Recoding the mountains through utopian images

The historian Catrina Klee is a member of the Graduate School of the Uri Institute Cultures of the Alps and researches tourism development in Südtirol against the backdrop of fascism from the 1920s to the 1940s. With her dissertation project "Utopian, Fascist Architecture: Tourism as a Strategic Investment in Südtirol", she is making an essential contribution to transdisciplinary research into the Alpine region.

Südtirol has always been a tourist gem. At the beginning of the 20th century, there was a change in the type of tourism - from spa tourism to sports tourism. This also changed the type of Südtiroler tourist. They became increasingly sporty and national. This is no coincidence, as the historical context reveals. On the one hand, when Mussolini came to power, all international tourism was curtailed between the 1920s and 1940s and on the other, according to the historian, the focus on active vacations is clearly linked to the focus of fascist ideology on physicality. The dissertation project examines precisely this interplay, with the main focus on tourism as a strategic investment or built policy.

Funivie Alte Dolomiti - the cable car project of the elite

Although only a few tourist buildings were actually built in Südtirol in the interwar years, a great deal was invested in the further development of the sports resort. Various projects were up for discussion, including the "utopian" large-scale technical project "Funivie Alte Dolomiti", which has hardly been researched and has not been realized. This was a huge cable car project that was to run 160 km through the Dolomites. A special highlight: a cable car was to connect Bolzano directly with Cortina d'Ampezzo. The architect Francesco Bonfanti, supported by the Milanese architect Giovanni Ponti and the textile merchant Count Gaetano Marzotto, were in charge of the planning and development. Sources testify that Mussolini was also involved in the project and supported it financially.

The reasons for the construction of such a large-scale project are manifold. Klee explained, for example, that it was intended to strengthen Italy's international position and showcase its wealth, power and engineering skills. At the same time, the aim was to reopen the country to tourism. In addition, the focus on winter tourism was expected to promote the new strong man and a healthy military.

But what can an unrealized project reveal to us?

According to the historian, quite a lot - especially new questions. For example, it is unclear to what extent Bonfanti and Ponti worked together and what their respective relationships with Mussolini were like. The fact that the cable car project is not well known either in research or among the general public also raises questions, particularly because the first cable car in the world was built in Südtirol and the history of the cable car is therefore extensively documented. As the historian has no access to various (private) archives, most of these questions will probably remain unanswered.

However, by placing the fascist-influenced tourist infrastructure at the center of her research, a previously unknown historical subject is receiving attention for the first time. What's more, her project makes an important contribution to coming to terms with Italian fascism. The historian succeeds in using the utopian large-scale project to show that tourism in Südtirol can be interpreted as a strategic investment during the interwar years.

Published on 09. July 2024