Breuil-Cervinia (french: Breuil; it, Cervinia; Valdôtain: ) is a ''

frazione A ''frazione'' (plural: ) is a type of subdivision of a ''comune'' (municipality) in Italy, often a small village or hamlet outside the main town. Most ''frazioni'' were created during the Fascist era (1922–1943) as a way to consolidate territ ...

'' of the ''

comune The (; plural: ) is a local administrative division of Italy, roughly equivalent to a township or municipality. It is the third-level administrative division of Italy, after regions ('' regioni'') and provinces (''province''). The can also ...

'' of

Valtournenche Valtournenche (local Valdôtain: ) is a town and '' comune'' in the Aosta Valley region of north-western Italy, above the sea level. It is named after and covers most of the ''Valtournenche'', a valley on the left side of the Dora Baltea, from ...

, and is considered one of the most renowned

winter Winter is the coldest season of the year in polar and temperate climates. It occurs after autumn and before spring. The tilt of Earth's axis causes seasons; winter occurs when a hemisphere is oriented away from the Sun. Different cultures ...

and

summer Summer is the hottest of the four temperate seasons, occurring after spring and before autumn. At or centred on the summer solstice, the earliest sunrise and latest sunset occurs, daylight hours are longest and dark hours are shortest, wit ...

tourist resorts in the

Alps The Alps () ; german: Alpen ; it, Alpi ; rm, Alps ; sl, Alpe . are the highest and most extensive mountain range system that lies entirely in Europe, stretching approximately across seven Alpine countries (from west to east): France, Sw ...

Etymology

The name of ''Breuil-Cervinia'' is a fusion of two terms: ''Breuil'', in French, the original name of the place before the tourist settlement was built, derived from

Valdôtain dialect Valdôtain (; local dialect: ''Valdotèn'', ''Valdŏtèn'', ''Valdouhtan'') is a dialect of Arpitan (Franco-Provençal) spoken in the Aosta Valley in Italy. It is commonly known as ''patois'' or ''patoué''. Diffusion The Aosta Valley repres ...

''Breuill'' indicating a marshy mountain terrain, a very common toponym throughout the Aosta Valley; and ''Cervinia'', the toponym that was given the town following the process of italianization of placenames in the

Aosta Valley , Valdostan or Valdotainian it, Valdostano (man) it, Valdostana (woman)french: Valdôtain (man)french: Valdôtaine (woman) , population_note = , population_blank1_title = Official languages , population_blank1 = Italian French ...

wanted by the fascist government, referring to the Cervin (fr.) or Cervino (it.), the

Matterhorn The (, ; it, Cervino, ; french: Cervin, ; rm, Matterhorn) is a mountain of the Alps, straddling the main watershed and border between Switzerland and Italy. It is a large, near-symmetric pyramidal peak in the extended Monte Rosa area of the ...

Geography

Breuil-Cervinia lies at above

sea level Mean sea level (MSL, often shortened to sea level) is an average surface level of one or more among Earth's coastal bodies of water from which heights such as elevation may be measured. The global MSL is a type of vertical datuma standardised g ...

, at the foot of the

, in the Valtournenche valley and surrounded by the Jumeaux, the Château des Dames, the Furggen and the Grandes Murailles summits. It shares a ski area with

Zermatt Zermatt () is a municipality in the district of Visp in the German-speaking section of the canton of Valais in Switzerland. It has a year-round population of about 5,800 and is classified as a town by the Swiss Federal Statistical Office (FSO). ...

through the

Plateau Rosa The Theodul Glacier (also spelled ''Theodule Glacier''; german: Theodulgletscher, french: Glacier du Théodule, it, Ghiacciaio del Teodulo) is a glacier of the Alps, located south of Zermatt in the canton of Valais. It lies on the Swiss side of ...

glacier (). The ski season in Breuil-Cervinia lasts not only 6 months in winter but also in summer on the

glacier. The

Theodul Pass Theodul Pass, elevation , (German: ''Theodulpass'', Italian: ''Colle del Teodulo'', French: ''Col de Saint-Théodule'', Walser German: ''Theoduljoch'') is a high mountain pass across the eastern Pennine Alps, connecting Zermatt in the Swiss cant ...

lies on the territory of Breuil-Cervinia. The village is divided by the Marmore creek. Cervino (7628574010)

Climate

Breuil-Cervinia being one of Europe's highest ski resorts, its climate features low temperatures and consistent snow falls. Temperatures get very cold through the winter months with daily averages being around for the winter months and only about in the summer months. This maintains the snow in great shape throughout the winter season. December usually averages round in resort and on the mountain, January approx , February approx , March , April .

