The Women Who Shaped Cortina’s Olympic History

In 1956, Cortina d’Ampezzo made history by hosting the first Winter Olympic Games in Italy. Behind that extraordinary event, which brought the world to the Dolomites, there were many women: athletes, organizers, journalists, race judges, and protagonists of the cultural and social life of an Olympics destined to become legendary.

Seventy years later, this meeting pays tribute to those pioneers of sport and society, women who, with determination and passion, contributed to designing, organizing, and experiencing the Olympic Games of 1956.

A journey into memory through stories, testimonies, and reflections that bring to light often forgotten narratives: women who paved the way for future generations, leaving a deep mark in the history of sport and the Ampezzan community.

The protagonists of the meeting will be Antonella Stelitano, a writer and journalist specializing in sports history, Paola Roma, Councillor for Social Affairs and Sport of the Veneto Region, and Manuela Angeli, a local athlete from the 1956 Olympic Games who, at just sixteen years old, represented Italy in figure skating, becoming a symbol of a generation of young sportswomen.

A dialogue between past and future to celebrate the female contribution in sports, culture, and the construction of an event that continues to inspire the world today.

A special appointment on International Women's Day, to remember that the history of the Olympics is also a story of women.

Free admission – no reservation required

With a foreword by Olympic champion Deborah Compagnoni.