Some parts of this text are taken from the books “Vallanta: How a Refuge is Born” and “CAI Monviso 1905-2005”
From the “hut” for climbers to the Refuge…
History of the Vallanta Refuge
The first refuge built by the “CAI MONVISO” section was the Città di Saluzzo in 1935. During a meeting of the section’s Board of Directors on May 22, 1935, President Bressy presented the project and the idea of building a refuge at the head of the Vallone di Vallanta in the upper Varaita Valley.
The idea, which appealed to Saluzzo’s Podestà, Carlo Del Carretto, also received some funding.
The refuge, inaugurated in the summer of 1935, had a short life as it was destroyed by an avalanche the following spring.
Only in 1940 was the “Città di Saluzzo” rebuilt on the site that now hosts the “Gagliardone,” but in 1944 another avalanche swept away the entire second floor. It wasn’t until 1945, once the building had been fully restored, that the refuge was inaugurated again, this time named in memory of Giuseppe Gagliardone, a well-known climber from Saluzzo who died on the south ridge of the Aiguille Noire de Peutérey on July 6, 1947. With the steady increase of climbers and hikers in the Vallone di Vallanta, the CAI Monviso section of Saluzzo began considering the construction of a new refuge better suited to the current needs.
How a Refuge is Born
The first need was to find a local energy source capable of providing electricity and supporting any construction work. That’s how the idea of designing a small hydroelectric plant came about.
From the careful “restoration” of some parts salvaged from the dismantling of an old plant and the construction of new sections, the actual plan to build the new Vallanta Refuge began to take shape.
In 1974, preparatory work for the installation of the plant began, which was inaugurated in 1978; in the same year, construction of the refuge also started.
After long and complex studies, surveyor Marchisio identified a suitable buildable area, and together with two young architects from Turin, Bellezza and Momo, they laid out the foundations for the new building. The project became a complex exercise in balancing the needs of the site, its surroundings, the available technologies, the client, and various operational requirements. It was submitted to the local municipality and received approval in the spring of 1977. The result would be a truly unique refuge: “it is built on a right-angled triangular plan, slightly indented along the hypotenuse side, with a single-sloped roof slanting southward. The main axis is defined by the entrance, the internal and external staircases, and, on the roof, by two dormer windows corresponding to the two floors of sleeping areas…” These lines come from the architects’ own report, and many agree that they succeeded in fulfilling what was a dream for many. The building is functional and harmoniously integrated into the landscape, with its shape echoing the imposing surrounding mountains. The new Vallanta Refuge was inaugurated on September 25, 1988, made possible thanks to the work and collaboration of countless volunteers, who deserve recognition from all those who enjoy the refuge today.
Stories in Frames
Photos: C.A.I. Monviso Section Archive, Saluzzo
The Passage of Time
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1935
Construction of the first refuge, "Città di Saluzzo"
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1936
Refuge destroyed by an avalanche
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1940
Reconstruction on the site of today’s Gagliardone
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1988
Inauguration of the new Vallanta Refuge