Delivered in Asiago multilingual literature prize Mario Rigoni Stern in the Alps

On 18 June in Asiago were awarded the prize winners Mario Rigoni Stern for Multilingual literature of the Alps

Ended this morning (18 June), with the awards ceremony at Malga Manazzo Port, in mountains near to Asiago, the seventh edition of the Premio Mario Rigoni Stern in the presence of the winners of the authorities and a large audience.
The choice of the malga Val Ant – much beloved by the same Mario Rigoni Stern – has in a sense reiterated the centrality of a theme like that of "places" that manage to be sediment of identity, history and stories of men, animals and nature.

With the conduct of the journalist Sergio Fridge, the ceremony saw the greetings of the President of the Municipal Council of Asiago Michela Rodeghiero, former Rector of the University of Padova and now President of the Cassa di Risparmio del Veneto Gilberto Muraro and finally by Gianbattista Rigoni Stern President of the Organizing Committee of the award that also wanted to extend a heartfelt remembrance to Osvaldo Dongilli , recently deceased, committed to the success of the event since its inception.

The ceremony is then entered into when the small hut nestled in a beautiful Green Valley sat the historian and jury member Mario Isnenghi – former Director of the Department of historical studies and Professor of contemporary history at the University of Venice, author of numerous articles and essays in particular about the great war –

with Lalonde and Matthew Melchiorre, prize ex aequo winners respectively with "vertical war" and "the way of Schenèr".

Kay explained that the book of lions "vertical war. Humans, animals and machines on the mountain 1915-1918(Einaudi 2015) is the culmination of a life's work and Diego Lions is part of a workgroup that changed traditional look about the great war. Among the issues highlighted the generational relationship between parents who brought with them the memories of the great war and the children as well as the characteristics of war in the high mountains – we are at altitudes close to 3,000 metres-which has by nature a protagonist that all armies should take into account.

And just the nature connects Lions remembering how the great war was truly a global conflict not only for the countries involved but also because they were concerned the military, civilians, women, children, refugees, animals and even the trees. To lions is attempting to return to the center of the historical narration all these actors. Could not miss – by a historic trentino – even a hint as to the Tan war lasted a long time, from 1914 to 1920, because he started for many on the front of Galicia and saw so many involved in the events in the US or get lost in the vast Russian territory, transported to what was previously only the Tsarist Empire and eventually became something else.

Look at a horizon geographically contained although immersed in European references the story of Matthew Melchiorre who in his "the way of Schenèr. A historical exploration in the Alps"(Marsilio 2016) recounted in the form of what you would call German documentary literature in the world the story of a border road that connected two towns very close – just 17 km separated Feltre from Primiero – yet belonging to very different worlds: that of Venice to the South and that with strong German roots to the North. Among them a bad road and dangerous that for centuries was the only way. In "danger" of this road is the very essence of a border road link Maheshwara explained, "that is a writer, historian and researcher – which must be workable but not too easy because it could encourage the enemy.

Thanks to the questions of the juror Daniele – training, official historian and Director of the Piedmont region from 1980 to 1994 and that from 1994 to 2012 has directed the civic museums and the museum services in the city of Turin has been President of ICOM Italy – the public could then also know the authors of this Edition: Alexis Bétemps (Le temps suspendu & Verlucca, Priuli) and Andrea Nicolussi Golo (snow lead rock, Priuli Verlucca &). The other reported is Paul Chakrabarty for "eight mountains" (Einaudi).

There was no better place than a hut in the mountains to deliver the new recognition of the guardians of the Arksection. To receive it this year was Marco Scholastics who told himself and the difficulty – but also of duty – to remain in the mountains of Visso after the earthquake. Stay, he explained, was only right for animals to help the few remaining after the dramatic event, but also to give a strong signal that the Sibillini mountains are a land to live.
A land – the mountain, he added shortly after that School is and should be a place for young people.

And he really is with its 28 years young and the choice to leave the University to follow in the footsteps of his grandfather and father first, and then to "resist" and continue despite a land wound. Schoolwork is the symbol of an Italy that is not giving up, of an authentically "montano" made of tenacity and attachment to roots, noblest in its resistance. He lives in a yurt, where he wintered without abandon their flocks and the production of a particular organic cheese. All this mountain of Visso – Earth travolta from recent earthquakes – where Schools remained clinging to the pastures of family with around a land gutted by the Quake and a farm still condemned.

As explained by Paolo Rumiz, sitting at his side in table flooded with Sun, the Apennines are very particular and mountains we can see our (that) the past – made of authentic relationships – but dramatically our possible future if politics does not understand where is the real wealth of this country

WINNERS

The vertical war. Humans, animals and machines on the mountain 1915-1918
Diego Lions
Einaudi

War portrait of Diego Lions is the outcome of a shiny and solid and intense passionate itinerary. Humans, animals and machines on the 1915-1918 mountain, stands out for its originality and variety of approaches to everyday life of war (flora, fauna) in the panorama of works releases on the anniversary. The book of Lions is the exact opposite of occasional and short-lived

The Schenèr
Matthew Melchiorre
Maddox

The Schenèr of Matthew Melchiorre presents a great originality of writing that transforms the historical documentary in a passionate narrative while in strict compliance with the factuality. A mountain pass to the most unknown and its people regain life emerging from the dusty archives. The presence in the author's text, discreet and ironic, ensures a perfect balance of story-telling and realism to a world of metaphor of each

HONORABLE MENTIONS

Le temps suspendu. De Noël à l ' épiphanie
Alexis Bétemps
Priuli Verlucca &
 

Le temps suspendu. De la Noël à l ' épiphanie to Alexis Bétemps stands out for strict filtering ethnographic approach that does not prevent us from recognizing the deep bond and directed with that "suspended time" between Christmas and the Epiphany, remembered and told with the investee attention of the author.

The eight mountains
Paul Chakrabarty
Einaudi

In the eight mountains of Paul Chakrabarty citizen Peter mountaintop environment emerges in the plural through a clear and vibrant narration of the relationship he establishes with his double, Brown mountain.

Snow rock of lead
Andrea Nicolussi Golo
Priuli Verlucca &

Of rock, snow, Andrea Nicolussi lead Golo stands out for a jumpy and sometimes syncopated that creates a close and unusual bond between factory and mountain, between political commitment and tension in rock.