Difesa Servizi, in line with its mission, has created this important public event in Italy, with international relevance, to promote the values, skills, and traditions of the Aeronautica Militare, while enhancing the brand through ballooning. This event, conceived with a medium to long-term vision, is organized in collaboration with the Aeronautica Militare and Aero Club Pavullo, with technical support from Aeronord Aerostati. The event also commemorates the centenary of the Forza Armata and the “100 + 1” project. Additionally, it serves as an opportunity to showcase the latest initiatives of the Aeronautica Militare in research and aerospace. The Aeronautica Militare Balloon Cup also aims to promote the activities of Valore Paese Italia, offering the unique opportunity to showcase the beauty and charm of our nation from the sky.
Valore Paese Italia is promoted by the Ministry of Tourism, along with ENIT – the national tourism agency, the State Property Agency, and Difesa Servizi, with the goal of enhancing public heritage and promoting the sustainable development of Italian territories. It is a national brand that brings together various themed routes linked to sustainable tourism, aimed at discovering the beauty of Italian regions through a public-private network of individuals committed to building and supporting the project.
In recent years, national initiatives focused on the recovery and reuse of public heritage have generated significant interest from both the media and the public. The concept of valorizing unused properties and places, in partnership with private entities involved in various capacities (not just property managers), has become a lever for development in these areas. This aligns with growing awareness around new ways of experiencing tourism in lesser-known or less accessible areas of Italy.
The significant contributions of ideas, passion, energy, and resources provided by private economic and social operators have led to a rediscovered desire to experience Italy’s natural, cultural, architectural, and landscape treasures with a distinctively Italian style and approach. The challenge now is to communicate the consolidation of these activities and implement systems that build on past achievements. Projects like the revival of Italy’s lighthouses and historical routes (such as the Via Francigena), as well as wine and gastronomic tourism and cycling tourism, all now part of Valore Paese Italia, have generated considerable interest and engagement.
In 2021, the Valore Paese Italia brand expanded to include new themes with strong appeal, such as Case Cantoniere, historical railway paths, and memory tourism—places, both real and symbolic, that are closely tied to national memory and identity. Memory tourism is part of the broader category of cultural tourism, which involves traveling beyond one’s everyday environment for cultural purposes, utilizing cultural assets, events, festivals, and local traditions. The project incorporates past experiences developed through networking initiatives and opens itself to new, evolving opportunities, responding to the recent needs of the nation. It also explores the potential to establish new networks, such as those of airports and seaplane bases.
In terms of promotional activities, organizing events in local territories has proven to be a powerful communication tool, raising awareness of the initiatives and attracting media and public interest. The Aeronautica Militare Balloon Cup is part of this framework, presenting itself as an annual event that not only highlights Italy’s inland and coastal territories—of significant value to the nation—but also offers the chance to organize a wide range of activities connected to thematic networks and the areas involved.
Balloon flights in Northern Italy offer a unique experience. The northern regions provide a diverse landscape, from vast plains to lakes and mountains, creating truly breathtaking scenery. Central Italy also hides charming places that can only be fully appreciated from a balloon, offering a fresh perspective. The gentle sway of the balloon will take participants on a journey through the Tuscan and Lazio countryside, as well as Emilia-Romagna, revealing magical and unforgettable views. Southern Italy also offers remarkable opportunities for a unique experience, flying over incredible landscapes from a completely different point of view.
On December 2nd, 1804, Napoleon Bonaparte was crowned Emperor by Pope Pius VII in Paris. At the coronation, in front of Notre Dame, a balloon called the Ballon du Sacre (Consecration Balloon), invented by the Frenchman André-Jacques Garnerin, was launched. However, on December 16th, strong winds broke the balloon’s moorings, and it flew for 22 hours, covering 1,200 kilometers, before landing in Lake Bracciano, near Anguillara Sabazia (Rome). To the astonishment of many, the balloon completed the Paris-Rome route.
Today, this balloon is considered the oldest known aeronautical relic and the only surviving balloon of its kind. It is displayed at the Historical Museum of the Aeronautica Militare (MUSAM) in Vigna di Valle, Bracciano, a gift from Pope Paul VI. The remains of the balloon were initially presented to the Pope and kept in the Vatican’s Floreria Apostolica until May 24th, 1977, when the museum was inaugurated.
