From November 21, 2025 to March 29, 2026, the Salce Collection National Museum in Treviso is hosting the exhibition A Magical Winter. White Emotions from the Salce Collection, curated by Elisabetta Pasqualin from a concept by Sergio Campagnolo. The exhibition, which takes place in the museum’s two venues, Santa Margherita and San Gaetano, is part of a project promoted by the Ministry of Culture and shared with the National Museum of Palazzo Besta in Teglio, Valtellina. The two exhibitions, united by the same common thread and included in the Milan Cortina 2026 Cultural Olympics program, explore the evolution of winter sports and their impact on society, the economy and the Alpine landscape.
A Magical Winter reconstructs the profound transformation that affected the mountains of Veneto and Belluno and the very perception of the cold season. For centuries, winter was considered a difficult time, marked by poverty, isolation and daily obstacles, especially for mountain communities. Over time, however, the mountains themselves were transformed into places of attraction and well-being, where sports and tourism made the cold season a long-awaited and celebrated time. This exhibition chronicles this epochal transition, showing how snow and frost became symbols of beauty and fun, protagonists of collective and individual experiences.
The exhibition takes visitors on a journey through high-altitude atmospheres, snowy landscapes, ski resorts, and festive moments. It is told how skiing and winter sports, from pioneering activities reserved for the few, gradually spread to become accessible and beloved practices for an increasingly wide public. Alongside the sporting dimension, cultural and social dimensions also emerge, represented by the birth of Christmas markets and new forms of aggregation that helped redefine the identity of mountain communities.
The Salce Collection holds Italy’s most important collection of historical posters, and these very materials are the focus of the exhibition. Many of the posters on display had never before been presented to the public, and they document with visual force the evolution of costume and society. One section is devoted to the so-called Christmas Movies, the highly successful film productions accompanied by posters signed by Renato Casaro, one of Italy’s best-known poster designers. Through the graphic works emerges the collective imagination built around the winter season and Alpine sports, an imagery that continues to influence contemporary visual culture.
The exhibition goes beyond the figurative dimension alone and includes a wide selection of historical materials and original objects. Video documents, sports memorabilia, boots and period equipment tell the story of the birth and development of the boot industry in the Treviso area, which has become a world-class center of excellence. An industrial sector that contributed to the economic transformation of the region and accompanied the growth of winter sports, supporting the exploits of the greatest international champions. Prominent among the exhibits are materials from the Museum of Emigration in Belluno and the Sportsystem Boot and Sports Shoe Museum in Montebelluna.
An important symbol of the exhibition is the 1956 Olympic Torch, which introduces the section devoted to the first Italian edition of the Winter Games, hosted in Cortina d’Ampezzo. The object becomes the starting point for a narrative linking the historical legacy of past Olympics with the emotions and expectations related to the Milan Cortina 2026 Games. The San Gaetano venue will also display the winning posters of the call for entries promoted by the Ministry of Culture and reserved for young people, dedicated to the creation of a contemporary Olympic poster.
“the Salce Museum,” says its director Elisabetta Pasqualin, “opens its doors to an exhibition that aims to tell the story of winter in all its aspects, hard and difficult when nature was stepmotherly, exciting and fun when winter sports turned out to be an important resource. To crown the tale obviously cannot miss the posters of the collection, from which starts the red thread that links the extraordinariness of the tale of the mountains and the 1956 Cortina Olympic Games to the emotions of those of Milan Cortina 2026.”
The project will continue in 2026 with the second exhibition of the cycle, VETTE. Stories of Sports and Mountains, hosted at Palazzo Besta in Teglio from Jan. 27 until the end of August. The exhibition, articulated between indoor and outdoor spaces, focuses on the link between mountains, sports and culture, and is structured in three major thematic sections: the history of the Olympics and Paralympics and winter sports; the evolution of sports tourism and its impact on the alpine landscape and the collective imagination; and the role of women in Olympic and Paralympic competitions, with an in-depth look at female champions and challenges. The itinerary also includes a site-specific installation created in the palace garden by nationally renowned Valtellina artists, designed to stimulate reflection on the relationship between man, nature and the future.
The overall project is promoted by the Ministry of Culture through the Veneto Regional Directorate of National Museums and the Salce Collection National Museum, in collaboration with the Museum of Emigration and the Sportsystem Museum. The Veneto Region and the Chamber of Commerce of Treviso and Belluno contributed to the project, with sponsorship from the City of Treviso, Confindustria Veneto Est, the Sportsystem Foundation, RAI Veneto and the Cultural Olympiad of the Milan Cortina 2026 Federation.
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| A Magical Winter: Salce Museum (Treviso) exhibition chronicles a century of alpine sports and culture |
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