On Thursday 13 February, a press conference was held at the GO Centre in Gorizia for the presentation of the feasibility study of Mount Sabotino. The study, carried out within the framework of the INTERREG ITA-SLO Walk of Peace+ project, also thanks to the agreements and availability offered by Onor Caduti, is the initial part of a larger programme that also involves the INTERREG ITA-SLO BeWoP project and aims at the redevelopment of the Italian side of Mount Sabotino from the historical, cultural and environmental point of view. Like the Slovenian side, in fact, the Italian side of Mount Sabotino, with the Sacred Zone and the plurality of caves and trenches, especially in the area close to the current border with Slovenia, is rich in relics from the Great War which, once cleaned up and made usable, could become an integral part of the Walk of Peace route and, together with the Peace Park already present on the other side, give life to a cross-border open-air museum.
The recent recognition of the Biotope also makes it important to enhance this area from an environmental point of view.
After the customary greetings by the civil and military authorities, as well as by the management control and the project partners involved, Dr Marco Pascoli, editor of the study and director of the Great War Museum in Ragogna, took the floor in the first person and illustrated, also using photographic and cartographic material what was reported in the study thanks to the observations made on site and highlighted the criticalities and possible interventions to be carried out both for the creation of two rings, of different complexity, suitable for tourists and hikers, and for the possible accessibility also in the field of cycling. The redevelopment of the military barracks still present and the accessibility of the area in front of it, subject to authorisation by the military authority, would also open up the possibility of themed events open to the public, which would certainly contribute to the development of tourism and greater visibility of the site.
This study will serve as a starting point for the first part of the work already budgeted within the BeWop project and as a starting point for future planning.
After leaving room for questions and greetings, participants were invited to take part in a farewell buffet.
