Cortina d’Ampezzo once again become the center of the sporting world. But while the modern infrastructure prepares for the adrenaline of contemporary competition, the new photographic book ‘CORTINA‘ invites us to take a step back — or rather, a step to the side — to observe the town through a lens that ignores the stopwatch.
Historically known as a meeting point for aristocrats, artists, and athletes, Cortina possesses a rare ability: staying true to itself despite epochal changes. The shots featured in the volume document a location where nature — sometimes gentle, sometimes imposing — dictates the rules of living, and where residents simply adapt with a distinctly Italian sense of grace. From the peaks of the Cristallo to the long shadows on the Tofane slopes, the photography in this project captures the “Queen of the Dolomites” not as a tourist postcard, but as a “living archive“.
“Cortina carries that special something… The village has this rare ability to feel both cinematic and real. It’s about how people move, dress, gather, and live within the mountains. There’s an elegance here that’s effortless and beautiful to witness.”
The heart of the book beats in the silent comparison between two eras. Cortina occupies a unique place in sporting history for having hosted the 1956 Winter Olympics, a moment that defined the town’s architecture and imagery. The photographs collected in this work were taken in a period preceding the current Olympic rush, capturing that “calm before the storm” where the repetition of daily gestures becomes a form of meditation: sitting in the same bars, walking the same paths, and embracing outdoor life as the norm.
Today, as the Olympics knock on the valley’s door once more, a fascinating parallelism emerges. If in ’56 Cortina represented Italy’s modern debut on the global winter stage, today the town confirms its role as the guardian of an elegance that doesn’t feel the need to chase modernity at all costs. The book highlights exactly this: the charm of “slowness” and resisting tradition, where historic buildings coexist with the primary colors of technical gear against the pristine white of the snow.
The images explore the shifting light of the winter season, from the intimate glow of Christmas to the sharp clarity of February and March. It is a Cortina that feels “cinematic yet real“, where elegance is not manufactured but emerges spontaneously in the way people inhabit the mountains. This volume is not just a celebration of photography, but an invitation to recognize that “certain magic” that keeps generations returning to these slopes.
“What we love is the balance: historic buildings next to everyday life & primary colours against snow. The pace is slower, and that’s exactly the charm—the repetition becomes calming, being outside is the norm.” -Arturo + Bamboo
For further information Arturo-bamboo.com.
