Rifugio Dante Livio Bianco

Rifugio Dante Livio Bianco is an alpine hut (rifugio alpino) located in the Maritime Alps within the municipality of Valdieri (province of Cuneo, Piedmont, Italy), at an altitude of 1,910 metres. It stands near the Sottano della Sella Lake, one of the largest natural basins in the Maritime Alps. The hut was built in the early 1960s on the initiative of a group of alpinists and partisans of the 'Giustizia e Libertà' formation to commemorate Dante Livio Bianco, a Piedmontese lawyer and partisan who loved mountaineering and died in 1953 on the Cima di Saint Robert in the upper Gesso Valley. It was inaugurated on 7 July 1963, replacing the earlier 'Monte Matto' bivouac that had been destroyed by fire shortly after World War II. The hut underwent renovation and expansion in 1982, with the new structure officially inaugurated on 18 September 1983, followed by further restoration work in 1999, 2000 and 2008. The building is a two-storey stone masonry structure with an attic, offering 55 beds in rooms accommodating 4 to 13 people. It has heating, indoor and outdoor toilets, running water, hot showers and telephone service. A winter room with 13 beds is always open and managed during the summer. The hut is a popular base for mountaineering, hiking and ski touring in the Maritime Alps Natural Park, with access primarily via trail N4 from Sant'Anna di Valdieri. It is open seasonally, typically from mid-June to mid-September, and also on selected weekends in late September, with mandatory reservation. The hut is a commercial hospitality business, offering accommodation and dining services to visitors.

The Rifugio Dante Livio Bianco was built in the early 1960s on the initiative of a group of alpinists and partisans from the 'Giustizia e Libertà' formation. They intended to commemorate Dante Livio Bianco, a Piedmontese lawyer and partisan who was an avid mountaineer and died in 1953 on the Cima di Saint Robert in the upper Gesso Valley. The hut was inaugurated on 7 July 1963. It replaced the pre-existing 'Monte Matto' bivouac, which was located on the Soprano della Sella Lake and had been destroyed by a fire shortly after the end of World War II. In 1982, a renovation and expansion programme was launched, and the new hut was officially inaugurated on 18 September 1983. Further restoration work took place in 1999, 2000 and 2008. The hut continues to operate as a seasonal hospitality facility, welcoming hikers, climbers and ski tourers in the Maritime Alps Natural Park.

• 1999

  Restoration work

• 1983

  Official inauguration of the new hut on 18 September

• 1982

  Start of renovation and expansion programme

• 1963

  Inauguration of the hut on 7 July

A historic alpine hut in the Maritime Alps Natural Park, offering hospitality to hikers, climbers and nature lovers.

• Overnight stay

• Meals

• Winter room

1. 1Official websiterifugioliviobianco.com
2. 2Wikidata entrywikidata.org
3. 3Italian Wikipedia articleit.wikipedia.org