History

Breuil-Cervinia has a short history. Until the beginning of the 19th century, the Breuil basin was just a pasture, with a group of shepherds living in a few alpine cottages only in summer. However, in the

Middle Ages In the history of Europe, the Middle Ages or medieval period lasted approximately from the late 5th to the late 15th centuries, similar to the post-classical period of global history. It began with the fall of the Western Roman Empire a ...

, the Breuil was an important crossroad for

merchant A merchant is a person who trades in commodities produced by other people, especially one who trades with foreign countries. Historically, a merchant is anyone who is involved in business or trade. Merchants have operated for as long as indust ...

s who had to cross the

and for the settlement of the Walser community in the near the Ayas and Lys valleys. The real growth of the town began since the 1850s, with the birth of

alpinism Mountaineering or alpinism, is a set of outdoor activities that involves ascending tall mountains. Mountaineering-related activities include traditional outdoor climbing, skiing, and traversing via ferratas. Indoor climbing, sport climbing, ...

all over the

. The explorations of Horace-Bénedict de Saussure through Savoy Alps in the 1700s enhanced the interest around

and the other mountains of the

Savoyard state The Savoyard state is a term of art used by historians to denote collectively all of the states ruled by the counts and dukes of Savoy from the Middle Ages to the formation of the Kingdom of Italy. At the end of the 17th century, its population ...

, particularly in the English bourgeoisie, increasingly interested in

wilderness Wilderness or wildlands (usually in the plural), are natural environments on Earth that have not been significantly modified by human activity or any nonurbanized land not under extensive agricultural cultivation. The term has traditionally re ...

. Resident shepherds such as

Jean-Antoine Carrel Jean-Antoine Carrel (1829 – August 1891) was an Italian mountain climber and guide. He had made climbs with Edward Whymper and was his rival when he attempted to climb the Matterhorn for the first time. Whymper ultimately succeeded in making th ...

always looked upon his home mountain as something attainable and started to try the first attempts of ascent of

from the south face. Many European mountain climbers saw the

as one of the greatest challenges and the arrival to the Breuil of

John Tyndall John Tyndall FRS (; 2 August 1820 – 4 December 1893) was a prominent 19th-century Irish physicist. His scientific fame arose in the 1850s from his study of diamagnetism. Later he made discoveries in the realms of infrared radiation and the p ...

and

Edward Whymper Edward Whymper FRSE (27 April 184016 September 1911) was an English mountaineer, explorer, illustrator, and author best known for the first ascent of the Matterhorn in 1865. Four members of his climbing party were killed during the descent. W ...

started the competition for the first complete ascent, also thanks to Jean-Antoine's knowledge of Breuil territory. The construction of some bases became necessary. Some examples are the first Refuge du Théodule (built in 1852) at 3317 m (10882.6 ft), the Jumeaux Hotel and the Hôtel du Cervin. After years of collaboration with

, the

competition Competition is a rivalry where two or more parties strive for a common goal which cannot be shared: where one's gain is the other's loss (an example of which is a zero-sum game). Competition can arise between entities such as organisms, indivi ...

has been won by

in 1865, when he realised that the Hörnli ridge was easier to climb. Only three days later,

was able to climb Matterhorn through the more difficult Lion ridge. After the disaster happened to

's ascent team on the north face returning to

Amé Gorret Amé Gorret (1836-1907), known in his native Aosta Valley as the "Abbé Gorret" (''"Father Gorret"''), was a priest and Alpinist (mountaineer). He was a member of the group which in 1865 undertook the second successful ascent of the Matterhorn, ...

, a fellow climber and fellow countryman of

, realised the possibility of increasing the tourist passage to Breuil by building the first alpine refuge on the

. So

asked the

Italian Alpine Club The Club Alpino Italiano is the senior Italian alpine club which stages climbing competitions, operates alpine huts, marks and maintains paths, and is active in protecting the Alpine environment. It was founded in Turin in 1863 by the then finan ...

to support his decision, which gave rise to the refuge, located at the ''Cravate'' (4,120 m) of the Matterhorn and inaugurated in 1867. As a result of the exploratory drive and the newborn mountaineering movement, the ''Società Guide del Cervino'' (it.) / ''Société des guides du Cervin'' (fr.), one of the oldest mountain guide societies in the world, was founded in Breuil in 1865. The first hotels began to be built in the area and the town began to develop from a simple alpine pasture to a tourist destination. With the emergence of

ski mountaineering Ski mountaineering (abbreviated to skimo) is a skiing discipline that involves climbing mountains either on skis or carrying them, depending on the steepness of the ascent, and then descending on skis. There are two major categories of equipmen ...

