For three days, from April 28 to 30, 2026, the Ormea Forestry School served as the national capital of young mountain talent; the National Competition for Educational Institutions “Agriculture, Rural Development, Enhancement of Local Products, and Management of Forest and Mountain Resources” was held.
Last year’s victory in Feltre by Matteo Allione, a student in the current fifth grade, brought the Race to Ormea and the best students from seven institutes spread across the national territory: IIS “Premer” of Pinerolo (Turin), IIS “Meneghini” of Edolo (Brescia), IIS “Cecchi” of Pesaro, IIS “Della Lucia” of Feltre (Belluno), IIS “Parolini” of Bassano del Grappa (Vicenza), IIS “Cerletti” of Conegliano (Treviso) and IIS “Fanfani – Camaiti” of Pieve Santo Stefano (Arezzo).
In addition to the competition, the three days were an opportunity for study, meetings, visits, and mutual understanding between both students and teachers. The program was packed with events, combining the rigor of theoretical and practical tests with moments of discovery of the local landscape, offering young participants a unique exchange of perspectives on mountain resource management.
During the gala dinner on April 29th in the Aula Magna “Cinzia Benedetto” of the Forestry School, there were moments dedicated to excellence and opportunities related to forestry, and the Institute’s 40th anniversary was celebrated again. The new wine “Roots and Future” produced by the Ormea School was presented, and three scholarships were awarded The first is named after the masters of labor Giovanna Elena Bruzzo and Giovanni Ghisoli, the other two are dedicated to the memory of Professor Daniela Garelli, a professor at the Ormea Institute who passed away prematurely last year.
The competition was won by student Gianluca Palanca of the “Cecchi” Institute in Pesaro, who will then bring the national competition to the town in the Marche region and its mountain school, which, uniquely in Italy, is on the shores of the Adriatic Sea.
