| The event enjoyed the High Patronage of the President of the Italian Republic and was held under Patronages of the Italian Ministry for Cultural Heritage and Activities, ENIT - National Tourism Board and TCI - Touring Club of Italy
Over the 4 days (from Thursday to Sunday) Oropa was the setting for:
Press conferences, Presentations on projects designed to promote local facilities and editorial initiatives, Technical meetings, Educational tours, Workshops, Showings of films and documentaries, Exhibitions, Guided tours, Performances in period costume, Concerts and choral events, Tasting sessions
Fair for Institutional Exhibitors open to the public:
27 Stands located in the evocative setting of the monumental arcades of Oropa Sanctuary
48 Organisations represented on the Stands: Regione Piemonte; Provincia di Torino, ATL Turismo Torino e Provincia; Provincia di Alessandria, Alexala; Provincia di Asti, Astiturismo; Provincia di Biella, Comune di Biella, Camera di Commercio di Biella, Fondazione Cassa di Risparmio di Biella, ATL Biella; Provincia di Cuneo, Ente Turismo Alba Bra Langhe e Roero, ATL del Cuneese; Provincia di Novara, ATL della Provincia di Novara; Provincia del Verbano Cusio Ossola, Distretto Turistico dei Laghi, dei Monti e delle Valli dell'Ossola; Provincia di Vercelli, ATL della Valsesia e del Vercellese; Campania - Provincia di Salerno; Emilia Romagna - Provincia di Ravenna, Ravenna Incoming Convention & Visitors Bureau; Lazio “Via Benedicti” - Provincia di Frosinone, APT Frosinone; Sardegna - “Santu Jacu” I Comuni di San Giacomo in Sardegna; Valle d’Aosta - Regione Autonoma Valle d’Aosta, Comune di Fontainemore, Riserva Naturale del Monte Mars, Comune di Lillianes, Comune di Perloz, Comune di Pontboset, Comune di Ayas; Veneto - Comune di Monselice; Consorzi Turistici del Piemonte - Consorzio Operatori Turistici Asti e Monferrato, ValsesiaIn Operatori Turistici; Europassione per l'Italia, Associazione Teatro Popolare di Sordevolo; Opere Diocesane Pellegrinaggi Piemonte; Sacri Monti del Piemonte e della Lombardia; Associazione Europea delle Vie Francigene; Associazione Transromanica - Grande Itinerario Culturale d'Europa, Provincia di Modena; Coordinamento nazionale dei Paesi di San Vito; Sentieri Frassati, Club Alpino Italiano; Piemonte Parchi e Iniziative Editoriali
Over one thousand participants attended the packed Programme of events, not to mention the numerous visitors to the Exhibitors’ Fair who added to the normal stream of pilgrims to the Sanctuary
On Saturday 20 June, a Workshop was held in the Sant’Eusebio Gallery at Oropa Sanctuary offering International Buyers an opportunity to meet Italian and Piedmontese operators
A total of 42 Buyers from 23 countries worldwide took part in the Workshop and met about 150 organisations and tourist operators from throughout Piemonte and from other provinces and regions throughout Italy
Educational tour “Places of Worship, History and Art” reserved for the international Buyers and representatives of the Institutional Exhibitors, with destination to: Museum of the Shroud in Turin, Savoia Royal Palace and Gardens of La Venaria Reale, Ricetto di Candelo
37 speakers were involved in the various Presentations and Conferences
Press conferences and Presentations
Official opening of the Tourism Exchange 2009 and thematic presentations by the following Institutions: 100 Italian Cities Tourism Exchange, European Association of Vie Francigene, International Transromanica Association, Museum of the Shroud, Associazione Teatro Popolare di Sordevolo; Round Table “Faith, Culture and Traditions in polular representations of the Passion of Christ” managed by Europassione per l’Italia and Associazione Teatro Popolare di Sordevolo, with the participation of the Museum of the Shroud of Turin and the Italian Catholic Press Union of Piedmont
Technical meetings: training meeting for all Tourist Offer representatives managed in cooperation with ATL Biella, "Piemonte Tourism Academy" - Regione Piemonte and "Iniziative Turistiche Scarl" - Borsa delle 100 Città d'Arte d'Italia
Other Presentations included in the Programme: project “Santu Jacu - I Comuni di San Giacomo in Sardegna” managed by the co-ordinators in collaboration with the Parrocchia di San Giacomo of Biella-Piazzo; project “Cosa passa il Convento” managed by Accademia Aleramica; book “Saints on the walls - A repertory of devotional paintings in the province of Biella” managed by DocBi - Centro Studi Biellesi
Previews: Italian preview of the “Frassati Path” in the Aosta Valley, which has been inaugurated in Ayas - fraz. Saint Jaques on 21 june 2009, managed by CAI Club Alpino Italiano - Sentieri Frassati, Regione Autonoma Valle d’Aosta - Assessorato Agricoltura e Risorse naturali and Comune di Ayas; Italian preview of the book “Sentieri per lo spirito. Trekking per tutti lungo le vie della fede” (Edizioni Paoline); presentation of the mini-DVD of the Sacred Mountains of Piedmont and Lombardy - UNESCO World Heritage Site, realized by Regione Piemonte - Planning and Operating Sector for Natural Protected Areas
Exhibitions and Tours: Turin Shroud travelling Exhibition and showing of a replica exhibit of the Turin Shroud, reproduced on a life-sized cloth by the Centro Internazionale di Sindonologia in Turin; “Santu Jacu - I Comuni di San Giacomo in Sardegna” Exhibition; guided tours to the Sanctuary and Sacred Mountain of Oropa
Showings: film “La Passione di Sordevolo” realized by the film director Manuele Cecconello; mini-DVD of the Sacred Mountains of Piedmont and Lombardy - UNESCO World Heritage Site, realized by Regione Piemonte - Planning and Operating Sector for Natural Protected Areas
Performances, concerts and choral events: performances in period costume on the occasion of the presentation of the project “Cosa passa il Convento” managed by Accademia Aleramica; Holy Mass with vocal-backing by the Fontainemore Choir; on the occasion of the International Festival of Ancient Music “Gaudete!”: theatrical and musical performance “Maria Gaetana Agnesi, Scienziata di Dio”, managed by Associazione Triacamusicale and Fondazione Tera; on the occasion of the international event "Festival of Music": performances and tours at the Santuario e Sacro Monte di Oropa, in collaboration with Archivio di Stato di Biella, Museo del Territorio Biellese and UPBeduca
Social events:
Reserved to Buyers: the Welcome Dinner at Palazzo La Marmora - Piazzo of Biella; a tasting session at Caffetteria “Il Bicerin” in Turin; lunch at “Cascina di Corte” Restaurant in Venaria; buffet dinner at “La Taverna del Ricetto” Restaurant in Candelo; a buffet lunch in Royal Apartments at Oropa Sanctuary
Open to all: three “Menabrea Moments” with tasting sessions of the famous beer made in Biella served with typical products managed by Associazione Teatro Popolare di Sordevolo and Provincia di Biella and with typical Valdostani products managed by Comune di Fontainemore and other Municipalities of Aosta Valley; the final dinner at “Croce Bianca” Restaurant in Oropa; tasting sessions of typical products managed by Sapori Biellesi
Training sessions:
29 students from the Istituti Turistici Biellesi “E. Bona” e “P. Sella”, “E. Zegna” took part in the event as back-up staff for the Organising Secretariat
The free shuttle bus from Biella/Oropa was run throughout the event in collaboration with Biella City Council Transport Department and ATAP SpA
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