, the Breuil slopes became the destination of the first skiers, accelerating the transformation into a top tourist destination. A number of entrepreneurs from

Piedmont it, Piemontese , population_note = , population_blank1_title = , population_blank1 = , demographics_type1 = , demographics1_footnotes = , demographics1_title1 = , demographics1_info1 = , demographics1_title2 ...

, driven by the desire to build new

hydroelectric plants Hydroelectricity, or hydroelectric power, is electricity generated from hydropower (water power). Hydropower supplies one sixth of the world's electricity, almost 4500 TWh in 2020, which is more than all other renewable sources combined and ...

on behalf of the '' Società Idroelettrica Piemontese,'' explore the side valleys of the

, including the Valtournenche Valley. During the explorations and the first construction of hydroelectric plants in the lower part of the Valtournenche Valley, the entrepreneur and engineer Dino Lora Totino saw in Breuil the possibility of creating a first-class tourist resort. In 1934, together with other Piedmontese entrepreneurs, Dino Lora Totino founded the ''Società Anonima Cervino'', with the aim of transforming Breuil into an important tourist destination by building modern

ski lift A ski lift is a mechanism for transporting skiers up a hill. Ski lifts are typically a paid service at ski resorts. The first ski lift was built in 1908 by German Robert Winterhalder in Schollach/Eisenbach, Hochschwarzwald. Types * Aerial l ...

s. In 1934, the road connecting the main town of

, Pâquier, to Breuil was built. Two years later, the ''Breuil - Plan Maison'' cable car (2,555 m) was inaugurated. During 1939 Breuil was renamed ''Cervinia'' because of the

fascist Fascism is a far-right, Authoritarianism, authoritarian, ultranationalism, ultra-nationalist political Political ideology, ideology and Political movement, movement,: "extreme militaristic nationalism, contempt for electoral democracy and pol ...

project of Italianization of

's toponyms. 1939 also had been the year of a big venture: the highest skilift in Italy was opened, linking Plan Maison with the

Testa Grigia Testa Grigia (French : ''Tête grise'', lit. "grey head") (3,479 m) is a rocky prominence above the Theodul Pass, located on the border between Italy (Aosta Valley) and Switzerland (Valais). It overlooks the Plateau Rosa section of the Theodul ...

at 3480 m (11417 ft), near the

Swiss Swiss may refer to: * the adjectival form of Switzerland * Swiss people Places * Swiss, Missouri * Swiss, North Carolina *Swiss, West Virginia * Swiss, Wisconsin Other uses *Swiss-system tournament, in various games and sports *Swiss Internation ...

border. An observatory for cosmic ray physics and the physics of the Earth's atmosphere was also built near

and is now used as a

meteorological station A weather station is a facility, either on land or sea, with instruments and equipment for measuring atmospheric conditions to provide information for weather forecasts and to study the weather and climate. The measurements taken include tempera ...

run by the

Italian Air Force , colours = , colours_label = , march = (Ordinance March of the Air Force) by Alberto Di Miniello , mascot = , anniversaries = 28 March ...

. After the

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...

, the first ski lifts were built around Breuil-Cervinia and Plan Maison. In 1952, again at the instigation of Dino Lora Totino, a new cable car was built from Plan Maison to

Furggen The Furggen (3,492 m) is a mountain of the Pennine Alps, located on the border between Italy (Aosta Valley) and Switzerland (Valais). It is the culminating point of the ridge named ''Furgggrat'' stretching from the Furggjoch (3,271 m) to the Th ...

. It was a single-span cable car, and was so long that the designer had to take the curvature of the Earth into account when designing it. The cableway and its associated slope were so impervious that, following the death of several people who had fallen from the

, it was necessary to build a tunnel onto the mountain, which would make it easier for skiers and the operators of the ''Società Cervino'' to descend to the glacier below, avoiding the more inexperienced skiers from having to use the more exposed part of the slope. Also in the 1950s, Breuil-Cervinia,

and the

were chosen by the

and Ardito Desio as locations to prepare the famous 1954 K2 expedition, which included

Achille Compagnoni Achille Compagnoni (26 September 1914 – 13 May 2009) was an Italian mountaineer and skier. Together with Lino Lacedelli on 31 July 1954 he was in the first party to reach the summit of K2. Biography Compagnoni was born in Santa Caterina d ...

and

Walter Bonatti Walter Bonatti (; 22 June 1930 – 13 September 2011) was an Italian mountain climber, explorer and journalist. He was noted for many climbing achievements, including a solo climb of a new route on the south-west pillar of the Aiguille du Dru i ...

