Cortina d'Ampezzo

Cortina d'Ampezzo (Italian: [korˈtiːna damˈpɛttso]; local Ladin: Anpezo, elsewhere Ampëz; historical Austrian German: Hayden), often abbreviated to Cortina, is a town and comune (municipality) in the province of Belluno, in the Veneto region of Northern Italy. Situated on the Boite river, in an alpine valley in the heart of the southern Dolomitic Alps, it is an upscale summer and winter sport resort known for its skiing trails, scenery, accommodation, shops and its jet-set-dominated après-ski scene. It is part of the linguistic and cultural region of Ladinia. The town's Latin motto, granted in 1928 on its flag and coat of arms, reads: MODO VIVO AC TUTA QUIESCO (roughly, "I live frugally and rest quietly".)

During the Middle Ages, Cortina d'Ampezzo fell under the jurisdiction of the Patriarchate of Aquileia and the Holy Roman Empire. In 1420 it was conquered by the Republic of Venice. From 1508, it then spent much of its history under Habsburg rule, briefly undergoing some territorial changes under Napoleon, before being returned to the Austrian Empire (later Austria-Hungary), which held it until 1918. From the 19th century, Cortina d'Ampezzo became a regional centre for crafts. The local handmade products were appreciated by early British and German holidaymakers as tourism emerged in the late 19th century. Among the specializations of the town were crafting wood for furniture, the production of tiled stoves, and iron, copper and glass items.

Today, the local economy thrives on tourism, particularly during the winter season, when the population of the town typically increases from about 7,000 to 40,000. The Basilica Minore dei Santi Filippo e Giacomo was built between 1769 and 1775 on the site of two former 13th- and 16th-century churches; it is home to the parish and the deanery of Cortina d'Ampezzo. The town also contains the Rinaldo Zardini Palaeontology Museum, the Mario Rimoldi Modern Art Museum, and the Regole of Ampezzo Ethnographic Museum.

Although Cortina d'Ampezzo was unable to go ahead with the scheduled 1944 Winter Olympics because of World War II, it hosted the Winter Olympics in 1956 and subsequently hosted a number of world winter-sports events. In 2026, Cortina d'Ampezzo hosted the Winter Olympics for a second time, co-hosting with Milan. The town is home to SG Cortina, a top league professional ice hockey team, and is also the start and end point of the annual Dolomites Gold Cup Race.

Several films have been shot in the town, most notably The Pink Panther (1963), For Your Eyes Only (1981), and Cliffhanger (1993).