Centro visite «La catastrofe del Vajont»
Visitor centre of the Parco Dolomiti Friulane in the former primary school in Erto: exhibitions and installations on the Vajont disaster of 9 October 1963.
Have only individual sections read aloud
About the museum
The Erto e Casso visitor centre is housed in the former primary school building in the historic centre of Erto, the same building where the first recovered victims were gathered and identified after the disaster. It is now run by the Parco Naturale Dolomiti Friulane and commemorates, over two floors, the catastrophe of 9 October 1963, when a landslide from the northern slope of Monte Toc fell into the Vajont artificial reservoir and generated waves that destroyed the villages along the lake and in the Piave valley. The Park estimates the number of victims at around 2,000.
On the ground floor a collection of historic photographs takes the valley from the period before the dam, through its construction, the filling of the reservoir and its consequences. An installation inspired by the local belief that butterflies are the souls of the dead, operated by visitors turning cranks, commemorates the children who died that night; an interactive workshop offers graphics, three-dimensional models on screen and a stereoscopic projection of the dam and the territory.
The first floor, “Uno spazio della memoria” (A space of memory), is organised into the sections Before, Impact, Emergency and Justice and includes the sensory room “9.10.1963 L’Onda” (The Wave), with sounds, vibrations, voices and seismic traces, and the room “Chiavi di memoria” (Keys of memory), built around the letters of a father who returned to the valley after the disaster.
Key themes
- Photo exhibition “Vajont: images and memories”
- “Beat of wings for memory” installation with butterflies
- Interactive workshop with 3D models and stereoscopic projection
- Sensory room “9.10.1963 L’Onda”
- “Keys of memory” room with a father’s letters
Permanent exhibitions
- Uno spazio della memoria – On the first floor, the route covers the building of the dam, the landslide, rescue operations and trials, with a sensory room and testimonies.
- Vajont: immagini e memorie – On the ground floor, historic photographs of the valley, the butterfly installation and an interactive workshop.
- Operated by
- Parco Naturale Regionale delle Dolomiti Friulane
- Visitors per year
- approx. 9,143
Admission & discounts
| Adults | €5 |
|---|---|
| Reduced | €3Children aged 6 to 12 and people over 70 |
| Children & teens | €3free up to age 5 · Children aged 6 to 12 |
| Seniors | €3People over 70 |
| Visitors with disabilities | freeFree admission for people with disabilities |
Accessibility
- Wheelchair accessible: no information
- Elevator: no information
- Accessible restroom: no information
- Accessible parking: no information
- Service dogs welcome: no information
- Tactile models & exhibits: no information
- Sign language tours: no information
- Easy-to-read materials: no information
- Audio description: no information
People with disabilities enter free of charge; the website does not describe the building’s accessibility, so it is advisable to call the Park.
Kids & families
The museum hasn’t published any information on this.
Getting there & parking
The centre is in the historic centre of Erto, at Piazzale del Ritorno 3, in the former primary school building.
Get directionsAmenities & dining
The museum hasn’t published any information on this.
Events & venue rental
The museum hasn’t published any information on this.
Plan your visit
| Good to know | The Park also offers thematic guided tours, including the walk along the crest of the Vajont dam; for information and bookings, call the Park. |
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