Rifugio Antonio Curò

Rifugio Antonio Curò is a mountain hut (rifugio) in the Bergamasque Alps of Lombardy, northern Italy, situated at an altitude of 1,915 metres in the municipality of Valbondione, in the upper Val Seriana. It is owned and operated by the Bergamo section of the Club Alpino Italiano (CAI), Italy's national alpine association. The hut takes its name from engineer Antonio Curò, who was president of the CAI Bergamo section at the time of its establishment. According to the official website, the Curò hut was the second refuge inaugurated by CAI Bergamo in 1886, after the Cà Brunona hut. The refuge is one of the largest mountain huts in the Bergamo area, with a capacity of roughly 100 beds. The official site describes 64 beds distributed across rooms of 4, 6 and 8 people, with the possibility of booking an entire dormitory. Facilities include a bar, two dining rooms, a conversation room with a fireplace, Wi-Fi, and mobile coverage from TIM, Vodafone and Wind. Showers are token-operated, and additional services such as shower linen and disposable sleeping-bag liners are available for a fee. The hut is open continuously from mid-June to mid-September; from May to June and in October to November it opens only on days preceding public holidays, and it is closed for the rest of the year. The Curò refuge is a key node on the Sentiero delle Orobie, a long-distance hiking route across the Orobie Alps. From the hut, hikers can continue toward Rifugio Albani or in the direction of Rifugio Tagliaferri. It is also the destination of the sixth stage of the Sentiero delle Orobie Oriental, which begins at Rifugio Coca via trail no. 303, and the starting point for the seventh stage toward Rifugio Luigi Albani via trail no. 304, or the variant toward Rifugio Nani Tagliaferri via trail no. 321. The hut is also indicated as the start of the Sentiero Naturalistico Antonio Curò, which ends at the Vivione pass via Rifugio Nani Tagliaferri. The surrounding area, part of the Belviso-Barbellino nature reserve, is known for abundant alpine wildlife and for the nearby Serio waterfalls, which with a triple drop exceeding 300 metres are the highest in Italy and the second highest in Europe. The zone around the natural and artificial lakes is guarded by imposing peaks, more than twenty of which exceed 2,700 metres, including Pizzo di Coca (3,050 m), Monte Torena (2,911 m), Pizzo Recastello (2,886 m), Monte Gleno (2,882 m), Pizzo del Diavolo della Malgina (2,924 m), Monte Trobio (2,865 m), Monte Costone (2,865 m), Pizzo Strinato (2,836 m), Pizzo dei Tre Confini (2,824 m) and Monte Cimone (2,530 m). The area is particularly appreciated by alpine skiers in spring, when the north couloirs are snow-covered, and by hikers in summer. The hut can be reached from the municipality of Valbondione via marked trail no. 305 in about 2 hours 30 minutes, or from Lizzola via trail no. 306 in about 3 hours 30 minutes. Over its history the refuge has been rebuilt and expanded: a larger hut was built slightly east of the original in 1895 at 1,895 m, and in 1973 a third building was constructed on the shores of Lake Barbellino at 1,915 m to a design by surveyor Luigi Locatelli. The 1973 building, once known as the Rifugio Invernale Curò, was later renovated with high-quality materials and converted into a hostel with finishes and comforts described by the official site as unmatched in the Lombard alpine panorama.

The Rifugio Antonio Curò was established in 1886 by the Bergamo section of the Club Alpino Italiano (CAI). According to the official website, it was the second refuge inaugurated by CAI Bergamo, following the Cà Brunona hut. The hut was named in honour of engineer Antonio Curò, who was president of the CAI Bergamo section at the time. In 1895 the CAI Bergamo section decided to build a new, larger refuge. This second building was constructed slightly to the east of the original at an altitude of 1,895 metres and was also dedicated to engineer Curò. This marked the first major expansion of the site. In 1973, to a design by surveyor Luigi Locatelli, a third building was constructed on the shores of Lake Barbellino at an altitude of 1,915 metres, with approximately 100 beds. This building was once known as the Rifugio Invernale Curò (Curò Winter Hut). After years of work, the Rifugio Invernale was renovated with high-quality materials and reclassified as a hostel with finishes and comforts that the official website describes as unmatched in the Lombard alpine panorama. Today the refuge remains owned by the CAI Bergamo section and is one of the largest mountain huts in the Bergamo area, with a capacity of about 100 beds. It is open continuously from mid-June to mid-September, and on days preceding public holidays from May to June and in October to November; it is closed for the rest of the year. The hut serves as a key node on the Sentiero delle Orobie and the Sentiero delle Orobie Oriental, and is the starting point of the Sentiero Naturalistico Antonio Curò.

• 1973

  A third building is constructed on the shores of Lake Barbellino at 1,915 m to a design by surveyor Luigi Locatelli, with about 100 beds; it becomes known as the Rifugio Invernale Curò.

• 1895

  CAI Bergamo decides to build a larger refuge; a new building is constructed slightly east of the original at 1,895 m, also dedicated to Antonio Curò.

• 1886

  The Rifugio Antonio Curò is inaugurated by CAI Bergamo, the second refuge opened by the section after Cà Brunona.

• The Rifugio Invernale Curò is renovated with high-quality materials and converted into a hostel.

A historic, CAI-owned alpine refuge and hostel serving hikers and climbers in the Bergamasque Alps, positioned as a key stop on the Sentiero delle Orobie and a base for the Serio waterfalls and surrounding 3,000 m peaks.

• Mountain hut accommodation (64 beds in rooms of 4, 6 and 8)

• Bar and two dining rooms

• Conversation room with fireplace

• Wi-Fi and mobile coverage (TIM, Vodafone, Wind)

• Token-operated showers, shower linen, disposable sleeping-bag liners

• Hostel accommodation in the renovated former Rifugio Invernale

1. 1Homeantoniocuro.it
2. 2Rifugio Antonio Curòwikidata.org
3. 3Refuge Antonio Curòfr.wikipedia.org