The New Vision - Supplements

The Duke of Abruzzi.

Climbers on Stanley glaciers on the Rwenzoris in 1906.
Below the Rwenzoris 100 years later

100 years after the Duke of Abruzzi climbed the Rwenzoris

AS Italians celebrate the Republic of Italy’s 60th birthday, both the Italians and Ugandans will in a special way hold centennial celebrations to remember the climbing of Mt. Rwenzori, by Luigi Amedeo of Savoy, the Duke of Abruzzi.

“As Italians hold their independence day, their government and that of Uganda is honouring the ‘scientific climbing’ of the Rwenzoris,” says an Italian official.

The joint expedition that included the Italian Duke together with local potters, started co-operation that has continued between the countries. This year’s celebrations are to enhance this co-operation.

It is further intended to encourage the respective citizens to visit the Rwenzori ranges to explore the unique resource that their ancestors have since echoed to the world.

Last June, a meeting of stakeholders of the Rwenzoris established three committees, in preparation for the celebrations this year. The committees for field activities, publicity and protocol and that for finance are co-ordinating the organisation.

Pietro Averono, the publicity and protocol chairman, says stakeholders include the Italian Embassy in Kampala, Uganda Wildlife Authority (UWA), the Uganda Tourist Board (UTB) and Rwenzori Mountaineering Services. Others are the University of Turin, Makerere University in Kampala, the Museum of the Mountain (Duke of Abruzzi) in Turin and the Uganda Museum.

A book, On the footsteps of the Duke” detailing the story of the Rwenzori and the Duke, is on sale in the Italian restaurants, at UWA and UTB in Uganda.

The official logo of the Rwenzori-Abruzzi celebrations represents the earth with the snow-capped the Rwenzori Mountains at the Equator.

The logo was thought out and designed by Valentina Santhia, an Italian woman graphic designer in Piedmont. This is the Italian region, with the town of Torino, which is the regional headquarters from where the Duke of Abruzzi and Vittorio Sella, the explorers, lived.

The main event of the Rwenzoris Abruzzi centenary celebrations will involve a commemorative climbing of the mountain this month.

It will be a repeat of the historical climbing of 1906, with co-operation of climbers from both Italy and Uganda. “For this reason, the event is dubbed “In the Footsteps of the Duke.” The Italian expedition team is expected at Entebbe International Airport on June 10. The members will be received by the organisers, led by UWA executive director, Moses Mapesa,” Averono explains.

In Italy, the anthropology department at the Turin University and the Museum of the Mountain, have organised an anthropological exhibition – The People of the Moon. The event is being co-ordinated by Anthropologist Prof. Cecilia Pennacini and a curator of the museum, Dr. Cristina Natta Soleri.

The exhibition will be held first in Italy at the museum until September 10, 2006. Then the same will take place here in Kampala at the Uganda Museum, from June 16 and run up to October 8, 2006.

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