. In 1961, the Plan Maison-Cime Bianche-Plateau Rosa cable car was replaced by a new system built by ''Piemonte Funivie''. In 1963, the Breuil-Plan Maison cable car, the first cable car to be built in Breuil-Cervinia, was replaced by a new, large cable car, and a second cable car was built next to it in order to double the hourly capacity of the ski lifts. In 1962, the "Lac Bleu" bobsleigh track was completed near the Lago Blu and inaugurated by

Olympic Olympic or Olympics may refer to Sports Competitions * Olympic Games, international multi-sport event held since 1896 ** Summer Olympic Games ** Winter Olympic Games * Ancient Olympic Games, ancient multi-sport event held in Olympia, Greece b ...

champion

Eugenio Monti Eugenio Monti (23 January 1928 – 1 December 2003) was an Italian bobsledder and alpine skier. He is one of the most successful athletes in the history of the bobsleigh, with ten World championship medals (of which nine gold) and 6 Olympic m ...

. In 1972, the first two-seater chairlift was built at ''Cielo Alto''. The unification in 1982 with the

ski resort added prestige to Cervinia. In 1986, the ''Breuil-Plan Maison 1 cable car'' was replaced by a 6-passenger gondola lift and in 1988, the long ''Plan Maison-Laghi Cime Bianche gondola lift'' was opened. In 1991 the ''Plateau Rosa cable car'' was replaced by a cable car with 140-passenger cabins. In 1993, the

cable car was closed and abandoned, as it was hardly used due to the wind and also heavily damaged in an accident. Breuil-Cervinia - panoramio (1)

In the 2000s, the ''Società Cervino'' encountered considerable financial difficulties and was unable to invest in the station. In 2006, thanks to regional funding, it was possible to build two modern chairlifts, called ''Crétaz'' and ''Campetto'', to replace the old ski lifts. In 2008, increasing financial difficulties led the Cravetto family, the historic owners of the Breuil-Cervinia ski lifts, to decide to sell its majority shares in ''Società Cervino''. These were bought by the Autonomous Region of Valle d'Aosta (about 70%; the remaining 30% was managed by private individuals), and the company thus became public, like most of its ''Valle d'Aosta'' counterparts operating in the sector. The first step of the new management towards modernisation was taken in 2009, with the inauguration of the ''Pancheron'' hexapost chairlift. In 2012 the ''Plateau Rosa cable car'' is renewed. Thanks to its rapid growth, Cervinia and its ski resort, as many other town on the

Courmayeur Courmayeur (; Valdôtain: ) is a town and ''comune'' in northern Italy, in the autonomous region of Aosta Valley. History The toponym ''Courmayeur'' has been mentioned as ''Curia majori'' (1233–1381), ''Corte Maggiore'' (1620), ''Cormoyeu'' (164 ...

Chamonix-Mont-Blanc Chamonix-Mont-Blanc ( frp, Chamôni), more commonly known as Chamonix, is a commune in the Haute-Savoie department in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region of southeastern France. It was the site of the first Winter Olympics in 1924. In 2019, it had ...

Limone Piemonte Limone Piemonte (Vivaro-Alpine: ''Limon'') is a ''comune'' (municipality) in the Province of Cuneo in the Italian region Piedmont, located about south of Turin and about south of Cuneo, on the border with France. As of September 2017, it had a po ...

Pila Pila may refer to: Architecture * Pila (architecture), a type of veranda in Sri Lankan farm houses Places *Pila, Buenos Aires, a town in Buenos Aires Province, Argentina *Pila Partido, a country subdivision in Buenos Aires Province, Argentina * ...

Sestriere Sestriere (/se'strjɛre/) ( oc, Sestrieras, pms, Ël Sestrier, french: Sestrières) is a ski resort in Piedmont, Italy, a ''comune'' (municipality) of the Metropolitan City of Turin. It is situated in Val Susa, from the French border. Its name ...

Sankt Moritz St. Moritz (also german: Sankt Moritz, rm, , it, San Maurizio, french: Saint-Moritz) is a high Alpine resort town in the Engadine in Switzerland, at an elevation of about above sea level. It is Upper Engadine's major town and a municipality in ...

