Heritage: Breuil-Cervinia

The Breuil mountain pasture, named Cervinia, became one of the leading ski resorts in 1935. The first buildings dotted the area in panoramic positions. Building resumed in the 50’s and led to the construction of two buildings emblematic of mountain construction: the Pirovano hut by Franco Albini and the Casa del Sole by Carlo Molino.

The Casa del Sole stands out for its breathtaking height which is covered by a full and dark volume, a true villa on the roof. The south side appears divided by long balconies that progressively protrude from the higher floors.

Buildings like the Cielo Alto and Giomein complex were erected in the 60/70’s. The Giomein is a continuous building that develops in a rose around the hotel “core”. The apartment block and stores are connected to it. The entire complex is formally characterised by a vertical organ pipe escalation. Copper was used for the roof and either stone or larch wood for the walls. The Cielo Alto ski-total station is divided in three distinct cores: The complex is made up of a series of buildings on the side of the road that climbs forever higher. The lower hotel block follows an interesting concave curve, another block has an undulating profile and the last two blocks are practically cylindric. Essentially two materials were used: cement for the facades exposed to the elements and wood for protected parts.

The Pirovano hut freely reflects the construction style of the rural hayloft, the rascard, highlighting the large conic stone columns that support the top of the construction with mushroom shaped shims. The streamline wooden structures rationally interpret the severity of their muses.

THE OLD CHAPEL IN BREUIL - it existed as early as 1759, however it was renovated in 1869 and extended in 1925; it is dedicated to Our Lady of the Hermits and of Snow. Inside, it hosts a wooden, Baroque altar from the eighteenth century with four, small twisted columns. The sculpture of Our Lady comes from the Sanctuary of Notre Dame des Hermites - Einsiedeln (Zurich), a place in which the elderly inhabitants of Valtournenche would go on pilgrimage. The patron saint’s day is celebrated on the 5th of August (Our Lady of the Snow)
For visits, contact the Parish Church in Cervinia Via Gorret 11021 BREUIL-CERVINIA (AO) Telephone:0166.949102.

CIELOALTO CHAPEL– shares its name with the tourist resort and is dedicated to St. Theodule.

SAN BERNARDO DA MENTONE CHAPEL – built by the Bocchioli family in 1926 and still privately owned.

CHURCH OF THE ALPINI - You can reach this small church, built in remembrance of all those who died in the Mount Cervino Skier Battalion, by foot in half an hour from the town using an easy dirt road by following the directions for the Oriondé - Segnavia Refuge no. 13. There is a fir cross erected to the left of the church to recall the Holy Mass celebrated by Pope John Paul on the 19th July 1991. A large, nearby rock hosts a bronze plaque to mark the event.
For visits, contact Mr. Giuseppe Maquignaz, tel. 0166 949119.

The parish church was completed in 1955, while its bell-tower dates back to 1957. Worth noting inside the church, two bas-reliefs sculptured in wood by the Beato Angelico school of Milan: to the right, Madonna with Child, and to the left, St. Bernard, the patron saint of mountaineers and mountain inhabitants.
The patron saint’s day falls on the 15th of August.
Outside the church are placed two bronze busts, representing Don Vietto and Don Sterpone: this last has been parish priest in Breuil Cervinia for 40 years.

You can reach this small church, built in remembrance of all those who died in the Mount Cervino Skier Battalion, by foot in half an hour from the town using an easy dirt road by following the directions for the Oriondé - Segnavia Refuge no. 13. There is a fir cross erected to the left of the church to recall the Holy Mass celebrated by Pope John Paul on the 19th July 1991. A large, nearby rock hosts a bronze plaque to mark the event.
For visits, contact Mr. Giuseppe Maquignaz, tel. 0166 949119.

