In June 2016 Esino Lario hosted the twelfth edition of Wikimania, the annual international gathering of Wikipedia and Wikimedia Foundation volunteers. Over 1,200 people from 70 countries made their way to this mountain village of 800 inhabitants — at 914m above sea level, 20 minutes above Varenna — to discuss free knowledge, open software and the future of the world's largest encyclopaedia.
It was the first time in Wikimania's history that the gathering had been hosted not by a major metropolis or prestigious university, but by a small Alpine municipality. For one week the population of Esino Lario doubled. The village rose to this challenge with extraordinary enthusiasm, becoming a global example of how local communities can embrace digital culture.
From candidacy to global success
Esino Lario's candidacy as Wikimania host was submitted by the Italian Wikipedia community in 2014, supported by Wikimedia Italia. The idea seemed bold: to bring the global Wikipedia gathering to a mountain village of 800 inhabitants, with no large hotel facilities, but with a strong community spirit and a setting of rare beauty above Lake Como.
The candidacy won thanks to an innovative approach: instead of competing with large cities on the logistical front, Esino Lario bet on the authenticity of the experience — hikes on the Grigna, community evenings, hospitality distributed across all the accommodation in the village and surroundings. The mountain became the ideal stage for reflecting on the values of shared knowledge.
Esino Lario after legendary cities
Wikimania had been held in some of the most famous cities in the world. Esino Lario entered this list as the smallest venue and the highest altitude venue ever:
How Wikimania changed Esino
Hosting Wikimania left a tangible legacy for Esino Lario. The village developed digital skills, built a network of volunteers, improved its hospitality infrastructure and — above all — gained international visibility that still brings visitors from across the world today.
The Esino Lario community became a point of reference for Italian-language Wikimedia projects. Numerous Wikipedia articles were enriched and corrected thanks to the collaboration between participating Wikimedians and the local community, with particular attention to the history and natural heritage of the Valsassina and Lake Como.
The Museo delle Grigne, already active, benefited from fresh international attention thanks to Wikipedia articles created and expanded during the event. The Triassic fossils of Esino Lario — the "Calcare di Esino" that gives its name to a geological formation — are today cited in multiple languages on the free encyclopaedia.