Borca di Cadore
Borca di Cadore is a mountain municipality at the foot of Monte Antelao, in the heart of the Belluno Dolomites, not far from Corti...
Updated 12 July 2026
The story
The story of Borca di Cadore
Enrico Mattei's social utopia
The Eni Village of Borca di Cadore was born in the early 1950s from the will of Enrico Mattei, the charismatic president of ENI, who intended to create a vacation village able to host up to six thousand company employees and their families, from executives to ordinary workers, without any hierarchical distinction. A radical idea for its time, combining corporate welfare with architectural experimentation in a natural setting of great value, at the foot of Monte Antelao. Mattei's death in a plane crash in 1962 reduced the momentum needed to complete this experiment in social utopia within the environment, which was therefore only partially realized compared to the initial project, but which remains today unique in the history of Italian industrial welfare.
Edoardo Gellner's architecture
The visionary project was conceived by Mattei himself and realized with great architectural quality mainly by Edoardo Gellner, in collaboration with Carlo Scarpa for some parts of the complex. The village spans over one hundred thousand square meters within a large forest at the foot of the Antelao, with structures arranged according to design criteria innovative for the time: a large thirty-thousand-square-meter Colonia for employees' children, the Church of Our Lady of Cadore, a hotel, a campsite with fixed tents, two hundred and eighty single-family villas and a residence. The integration between the built structures and the wooded landscape, with stone and wood buildings that engage with the natural slope of the terrain, is today studied internationally as an example of organic mountain architecture.
The Antelao and the Dolomites surrounding the town
Beyond its architectural uniqueness, Borca di Cadore is first and foremost a mountain town, dominated by the mass of Monte Antelao, the second-highest peak in the Dolomites after the Marmolada, nicknamed the 'King of the Eastern Dolomites'. The municipal territory offers starting points for hikes through the forests that climb from the valley floor up to the rock faces, with trails of varying difficulty suitable for both families and more experienced hikers. Its proximity to Cortina d'Ampezzo, reachable in just a few minutes by car, makes Borca a convenient and quieter base compared to the more crowded Dolomite destinations, ideal for those seeking the mountains without the crowds of the trendier resorts.
Skiing and mountain seasons
Like many towns in the Cadore area, Borca has a dual seasonal rhythm: winter, with nearby ski facilities and the chance to practice cross-country skiing and snowshoeing in the surrounding woods, and summer, dedicated to hiking, mountain biking and simply resting in the shade of the Antelao. This is a mountain experienced here without the imposing infrastructure of other, more developed alpine resorts: tourism on a modest scale, consistent with the spirit of the Gellner village, conceived from the outset for social tourism rather than exclusive luxury. Those seeking large ski facilities and nightlife should head to Cortina; those seeking the authentic mountains will find their place in Borca.
A heritage to recover and enhance
It should be said honestly that part of the Villaggio Corte di Cadore went through decades of neglect and decay after ENI's management ended, and today several recovery and enhancement projects, supported by foundations and cultural institutions, are working to restore full usability to an architectural heritage recognized as a site of cultural interest. Visiting Borca di Cadore today therefore also means witnessing an ongoing work of memory, where industrial past, architectural experimentation and Dolomite nature intertwine in a balance still in progress, far from the polished veneer of other, more commercial alpine destinations.
Experiences not to miss
- Walk among the buildings of the Villaggio Eni designed by Edoardo Gellner
- Visit the Church of Our Lady of Cadore, with contributions by Carlo Scarpa
- Hike the trails at the foot of Monte Antelao
- Try cross-country skiing or snowshoeing in the winter forests
- Stop by Cortina d'Ampezzo, just a few minutes' drive away
To see
What to see in Borca di Cadore
Routes · Trovido Route
Routes in Borca di Cadore
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