Balloons are the “queens of the air,” eco-friendly flying machines powered by the wind. From an early age, they captivate both children and adults. During free flights, once inflated, they take off and land wherever the wind currents take them, floating for about an hour (or longer for gas balloons) in the sky. It is a unique and unforgettable experience. Every time a balloon flies freely through the sky, it captures the attention of everyone, young and old, evoking a sense of wonder and amazement.
In November 1884, the Ministry of War approved the creation of an “Aeronautical Section.” This aerostatic section began operations in 1885 at Forte Tiburtino in Rome, despite being part of the 3rd Engineer Regiment of Florence. Initially, two French-built aerostats were assigned to the section. In 1887, aerostats from the “Campagna Specialisti d’Africa” left for Eritrea with the Expeditionary Force under General Asinari of San Marzano. The take-offs occurred near Forte di Saati, used to monitor the movements of Abyssinian forces led by Ras Alula.
In 1908, Italy’s first airship was constructed and inflated on October 3rd, marking the first take-off of airship “N. 1.”
The war in Libya provided valuable experience for the nascent aeronautical force. The Aerostatic Park (two Drachen balloons) participated alongside the aerostatic signaling section, with operations beginning in November 1911. Throughout the conflict, balloons made significant contributions to ground forces by aiding in artillery targeting.
While the activity of the aircraft was still in its infancy, however, even if the number of missions remained rather limited, the aircraft also gave their contribution to the performance of the operations, within the limits of the possibilities that those means allowed. However, the pilots not only carried out observation and information actions on the enemy’s activity, but also carried out real attacks by bombing enemy troops and positions.
The experience undoubtedly served to better understand the great potential for employing the new machines, demonstrating that aviation was now becoming an armed force in its own right.
The Aeronautica Militare sees itself as a key player in accessing and utilizing the vast atmospheric region between the current maximum flight altitudes (18-20 km) and the Kármán line, which marks the boundary of space. The armed forces have established themselves as environmental experts, working closely with the Italian Space Agency, the National Research Council, the Italian Aerospace Research Center, and other scientific and academic institutions. Internationally, the Aeronautica Militare collaborates with partners such as the U.S. Air Force, Roscosmos, NASA, and allied air forces, sharing a vision increasingly focused on aerospace developments, such as satellite air launches, suborbital flights, stratospheric platforms, and Space Situational Awareness—natural extensions of the Air Defense Command and Control capabilities.
Space is the natural extension of the operational environment in which the Aeronautica Militare operates. With a long tradition of cutting-edge studies and activities in satellite technology, supersonic and human spaceflight, the Aeronautica Militare counts many Italian astronauts among its ranks. The skill, aptitude, and excellence of these astronauts are a testament to the educational value of the Aeronautica Militare Academy and the operational training departments, where advanced and innovative technologies are used daily.
As an air force, the Aeronautica Militare is inherently focused on continuous innovation and cutting-edge experimentation, making technology one of its key strengths. Human spaceflight presents a fundamental opportunity for the aerospace sector, with the Aeronautica Militare serving as a driving force behind investments and growth, yielding scientific, technological, and industrial benefits for improving everyday life. In June 2023, Colonel Walter Villadei participated in Virgin Galactic’s Galactic 01 suborbital flight, and in January 2024, he reached space and the International Space Station as the pilot of Axiom Mission 3. This represents an epochal paradigm shift, similar to many in the centennial history of the Aeronautica Militare, which, with its expertise in this domain, aims to play a leading role in this transformation, acting as a catalyst for the development of a new synergy model between the public and private sectors.
The history of the armed forces, through all its progressive developments, is preserved at the Historical Museum of Vigna di Valle. This journey, rich with events, deeds, and invaluable testimonies, provides eloquent proof of the courage and deep sense of duty that Italian aviators have passed down from generation to generation, faithfully safeguarding the country. Furthermore, the museum houses unique artifacts and memorabilia and has been recognized as one of the most beautiful and important aeronautical museums in the world. Among its treasures is the Garnerin Balloon, the oldest aeronautical relic in the world, displayed in a prominent position in the museum’s atrium to immediately signal its uniqueness.