, became a field of

architectural Architecture is the art and technique of designing and building, as distinguished from the skills associated with construction. It is both the process and the product of sketching, conceiving, planning, designing, and constructing buildings o ...

and

engineering Engineering is the use of scientific method, scientific principles to design and build machines, structures, and other items, including bridges, tunnels, roads, vehicles, and buildings. The discipline of engineering encompasses a broad rang ...

experimentation, trying to develop a new ''alpine architecture'' and new technologies for buildings and lifts. Examples of this research are the Cielo Alto buildings, the Casa del Sole, the original Refuge du Théodule, the Pirovano hut and, as far as ski lifts are concerned, the ''Breuil-Plan Maison cable car'' and the Gran Baita hotel, the ''Plateau Rosa cable car'', the ''Plan Maison - Monte Furggen cable car''. The

architect An architect is a person who plans, designs and oversees the construction of buildings. To practice architecture means to provide services in connection with the design of buildings and the space within the site surrounding the buildings that h ...

s who oversaw the urban development of the town include important names such as

Carlo Mollino Carlo Mollino (6 May 1905 – 27 August 1973) was an Italian architect, designer, photographer and educator. Biography Carlo Mollino was born on May 6, 1905, in Turin, a major industrial city and cultural center in northwest Italy. He was the o ...

, Francesco Dolza,

Giovanni Muzio Giovanni Muzio (12 February 1893 – 21 May 1982) was an Italian architect. Muzio was born and died in Milan. He was closely associated with the Novecento Italiano artists group. Biography The son of Virginio Muzio, an accomplished archit ...

Franco Albini Franco Albini (17 October 1905 – 1 November 1977) was an Italian Neo-Rationalist architect, designer and university instructor in design. A native of Robbiate, near Milan, Albini obtained his degree in architecture at Politecnico di Milano U ...

and Mario Galvagni.

Economy

Today Breuil-Cervinia is fully dependent on tourism, both during winter and summer, thanks to the possibility of summer ski on the Plateau Rosa Glacier and the ski lifts links of ''Matterhorn Ski Paradise,'' the beauty of its alpine landscape and the presence of the

. In summer, the plains of Breuil-Cervinia are home to alpine

pasture Pasture (from the Latin ''pastus'', past participle of ''pascere'', "to feed") is land used for grazing. Pasture lands in the narrow sense are enclosed tracts of farmland, grazed by domesticated livestock, such as horses, cattle, sheep, or swine ...

s with cows whose milk is used to produce the first

cheese Cheese is a dairy product produced in wide ranges of flavors, textures, and forms by coagulation of the milk protein casein. It comprises proteins and fat from milk, usually the milk of cows, buffalo, goats, or sheep. During production, ...

Fontina Fontina (French: ''Fontine'') is a cow's milk cheese, first produced in Italy. Over time, production of Fontina has spread worldwide, including the United States, Denmark, Sweden, Canada, France and Argentina. Description Fontina is a cheese th ...

, and other toma cheeses.

Monuments and points of interest

Locations

* Lago Blu (it.) / Lac Bleu or ''Lac de Layet'' (fr.). * Lac de Goillet, artificial lake nearby Cime Bianche lift station. *

. * Plan Maison. *

arrival lift station and panorama. * Refuge Jean-Antoine Carrel. * Refuge Duc des Abruzzes à l'Oriondé.

Religious buildings

* Notre-Dame-des-Ermites chapel, built in the 16th century. * Notre-Dame-des-Neiges church, built in the 1950s. *

Saint Anne According to Christian apocryphal and Islamic tradition, Saint Anne was the mother of Mary and the maternal grandmother of Jesus. Mary's mother is not named in the canonical gospels. In writing, Anne's name and that of her husband Joachim come o ...

and

Pope John Paul II Pope John Paul II ( la, Ioannes Paulus II; it, Giovanni Paolo II; pl, Jan Paweł II; born Karol Józef Wojtyła ; 18 May 19202 April 2005) was the head of the Catholic Church and sovereign of the Vatican City State from 1978 until his ...

chapel. *

Alpini The Alpini are the Italian Army's specialist mountain infantry. Part of the army's infantry corps, the speciality distinguished itself in combat during World War I and World War II. Currently the active Alpini units are organized in two operatio ...

chapel. * Croce del Papa (it.) / Croix du Pape (fr.), a monument dedicated to

. * Croix Carrel, a monument dedicated to

, remembering the place where he died.

Museums

* Luigi Amedeo Hut, the

mountain hut dedicated to Luigi Amedeo di Savoia, replaced by Jean-Antoine Carrel Hut, and converted in a museum.

