My previous blog described the good (the amazing mountain views), the bad (the danger of hiking those craggy peaks) and the ugly (my dirty hiking feet!!) of our trip hiking the Alps of South Tyrol in northern Italy. Our hike ended near the beautiful city of Bolzano, Italy. We visited the South Tyrol Museum of Archaeology to witness the preserved body of Otzi the Iceman, He is the glacier mummy from the Copper Age (over 5,000 years ago!) that had been so well preserved that his clothing and tools were still intact. I was keen to see him as I had just read about him in the National Geographic and my students at that time had just studied him. What an exciting experience it was for me to put my feet in a mold of his feet – our feet and height were the same but our lives were drastically different.
After our visit to the archaeology museum, we drove to The Messner Mountain Museum whose home is in the ruins of the Sigmundskron Castle. It is one of the oldest castles in South Tyrol and is a great example of fortified construction of the 900’s AD. It fell into ruins over the centuries and only a few structures remained. However, in the 1950’s a massive political protest of 30,000 citizens convinced their government to honor the provisions of the Paris Agreement which would allow separate autonomy for South Tyrol. Success of this movement allowed the Bozen provincial authority over the castle ruins.
I had not heard of the mountain climber Reinhold Messner before this trip, but I soon learned that he was famous for making the first ascent of Mt. Everest without supplemental oxygen. He also was the first to cross Antarctica and Greenland without snowmobiles nor dog sleds. He also crossed the Gobi Desert alone. I’ve since purchased several of his books and am a big fan!!!! “On the mountain, I never took two steps at once. If you want to go beyond existing limits, you have to proceed slowly, surely and constantly, step by step. Anyone who is in a hurry and misses out a step will stumble sooner or later” Reinhold Messner. He must be talking about my art work – I’m much too impatient and get frustrated too easily! I guess I should slow down a bit and quite stumbling!!
Messner orchestrated the creation of six museums in the Dolomite Alps that introduces visitors to the history and art of mountaineering. They also hold collections of Tibetan art and every day Tibetan objects.. His goal is to provide an opportunity for cultural exchange and connect mountain people from all over the world. Our visit to Sigmundskron Castle was extremely calm, quiet and respectful. Each edifice was adorned in a very minimalist fashion with simple, yet elegant, art.
For more information, visit: www.messner-mountain-museum.it/en/firmian/museum
In my next blog I’ll take you on a journey to Iceland. A land of green turf and majestic waterfalls. Do you believe in Trolls and Sea Monster???
