How Mountaineering Helped Shape Italy

Mountaineering in Italy isn’t just about summits and scenery. In the Brenta Dolomites, climbing shaped a national identity. On a four-day hut-to-hut hike through Trentino, I discovered how alpine exploration, politics, and history collided on these peaks and how the legacy of those early climbers still defines the landscape today.

• Westernmost group of the UNESCO-listed Dolomites

• Known for red rock spires, deep valleys, and Gothic-like towers

• Birthplace of the via ferrata, developed during WWI

• Home to the 150-year-old SAT (Società degli Alpinisti Tridentini)

• A crucible of Italian nationalism and mountaineering history

Founded in 1872, SAT was more than a climbing club. Its leaders believed mountaineering could help unite Italy. Trentino was still part of the Austro-Hungarian Empire. By building refuges, marking trails, and planting Italian flags on peaks, SAT aimed to reclaim the mountains for Italy culturally and politically.

This wasn’t just symbolic. In 1876, the Austrian authorities shut SAT down (it later reformed under a new name). Rivalry with German-speaking clubs like the DAV intensified, often playing out in literal one-upmanship: alpine huts were built 20 meters higher than their competitors.

On our final day, we shared the trail with Czech climbers, Dutch hikers, and Austrian families. The jagged peaks, once divided by language and allegiance, now bring people together.

SAT and the DAV now collaborate. Their once-competing networks of trails, ferrates, and huts form a shared alpine heritage. The Brenta feels unified not just geographically, but culturally.