The Prosecco Hills of Conegliano and Valdobbiadene proclaimed UNESCO World Heritage Site

As of today, the Prosecco Hills of Conegliano and Valdobbiadene are officially the 55th Italian "World Heritage Site”. So the UNESCO Assembly gathered in Azerbaijan declared.

Innocente Nardi - President of the Temporary Association of Purpose "The Hills of Conegliano and Valdobbiadene World Heritage Site", and of the Consortium for the Protection of Conegliano Valdobbiadene Prosecco DOCG - expressed his “profound satisfaction and immense joy at the declaration of the Hills of Conegliano and Valdobbiadene as a World Heritage Site”.

- "In Baku, the Unesco World Assembly bestowed upon our hills this coveted recognition, thereby making them the 55th Italian site to be protected and safeguarded due to the uniqueness of its cultural landscape. It is thanks to the work carried out by an exceptional team led by the governor of the Veneto Region Luca Zaia, with the contribution of the competent Ministries and impeccable work of the scientific committee - chaired by Mauro Agnoletti -, and not least, the support of the Italian Unesco Delegation, that we have achieved this goal. Speaking of goals - President Nardi added - this recognition should not be seen as a destination, but merely as an important step on a journey towards enhancing the cultural, artistic, and agricultural heritage of this small area, knownfor its principal product, Conegliano Valdobbiadene Prosecco Superiore”.

The nomination process lasted ten years, and while this journey was both long and at times difficult, not only was it in line with the average times for other registered sites, but it saw the emergence of a solid cohesion amongst the interested parties, from the various municipal administrations and trade associations, to the local entrepreneurs, right down to the area's inhabitants. It is this enthusiasm and dedication that has enabled us to achieve our objective.

"The producers that make up the Consortium of Conegliano Valdobbiadene Prosecco Docg have been the driving force and soul of the nomination" - added Innocente Nardi. - “Right from the beginning, and throughout the entire nomination process, they have never wavered in their belief in the uniqueness of our landscape, with its vineyard-embroidered hills and inaccessible slopes that require such hard and entirely manual labour. It is the commitment of generations of wine producers working in the vineyards, forging the "patchworks" that we see today, as well as the characteristic "ciglioni", which distinguish our viticulture - and therefore our territory - from others, that has led to UNESCO recognition".