Rifugio Stivo Prospero Marchetti

Rifugio Stivo Prospero Marchetti is a historic alpine mountain hut (rifugio) situated at 2,012 metres above sea level on the western flank of Monte Stivo, in the municipality of Arco, Trentino, Italy. It is owned and operated by the Società degli Alpinisti Tridentini (SAT), the Trentino mountaineering association, and is named in honour of Prospero Marchetti, a native of Arco who co-founded the Trentino alpine club in 1872 and served as its first president. The hut sits roughly 40 vertical metres below the summit of Monte Stivo, surrounded by meadows and dwarf pine fields, with sweeping views over Lake Garda, Monte Baldo and the Adamello-Presanella Alps. The rifugio was first proposed by SAT in 1904, and the Arco section secured building rights the following year to pre-empt a competing plan by the German-Austrian Alpine Club (DÖAV). It was inaugurated in October 1906. During the First World War the hut served as accommodation for the Austro-Hungarian army, and nearby wartime structures still survive. It reopened in 1921 and was owned by the SAT Rovereto section from 1924 to 1954 before returning to the Arco section, which carried out extensive post-war restoration. Further modernisations followed in the late 1980s, in 2011, and between 2016 and 2017. Today it belongs to the SAT headquarters in Trento. The hut is managed continuously from early June to the end of September and from late December to early January, and is also open on other weekends in good weather. It offers 23 beds plus a winter room with 4 additional sleeping places. Access is on foot only, via trails from Passo Bordala (2h15), Passo Santa Barbara (2h) and Malga Campo (2h30). The summit of Monte Stivo (2,054 m) is just a five-minute walk from the hut. The rifugio is a classic example of Trentino alpine hospitality, serving simple local dishes and providing a warm base for hikers exploring the Garda mountains.

The Rifugio Stivo Prospero Marchetti was first conceived in 1904, when the Società degli Alpinisti Tridentini (SAT) drew up plans for a shelter on Monte Stivo. In 1905 the Arco section of SAT hastily secured building rights after learning that the Arco section of the German-Austrian Alpine Club (DÖAV) was also planning a hut on the mountain; SAT was determined to avoid a repeat of the Tuckett affair, a previous dispute over hut construction. The rifugio was inaugurated in October 1906 by the SAT Arco section and named after Prospero Marchetti, a native of Arco who had co-founded the Trentino alpine association in 1872 in Madonna di Campiglio together with Nepomuceno Bolognini and served as its first president. During the First World War the hut was used as accommodation by the Austro-Hungarian army, and military structures from that period can still be seen nearby. The rifugio survived the war relatively unscathed and was able to reopen in 1921. From 1924 to 1954 it was owned by the SAT Rovereto section, after which it was taken over again by the Arco section. The latter carried out extensive restoration work that had become necessary after the Second World War. In subsequent decades the Rifugio Stivo was modernised several times: at the end of the 1980s, in 2011, and most recently between 2016 and 2017. It is now owned by the SAT headquarters in Trento. The hut is managed continuously from early June to the end of September and from late December to early January, and is also open on other weekends throughout the year when weather conditions are good. It has 23 sleeping places and a winter room with 4 additional beds. Access is on foot only, via trails from Passo Bordala (1,253 m, 2h15), Passo Santa Barbara (1,169 m, 2h) and Malga Campo (1,383 m, 2h30). The summit of Monte Stivo (2,054 m) is a five-minute walk from the hut, and the neighbouring Rifugio Viote (1,540 m) can be reached in about six hours via trails 617 and 607.

• 2016

  Modernisation between 2016 and 2017.

• 2011

  Further modernisation of the rifugio.

• 1980

  Modernisation work at the end of the 1980s.

• 1954

  Ownership returns to the SAT Arco section, which carries out extensive post-war restoration.

• 1924

  Ownership passes to the SAT Rovereto section.

• 1921

  Rifugio reopens after surviving the war relatively undamaged.

• 1914

  During World War I the hut serves as accommodation for the Austro-Hungarian army.

• 1906

  Rifugio inaugurated in October by the SAT Arco section and named after Prospero Marchetti.

• 1905

  SAT Arco section secures building rights to pre-empt a competing DÖAV plan.

• 1904

  SAT draws up plans for a shelter on Monte Stivo.

Authentic alpine hospitality at 2,012 m, suspended between Lake Garda and the Trentino peaks.

• Mountain hut accommodation (23 beds)

• Winter room (4 beds)

• Trentino cuisine

• Hiking trail access

1. 1Rifugio sul Monte Stivo sul Lago di Garda | Rifugio Stivorifugiostivo.it
2. 2Rifugio Stivo Prospero Marchetti – Wikidatawikidata.org
3. 3Rifugio Stivo – Wikipedia (German)de.wikipedia.org