Sports

Alpine skiing

The ski area is very large and guarantees good snow quality during the season, being at a high altitude (2,050 m to 3,500 m). Cervinia pista del Ghiacciaio Ventina - panoramio

Cervinia pista del Ghiacciaio Ventina - panoramio

Breuil-Cervinia is connected, weather permitting, with

(when the Italian lifts are open) via the

glacier, where summer skiing is also practised, and with the part of the

ski resort via the Cime Bianche mountain pass. Breuil-Cervinia hosted the Women's

Alpine Ski World Cup The FIS Alpine Ski World Cup is the top international circuit of alpine skiing competitions, launched in 1966 by a group of ski racing friends and experts which included French journalist Serge Lang and the alpine ski team directors from France ...

in the 1977–1978 season on 10 December 1977, the first time in the history of the alpine resort, with a slalom stage on the ''Cielo Alto'' slope. The competition was won by French skier

Perrine Pelen Perrine Marie Pelen (born 3 July 1960) is a former World Cup alpine ski racer from France. Born at Boulogne-Billancourt near Paris, she made her World Cup debut at age 16 in December 1976 and won three slalom races that Pelen won the bronze ...

, followed by her compatriot Fabienne Serrat and

Hanni Wenzel Hannelore (Hanni) Wenzel. vancouver2010.com. 23 January 2010 (born 14 December 1956) is a retired Liechtensteiner alpine ski racer. Weirather is a former Olympic, World Cup, and world champion. She won Liechtenstein's first-ever Olympic medal at ...

, who won the general and the slalom rankings for the season. From the 2022–2023 season, Breuil-Cervinia and

(

Switzerland ). Swiss law does not designate a ''capital'' as such, but the federal parliament and government are installed in Bern, while other federal institutions, such as the federal courts, are in other cities (Bellinzona, Lausanne, Luzern, Neuchâtel ...

) will host a cross-border stage of the

. This will be the first time in the history of the Cup. The races to be held will be

downhill Downhill may refer to: Arts and entertainment * ''Downhill'' (1927 film), a British film by Alfred Hitchcock * ''Downhill'' (2014 film), a British comedy directed by James Rouse * ''Downhill'' (2016 film), a Chilean thriller directed by Patrici ...

and

super-g Super giant slalom, or super-G, is a racing discipline of alpine skiing. Along with the faster downhill, it is regarded as a "speed" event, in contrast to the technical events giant slalom and slalom. It debuted as an official World Cup event d ...

, both men's and women's. The designated slope is the ''Gran Becca,'' the result of a mixture of several slopes in the ''Matterhorn Ski Paradise'' resort: the athletes will start from the 3,899 m of the

Gobba di Rollin Gobba di Rollin (Italian, French: ''Dos de Rollin''; 3,899 m) is a mountain of the Pennine Alps, straddling the border between Switzerland and Italy. It is located south of the Breithorn and it is largely covered by ice, the summit area being ...

, a mountain in Swiss territory, will take the ''Ventina'' slope, in Italian territory, and will arrive near the ''Cime Bianche Laghi - Plateau Rosa'' cable car station. The name ''Gran Becca'' is

Valle d'Aosta , Valdostan or Valdotainian it, Valdostano (man) it, Valdostana (woman)french: Valdôtain (man)french: Valdôtaine (woman) , population_note = , population_blank1_title = Official languages , population_blank1 = Italian French ...

dialect. A special and spectacular event related to

alpine skiing Alpine skiing, or downhill skiing, is the pastime of sliding down snow-covered slopes on skis with fixed-heel bindings, unlike other types of skiing ( cross-country, Telemark, or ski jumping), which use skis with free-heel bindings. Whether for ...

in Breuil-Cervinia was ''Azzurrissimo'', a skiing competition held on the ''Ventina'' slope, 11 kilometres long and delimited by the symbolic number of 100 gates. Ski clubs, sports centres, military sports groups, but also ordinary people, show business people, journalists and athletes took part in the event. The spirit of the competition was based on the confrontation of all against all on skis, mixing the different disciplines of alpine skiing in a single event. It became an international event, with the participation of athletes from different nations and the creation of a network of events twinned with ''Azzurrissimo'' in

Crans-Montana Crans-Montana is a municipality in the district of Sierre in the canton of Valais, Switzerland. On 1 January 2017 the former municipalities of Chermignon, Mollens, Montana and Randogne merged to form the new municipality of Crans-Montana. Cr ...

and

Baqueira-Beret Baqueira-Beret is a ski resort located in the heart of the Pyrenees, in the Aran and Àneu Valleys in Lleida, Catalonia, Spain, with the nearest airport located in Toulouse, France, approximately two hours' drive by automobile. The ski ar ...

