ORGANIZING AND HOSTING INSTITUTIONS

The Sesia Val Grande UNESCO Global Geopark (Regione Piemonte, Italy) offers an overview on nature and culture of some of the most attractive tourist areas of the Western Alps, from the Monte Rosa massif to the Lake Maggiore. Its geodiversity includes landforms and Earth’s materials of the last 500 million years, recalling processes that formed the Alps and deformed the Earth's crust, including its deepest features. The Geopark landscapes also show an environmental record of past and present climate changes and their effects: from glaciations to global warming.

The Sesia Val Grande geoheritage is of great scientific, economic and social relevance. The Geopark motto "Where stone becomes culture" is a recognition of the importance of the local stones in the cultural landscape and architectural achievements, such as the Milan Cathedral. Moreover, the local Walser culture, from alpine people experiencing Little Ice Age (1450-1850) and having a proactive behaviour towards climate changes, gives to the geopark a sustainable perspective for enhanced tourism, public engagement and environmental educational activities.