Antarctica Day

On 1 December Antarctica Day will be celebrated all over the world in order to remember the Antarctic Treaty signed 52 years ago, but which came into force only in 1961. The document was signed by twelve nations (currently there are 45 countries which are parties to the treaty) with the straightforward intention of establishing agreements for the use for peaceful purposes of the resources of the Antarctic continent and for the preservation of its ecosystem. Fifty years after the Treaty, there are many events all over the world such as the launch of peace balloons, exhibitions and concerts. This year also marks the 100th anniversary of the memorable challenge started in 1911 of the two explorers, the Norwegian Roald Amundsen and the Englishman Robert Falcon Scott, to conquer the South Pole starting from the edges of the Ross Ice Shelf. The Palazzo Ducale in Genoa hosts the exhibition “Race to conquer the South Pole” dedicated to this event.