In 2026, Forte di Bard celebrates twenty years of activity—two decades of transformation from a military site into a cultural and tourist centre. Its outlook is firmly focused on the contemporary world, the future and the challenges facing the mountains, beginning with the crucial issue of climate change. 

A stone giant, a proud sentinel guarding the passage. Its journey continues through art, photography, history and scientific projects, along a fascinating path through the mountains of the Aosta Valley. To mark its twentieth anniversary, the Masterpieces at the Fort project has begun: every year until 2028, a major masterpiece of Italian art will be displayed in the former military chapel. The project was created to highlight unique works that tell not only of the genius of Italian masters, but also of exceptional stories and iconography. 

Three outstanding photography projects offer different perspectives on the world. A Window onto the Arctic presents work by wildlife photographer Stefano Unterthiner in the Svalbard archipelago, the northernmost inhabited lands on Earth. The focus on the environment continues with a new edition of Wildlife Photographer of the Year, the world’s most prestigious event dedicated to wildlife photography, open from 21 March to 12 July. From 24 April, a major project devoted to glaciers will feature the work of an icon: Sebastião Salgado. 

Saint John the Baptist will remain open until 6 April. The cultural programme is particularly rich at the beginning of the year. Also not to be missed, until 6 April, is Fernando Botero: Monumental Technique, an exhibition tracing the evolution of the great artist’s expressive technique through more than one hundred drawings, paintings and sculptures. It explores all the subjects dearest to him, including the influence of the great masters of the Italian Renaissance who inspired his work. 

Three outstanding photography projects offer different perspectives on the world. A Window onto the Arctic presents work by wildlife photographer Stefano Unterthiner in the Svalbard archipelago, the northernmost inhabited lands on Earth. The focus on the environment continues with a new edition of Wildlife Photographer of the Year, the world’s most prestigious event dedicated to wildlife photography, open from 21 March to 12 July. From 24 April, a major project devoted to glaciers will feature the work of an icon: Sebastião Salgado.