To make the idea of discovering Cortina’s Olympic past even more intriguing, we would like to suggest a route that will take you to the settings for the adventures in the Ampezzo valley of the most alluring secret agent in the world of cinema: his name is Bond, James Bond!
The list of fantastic, exotic international locations that have been lucky enough to host the exploits of the most famous secret agent in the world is virtually infinite, and there is no way that the Queen of the Dolomites could be missing. Cortina proved to be the perfect set for the twelfth chapter in the celebrated cinematographic saga, For Your Eyes Only, 1981, directed by John Glen. In this film, 007 was played by Roger Moore for the fifth time. He would be James Bond for another two films before abandoning the role.
The plot of the film was loosely adapted from two stories, Risico and For Your Eyes Only, in a collection by Ian Fleming that also has this latter title. The production largely fell back onto the usual clichés linked to 007, such as the pseudo-realistic Cold War context, the love-interest sub-plots, scenes of torture that do not have very much relevance to the narrative, and the international and exotic settings. The title song performed by Sheena Easton and the vertiginous action sequences filmed amidst Cortina d’Ampezzo’s sports facilities were particularly memorable.
This mountain resort seems to have been selected principally for the wide range of opportunities that it offers for superb panoramic views and adrenaline-charged sequences: the downhill skiing pistes could be used for high-speed chases with off-piste interludes amidst pine trees, and vast expanses of white snow, while the sports facilities dating back to the 1956 Winter Olympics were also ideal for the same purpose.
So Cortina and its Olympic facilities had no problem in conquering even the legendary secret agent James Bond, but this was not the first time in which the ski-jump, the ice stadium, the Olympia piste and the bobsleigh track had been immortalised on film. In fact their first appearance was actually in 1956, in Vertigine Bianca (White Vertigo), the official documentary of the VII Winter Olympics, produced by Istituto Luce and still available on the official page accessible from this link.
It is a film well worth watching, recommended for everyone who likes the idea of a full immersion in Cortina’s Olympic past, while awaiting the next edition!
- RECOMMENDED DAILY TOUR (from December to April) -
Take a look at the map of the locations in the film which makes it easy to find the recommended places!