cyprus, France, Greece, Slovenia, Spain and Switzerland.
Etile Carpenè, President of the historic Carpenè Malvolti company, he proudly comments on Unesco's recognition of the Veneto region and recalls “the farsighted intuition and prospective vision that the founder of the company – Antonio Carpenè – had in enhancing an environment initially devoid of vineyards, but which has always been rich in winemaking tradition.
“He would certainly be proud of the work accomplished in 150 years by the Viticulturists of the Territory – he explains – and of how they have been able to change the socio-economic fate of their families, making these lands, which in 1853 counted only one vineyard, a national pride. Even more significant is the fact that this recognition comes on the 95th anniversary of the first inscription of the term Prosecco on the label.
A determination made in 1924 by the second Generation - Etile Carpenè - to give the sparkling wine, which the Founder Antonio in 1868 had produced for the first time with the grapes of the native Glera vine, a precise identity and a specific geographical location".
Enthusiastic for his part Gianluca Bisol at the head of the company that planted its roots here centuries ago who says he is "honored and moved". “We are honored by this historic result achieved for the area and we thank our governor Luca Zaia who was the first to believe us that he spent every last minute to achieve this other wonderful result for our Prosecco Superiore! Our family, which has been taking care of these hills for 21 generations, is enthusiastic and participates in this success. Success that is destined to increasingly spread the excellence of our hills and therefore the excellence of the bubbles that derive from these slopes and soils. Prosecco Superiore - adds Bisol - which is born in the 15 municipalities of the DOCG was, due to its extraordinary quality, the spark that it has made known not only Prosecco Superiore, but also our landscape culture all over the world. There is no other 'wine-landscape' in the world that in thirty years has made such a qualitative-quantitative record on the world market, going from 25 million to almost 600 million bottles, including our younger brother produced on the plains in these numbers. From the top of our Cartizze hill, we can only rejoice as we raise our glasses with friends who, day after day, have confirmed the goodness of Prosecco Superiore on a global level, from the most beautiful tables in Italy to those in London, New York and Shanghai . Like Bisol1542 and the Lunelli Group, we are honored that each of our labels, each sip of our wines, conveys the heart, the essence of these hills, a World Heritage Site”.
The inclusion of the Prosecco hills among the World Heritage sites will also be an important opportunity to increase the presence of food and wine tourism in this territory; a phenomenon that today alone in Italy drives a turnover of around 2,5 billion euros (source 2019 Report on Wine Tourism in Italy by the National Association of Wine Cities and the University of Salerno) confirming how much it represents a decisive element when choosing a travel destination but even more how it is proposed as a strategic resource for the development of the country.
"This worldwide recognition - comments the national president of Confagricoltura - will be an extraordinary driving force for the wine sector, which is facing important challenges to increase its competitiveness, but also for the entire agricultural world, which has a further chance to make the world the excellence of Made in Italy wine and agri-food".
"The recognition is a goal that can exponentially increase the attention towards Prosecco and tourists towards this portion of the territory and, as a result, throughout the Veneto region - he adds Lodovico Giustiniani, president of Confagricoltura Veneto -. We have the responsibility to protect this landscape of unique beauty and to offer the best hospitality to all those who want to get to know our hills. We accredit ourselves to be the true reference of wine tourism and we are ready to offer a welcome at the highest levels in terms of accommodation, cellars, catering and visits to the vineyards.