. The first edition of ''Azzurrissimo'' was in 1987 and the tenth and last was in 1998. It was run in the first few days of May, at the end of the racing season and at the end of the various championships. This allowed the presence of big names in the discipline and the awarding of the prize for the "fastest ski club in Italy". Panorama from Theodulpass 3301 m direction Breuil-Cervinia with Matterhorn Cervino 4478 m at the right side - panoramio

Panorama from Theodulpass 3301 m direction Breuil-Cervinia with Matterhorn Cervino 4478 m at the right side - panoramio

Cross-country skiing

In winter Breuil-Cervinia hosts a

cross-country skiing Cross-country skiing is a form of skiing where skiers rely on their own locomotion to move across snow-covered terrain, rather than using ski lifts or other forms of assistance. Cross-country skiing is widely practiced as a sport and recreation ...

trail on the plains near the town centre.

Snowboard cross

Breuil-Cervinia has hosted the Snowboard Cross World Cup four times, in the 2018, 2019, 2020 and 2022 seasons, making it a fixed stop on the circuit. Breuil-Cervinia was also supposed to host a stage in the 2021 season, which was cancelled due to the

Coronavirus pandemic The COVID-19 pandemic, also known as the coronavirus pandemic, is an ongoing global pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The novel virus was first identified ...

Cycling

Breuil-Cervinia has hosted a stage of the most famous cycling race in Italy Giro d'Italia five times, in 1960, 1997, 2012, 2015 and 2018. Cervinia-Breuil - La Pista del Bob

The streets of Breuil-Cervinia have also hosted several editions of the Giro Ciclistico della Valle d'Aosta, an event dedicated to the under-23s road cyclists and which has launched many internationally renowned cyclists such as

Ivan Gotti Ivan Gotti (born 28 March 1969) is an Italian former professional road racing cyclist. Gotti was born at San Pellegrino Terme, Lombardy. He first came to prominence by finishing 5th overall in the 1995 Tour de France. The highlights of his caree ...

and

Fabio Aru , birth_date = , birth_place = San Gavino Monreale, Sardinia, Italy , height = , weight = , currentteam = Retired , discipline = Road , role = Rider , ridertype = Climber , amateuryears1 = 2009–2012 , amateurteam1 = Palazzago , am ...

. In summer, downhill biking can be practised on equipped trails. The ''Maxiavalanche'' competition, which is organised around August and consists of a descent from the 3500 m of the

glacier to Breuil-Cervinia, is well known. In 2011, two more tracks were added, bringing the number of downhill and freeride tracks to four. As of 2014, the number of trails is nine, including those that run towards the village of

. The resort is relying heavily on this activity to boost summer tourism.

Bobsleigh

The "Lac Bleu" bobsleigh run was located in Breuil-Cervinia and hosted the

World Championships A world championship is generally an international competition open to elite competitors from around the world, representing their nations, and winning such an event will be considered the highest or near highest achievement in the sport, game, ...

three times: in 1971, 1975 and 1985; it also hosted the

European Championships The European Championships is a multi-sport tournament which brings together the existing European Championships of some of the continent's leading sports every four years. The inaugural edition in 2018 was staged by the host cities of Berlin, ...

on four occasions: in 1969, 1973, 1987 and 1991. In 1991, it was definitively closed down due to the very high running costs and the cost of renovations that the track would have had to undergo. The bobsleigh track could have been an

facility on two occasions: first, when the city of

Aosta Aosta (, , ; french: Aoste , formerly ; frp, Aoûta , ''Veulla'' or ''Ouhta'' ; lat, Augusta Praetoria Salassorum; wae, Augschtal; pms, Osta) is the principal city of Aosta Valley, a bilingual region in the Italian Alps, north-northwest of ...

was bidding to host the 18th Winter Olympics in 1998, which was then awarded to the city of

Nagano Nagano may refer to: Places * Nagano Prefecture, a prefecture in Japan ** Nagano (city), the capital city of the same prefecture *** Nagano 1998, the 1998 Winter Olympics *** Nagano Olympic Stadium, a baseball stadium in Nagano *** Nagano Universi ...

. The second was when the facility was considered for the bobsleigh, skeleton and luge competitions of the XX Winter Olympics in

Turin Turin ( , Piedmontese language, Piedmontese: ; it, Torino ) is a city and an important business and cultural centre in Northern Italy. It is the capital city of Piedmont and of the Metropolitan City of Turin, and was the first Italian capital ...

in 2006, but the choice was made to build the Olympic facility in

Cesana Pariol Cesana Pariol was the venue for bobsleigh, luge and skeleton during the 2006 Winter Olympics in Turin, Italy. The track, built for the games, is located in Cesana. The venue holds approximately 7,130 spectators, of whom 3,624 are seated. Cons ...

