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Last summer, vandals burnt down the largest wooden dragon sculpture in the world, located in the Dolomites in Italy. Named Drago Vaia, the wooden sculpture by Venetian artist Marco Martalar at the ski resort Alpe Cimbra in Italy was made almost entirely from White Fir and measured 6 meters (20 feet) in height and 7 meters (23 feet) in length. Only ashes and charred bits remained of the beautiful dragon sculpture. The mayor of the municipality, Lavarone, Isacco Corradi, started a GoFundMe campaign to raise funds to rebuild the sculpture.
- Related: Vandals Destroy Largest Wooden Dragon Sculpture in the World at Alpe Cimbra Ski Resort, Italy
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Thanks to the donations of more than 1,650 people, enough money was raised to build a new dragon. Arist Marco Martalar this time charred all the wood used and also reused the burnt remains of the previous sculpture to build an even bigger dragon, measuring 7 meters (23 feet) in height and 16 meters (52 feet) in length. The dragon is named Drago Vaia Regeneration. The name ‘Vaia’ stems from the Vaia storm, which destroyed large parts of the local White Fir forest. The new dragon sculpture was installed in the exact same place as the old one on the Vaia hiking trail on top of Mount Tablat.
”Forged from the ashes of Dragon Vaia, the new dragon has returned to Lavarone.
🪵 With its 6 tons of charred wood, 16 meters in length and 7 in height, it is the largest wooden dragon sculpture in the world.🌬️ Made from the roots of the Vaia storm, it carries the memory of what happened to its predecessor. The pieces of wood are completely charred, deliberately burned by the artist Martalar who, together with the remains of the fire, reassemble the new work.
🌱 This new Dragon is not just a guardian warning of the relationship between humans and nature, but a keeper of memories, stories, a symbol of rebirth and resilience where we humans should always remain humble in front of mother nature.”
— Marco Martalar
The dragon is part of the Lavarone Green Land project, which aims to raise awareness for the fragile Alpine territory of the Alpe Cimbra region. The project’s goal is to raise awareness about climate change and was part of a larger ‘green walk’ through the ski resort. Lavarone Green Land aims to bring together nature, leisure and relaxation, with art and a sense of magic.
Alpe Cimbra is located in the Italian Dolomites and has long been the European home base for the U.S. Ski & Snowboard Team. Legends of the U.S. Alpine team, like Mikaela Shiffrin, Lindsey Vonn, and Ted Ligety have all trained here in past years.
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