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Eleonora Ruzzenenti | Live the World
November 23, 2022
The concept of "rifugio di montagna" was born in the second half of the nineteenth century in order to provide to mountaineers points of support where to rest or stay overnight before climbing. Those were definitely different times than today: there were no roads for reaching high altitudes and no mountain lifts. At that time in order to reach the base of a mountain you would take many hours to walk, in some cases more than a day. It was therefore necessary to rely on structures, though spartans, which could offer a minimum shelter. At the bottom of the valley there were rustic inns with hotel function, but no more than this. Indeed, one of the first target of the CAI - Club Alpino Italiano **(the oldest and largest association of mountaineers and mountain enthusiasts in Italy) for which it was founded in 1863 was to expand the knowledge and exploration of the mountains, creating a chain of structures (rifugi) that facilitated the climb. Today, after more than 150 years, only Cai** has a wealth of more than 750 rifugi and capanne, but private and other rifugi must be added to these. Probably on the mountains of Italy, without exaggerating, today there are over a thousand structures. It is to be added that in many cases today, thanks to those roads and to those plants that were not there a century ago, shelters no longer have that main function for which they had arisen, obviously with the due exceptions. The fact is that today many are no longer the starting point of an adventure, but a goal. And they have often become a gastronomic destination, thanks to the new role of the managers, also transformed by experienced alpine guides who knew how to manage the territory, to emigrants in the mountains with the passion not only of the mountain but also to be chef ... After this necessary premise I will try to offer you now the structures not to be missed, while remaining in the tradition of the classic rifugio, they offer to the tourist, not only a unique environment of absolute value, but also a hospitality that today goes to the mountains increasingly demanded in terms of services, hospitality and cuisine.
The Highest rifugio in Europe is situated on Punta Gnifetti at a height of 4556m on the Mont Rosa massive. It is clearly visible from the valley and catches the eye of all who look up towards the peaks. It houses an important labor for scientific research and it is dedicated to Queen Margaret of Savoy who overnighted in 1893, the year of its inauguration. It is an essential point of reference for the Alpine rescue operations and it is also part of the historical and cultural heritage of the Italian Alpin Club (CAI). However it should not be considered just as a mere mountain hut for alpinists but a more complex structure that gives the chance to facilitate the scientific research in high mountains.
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