When Italy entered World War I in 1915, most of the male inhabitants were fighting for Austria-Hungary on the Russian front.
669 male inhabitants (most of them under 16 or over 50) tried to fight the Italian troops.
Outnumbered by the Italians, they had to retreat.
After the Austrian recovery in 1917, the town was occupied again by the Tyrolean Standschützen.
On November 24, 1917, the Habsburg Emperor Karl traveled through Ampezzo and was received with enthusiasm by the population.
A little girl handed the emperor a letter with the request to send her father home from the front because his wife and mother of nine children had died.
After ten days, Bepe Manaigo was with his children.
A total of 144 Ampezzans died as a result of the war.
Ampezzo soldiers received 16 silver and 4 bronze medals for bravery.
In the surrounding area of Cortina there were 38 military cemeteries, everywhere trenches, barbed wire, impact holes, splinters, ammunition and barracks; 2,450 hectares of forest were devastated.

Following Italy's victory in World War I, Ampezzo was (together with the central and southern part of Tyrol) definitively ceded to Italy in 1920.
Three years later, it was separated from Tyrol (along with Colle Santa Lucia and Livinallongo del Col di Lana) and incorporated into the province of Belluno, itself part of the Veneto region.

After the war the city was renamed "Cortina d'Ampezzo" (Curtain of the Ampezzo Valley), adopting the name of one of the six villages that made up the territory of Ampezzo, located in the middle of the Ampezzo valley.

Already an elite destination for the first British tourists in the late 18th and early 20th centuries, after World War I Cortina d'Ampezzo became a resort for upper-class Italians, too.
Cortina d'Ampezzo was chosen as the venue of the 1944 winter Olympics, which did not take place due to World War II.
Thanks to finally hosting the winter Olympics in 1956,  Cortina grew into a world-famous resort, with a substantial increase in tourism.
With a resident population of 6,150 people in 2008, Cortina has a temporary population of around 50,000 during peak periods such as the Christmas holidays and mid-August.
The Ford Cortina, the UK's best-selling car of the 1970s, was named after Cortina d'Ampezzo.
When Italy entered World War I in 1915, most of the male inhabitants were fighting for Austria-Hungary on the Russian front. 669 male inhabitants (most of them under 16 or over 50) tried to fight the Italian troops. Outnumbered by the Italians, they had to retreat. After the Austrian recovery in 1917, the town was occupied again by the Tyrolean Standschützen. On November 24, 1917, the Habsburg Emperor Karl traveled through Ampezzo and was received with enthusiasm by the population. A little girl handed the emperor a letter with the request to send her father home from the front because his wife and mother of nine children had died. After ten days, Bepe Manaigo was with his children. A total of 144 Ampezzans died as a result of the war. Ampezzo soldiers received 16 silver and 4 bronze medals for bravery. In the surrounding area of Cortina there were 38 military cemeteries, everywhere trenches, barbed wire, impact holes, splinters, ammunition and barracks; 2,450 hectares of forest were devastated.
Following Italy's victory in World War I, Ampezzo was (together with the central and southern part of Tyrol) definitively ceded to Italy in 1920. Three years later, it was separated from Tyrol (along with Colle Santa Lucia and Livinallongo del Col di Lana) and incorporated into the province of Belluno, itself part of the Veneto region.
After the war the city was renamed "Cortina d'Ampezzo" (Curtain of the Ampezzo Valley), adopting the name of one of the six villages that made up the territory of Ampezzo, located in the middle of the Ampezzo valley.
Already an elite destination for the first British tourists in the late 18th and early 20th centuries, after World War I Cortina d'Ampezzo became a resort for upper-class Italians, too. Cortina d'Ampezzo was chosen as the venue of the 1944 winter Olympics, which did not take place due to World War II. Thanks to finally hosting the winter Olympics in 1956,  Cortina grew into a world-famous resort, with a substantial increase in tourism. With a resident population of 6,150 people in 2008, Cortina has a temporary population of around 50,000 during peak periods such as the Christmas holidays and mid-August. The Ford Cortina, the UK's best-selling car of the 1970s, was named after Cortina d'Ampezzo.
Cortina d'Ampezzo