Speed skiing

Breuil-Cervinia was the scene of several editions of

speed skiing Speed skiing is the sport of skiing downhill in a straight line at as high a speed as possible, as timed over a fixed stretch of ski slope. There are two types of contest: breaking an existing speed record or having the fastest run at a given co ...

competitions. The slope was often the only one on the circuit that allowed new records to be set in the discipline. View from Klein Matterhorn 3883 m to Plateau Rosa Testa Grigia 3480 m - panoramio

View from Klein Matterhorn 3883 m to Plateau Rosa Testa Grigia 3480 m - panoramio

Zeno Colò Zeno Colò (30 June 1920 – 12 May 1993) was a champion alpine ski racer from Italy. Born in Cutigliano, Tuscany, he was among the top ski racers of the late 1940s and early 1950s. Career At the World Championships in 1950 in Aspen, he won go ...

set a record of 159.291 km/h here in 1947 that stood for 13 years, using normal skis and skiing without a helmet. Even Steve McKinney, the first person to break 200 km/h on skis, ran speed skiing competitions in Breuil-Cervinia. In 2005, the Speed Skiing World Championships were held in Breuil-Cervinia.

Ski touring

Ski touring Ski touring is skiing in the backcountry on unmarked or unpatrolled areas. Touring is typically done off-piste and outside of ski resorts, and may extend over a period of more than one day. It is similar to backcountry skiing but excludes the ...

in Breuil-Cervinia is a real symbol. Before the ski lifts were built, the ski fields were invaded by ski tourers starting from Breuil-Cervinia, arriving at Plan Maison and, for the most experienced and daring, reaching Plateau Rosa, before descending back into the valley. Breuil-Cervinia, together with

Gressoney-La-Trinité Gressoney-La-Trinité (Gressoney wae, Greschòney Drifaltigkeit or ; frp, Gressonèy-La-Trinità) is a town or ''commune'' and renowned alpine resort at the foot of Monte Rosa in the Val de Gressoney, which is part of the Aosta Valley region of ...

, hosts one of the oldest and most historic ski touring competitions: the

Trofeo Mezzalama The Mezzalama Trophy ( it, Trofeo Mezzalama, french: Trophée Mezzalama, a.k.a. ''white marathon''

Events

Since 1998, Breuil-Cervinia hosts the ''Cervino CineMountain'', a film festival focusing on

mountain A mountain is an elevated portion of the Earth's crust, generally with steep sides that show significant exposed bedrock. Although definitions vary, a mountain may differ from a plateau in having a limited Summit (topography), summit area, and ...

adventure An adventure is an exciting experience or undertaking that is typically bold, sometimes risky. Adventures may be activities with danger such as traveling, exploring, skydiving, mountain climbing, scuba diving, river rafting, or other extreme spo ...

exploring Exploration refers to the historical practice of discovering remote lands. It is studied by geographers and historians. Two major eras of exploration occurred in human history: one of convergence, and one of divergence. The first, covering most ...

and

nature Nature, in the broadest sense, is the physics, physical world or universe. "Nature" can refer to the phenomenon, phenomena of the physical world, and also to life in general. The study of nature is a large, if not the only, part of science. ...

documentaries A documentary film or documentary is a non-fictional motion-picture intended to "document reality, primarily for the purposes of instruction, education or maintaining a historical record". Bill Nichols has characterized the documentary in term ...

. Cervino CineMountain is a member of the ''International Alliance for Mountain Film'' and awards the Oscar for the best mountain film from the various mountain film festivals that are members of the Alliance. The Cervino CineMountain also awards Grand Prizes, prizes for feature, medium and short films and for animated films. Cervino Sunset

Since 2019, in the month of July, Breuil-Cervinia hosts ''La Settimana del Cervino'', an event that encourages contact with

, environmental sustainability and respect for the mountain environment with a series of cultural meetings between people from the entertainment industry, athletes, experts on the subject of mountains and nature, as well as evening shows, concerts and walks aimed at raising awareness of the aforementioned subjects around the village of Breuil-Cervinia.

Notes and references

Official website

Breuil-Cervinia Downhill Snow Report from Aosta valley official website
{{Authority control Cities and towns in Aosta Valley Frazioni of Aosta Valley Ski areas and resorts in Italy