The Chapel existed as early as 1759, however it was renovated in 1869 and extended in 1925; it is dedicated to Our Lady of the Hermits and of Snow. Inside, it hosts a wooden, Baroque altar from the eighteenth century with four, small twisted columns. The sculpture of Our Lady comes from the Sanctuary of Notre Dame des Hermites - Einsiedeln (Zurich), a place in which the elderly inhabitants of Valtournenche would go on pilgrimage. The patron saint’s day is celebrated on the 5th of August (Our Lady of the Snow)
For visits, contact the Parish Church in Cervinia Via Gorret Telephone:0166.949102.

A short distance away from Giomein, a few hours from Valtournenche, in a green valley, amongst peaks covered with heather and rhododendrons, between fir trees, a small mountain lake lays out. It is the “Lago Blu” (Blue Lake). Called by this name for its waters, of an intense sky-blue, a color that looks like turquoise and that comes from a mineral found on the bottom.

The Matterhorn’s pyramid reflects on the sheet of water, with a magical effect; from the bank, looking at the bottom you can see tree trunks that look like boards of a rooftop. they bring to mind the melancholy legend of the lake.

A long time ago, where the lake is now located, there was a beautiful castle, home of a shepherd family. They were neither good nor charitable and even the woman, the wife, had a mean and cruel heart. One day a mysterious traveller knocked on their door: his face was tired and pale, his clothes torn to shreds and he was leaning on a huge gnarled stick. The woman, who went to open the door, looked at him from head to toe with clear mistrust.
- What do you want? - she asked with a stern voice.
- For the love of God, - murmurred the traveller - give me some porridge and milk…....
The poor soul wasn’t really asking for much. But the greedy and cruel shepherdess rudely replied:
- Go away, I don’t have anything for you. - and she turned her back to him.
The youngest of the children heard the entire thing and felt a stab of pain and pity in his heart. He entered the house, went to get his breakfast bowl and was about to give it to the traveller. But the family opposed to this and in scorn gave the traveller a bowl full of dirty water. The poor man went away dejected, murmurring dark words…

Built in Turin by order of Club Alpino Italiano, disassembled and transported on foot to Mount Cervino in 1893 and then reassembled at 3840m above sea level along Cresta del Leone, the Capanna was named after Prince Luigi Amedeo of Savoy, Duke of the Abruzzi, on account of his numerous Alpine adventures.
It was given to the Society of Cervino Mountain Guides by the CAI in 1995, and was a refuge for the great names in mountaineering before giving way in 1968 to the newer and larger Jean Antoine Carrel hut, built about ten metres below it.
Landslides in 2003 on Mount Cervino almost destroyed the Capanna and, in order to safeguard its integrity and turn it into a historical monument, the Society of Cervino Mountain Guides decided to remove it. It was disassembled on the spot during the summer of 2004, and was then transported to the valley, reassembled and located in the courtyard of the Society, so that it could become a museum of the history of mountaineering and testify the memories of all those that have experienced it. In 2009, with the opening of the new Cervino Mountain Guides’s office in Breuil Cervinia, the hut was situated in the adjacent area.
It was built using wooden planks and, considering the irregularity of the axes, the main face shows how the Capanna was founded and perfectly adapted to the rocky terrain, which is also evident on the wood beneath the sheet metal roof.
The faces covered in sheet metal were positioned north and east for obvious reasons of thermal insulation, as they are not exposed to the sun.
The windows on the façades, originally exposed to the south and to the west, are small, in order to allow as little heat dispersion as possible.
The Capanna slept 10 people on two large wooden boards covered in horsehair mattresses.
The wooden interior was heated using a small stove, with the external part of the chimney facing downwards so that the snow would not block it and prevent uptake.

The Matterhorn Mountain Guides Museum is set up in the Franco Oberti room, on the first floor of the head office of the Matterhorn Alpine Guides Society.

Created with the contribution of the Amici del Cervino Club, it shows the history of the Matterhorn mountain guides and their memorable feats from 1865 onwards with an eye towards the future.

Videos on display and possibility to visit the Capanna Luigi Amedeo di Savoia located outside.

This exhibition of equipment and photographs is held at Plateau Rosà, 3500 metres above sea level, and tells the story of the great efforts of our forefathers to build the Plateau Rosà and Furggen cableways.