The Lambrogino Award has been officially launched!

The event took place on Sunday, 23 March – World Water Day, at Casa di Quartiere Parea in the Ponte Lambro neighbourhood of Milan. During the event, the award—promoted by Contratti di Fiume// ERSAF and Comune di Milano—was presented to the local community and to the institutions that will be entrusted with its future editions.

A total of nineteen initiatives were submitted to the call, showcasing a wide range of actions dedicated to the care of the Lambro River. These initiatives varied in nature, scale, impact, and the actors involved. In recognition of this diversity, two special mentions were awarded: one to highlight an artistic and creative project, and another to acknowledge an institutional shift towards Nature-Based Solutions (NBS) in addressing river dynamics.

The main award was granted to the project Redevelopment of the Lambro river bends and construction of educational classrooms in San Donato Milanese by the Municipality of San Donato Milanese with WWF Sud Milano, for the innovativeness of its environmental education actions and its ability to foster an effective process of collaboration between the municipal administration and local associations.

The Special Mention for Artistic and Environmental Actions was awarded to the documentary Ciar cum’è l’acqua del Lamber directed by Elena Maggioni and Hulda Federica Orrù and produced by Legambiente. The film tells the story of the Lambro River, with a particular focus on the ecological disaster caused by the oil spill in 2010.

The special mention for Technical Institutional actions is for A.I.Po – Agenzia Interregionale per il fiume Po – Ufficio Operativo di Milano for the project to restore areas for the free expansion of the river flow and to rehabilitate riverine areas through the acquisition and demolition of buildings.

The Lambrogino Award is the legacy of PALIMPSEST for the territories along the Lambro River, celebrating and amplifying actions of mutual care. Its symbolism is embodied in the trophy itself: an ordinary object—a bottle—containing an evocative message from the river, featuring a quotation by Erri De Luca.: “Chi vede un fiume guarda il verso in cui scorre, dove scende secondo la corrente. Ma il futuro di un fiume è alla sorgente”.