Rifugio Tuckett – Quintino Sella

Rifugio Tuckett – Quintino Sella is a mountain refuge complex in the Brenta Dolomites of Trentino, Italy, situated at 2,272 metres above sea level in the upper Vallesinella valley, at the foot of the Castelletto Inferiore and west of the Bocca di Tuckett. The site consists of two adjoining buildings: the Tuckettpasshütte, built by the Berlin section of the German and Austrian Alpine Club (DuOeAV), and the Rifugio Quintino Sella, built by the Società degli Alpinisti Tridentini (SAT). Both were completed and inaugurated in August 1906, one week apart, after a period of intense national rivalry between the German and Italian alpine associations. The refuge is named after two figures. Francis Fox Tuckett was an English alpinist, pioneer and explorer who was particularly active in the Trentino mountains; in 1871 he was the first to document the passage over the Vedretta di Vallesinella, a crossing now known as the Bocca di Tuckett. Quintino Sella was an Italian scientist and the first president of the Club Alpino Italiano (CAI), to whom a peak in the group had already been dedicated in 1884. Today the smaller SAT hut serves as a dependance, while the larger Tuckett building operates as the main refuge. The complex is owned and managed by the SAT, which took over the Tuckett hut after World War I and formally expropriated it in 1920. The Angeli family welcomes guests on behalf of the SAT. The refuge offers accommodation and refreshments to hikers, climbers and ski tourers exploring the central Brenta massif, including the Cima Brenta and the Presanella panorama. Over the decades the buildings have been restored and expanded, notably in 2013 and 2020, while retaining their original floor plans. In 2006, on the centenary, the SAT and the German Alpine Club (DAV) jointly recognised the two refuges and the site as a monument to peace and friendship between peoples. In 2016 a commemorative plaque was unveiled at the refuge by the district mayor of Charlottenburg-Wilmersdorf, Berlin, and the SAT president, further symbolising reconciliation. The refuge remains a popular base for mountaineering in the Brenta Dolomites.

The Rifugio Tuckett – Quintino Sella owes its existence to a remarkable rivalry between German and Italian alpine clubs in the early 20th century. At the time, the Italian-speaking part of Tyrol, including the districts of Rovereto and Trento, belonged to the Austro-Hungarian Empire. The Trento section of the German and Austrian Alpine Club (DuOeAV) had planned a refuge in the Brenta since 1896, but financial difficulties delayed the project. In 1903 the wealthier Berlin section of the DuOeAV took over the plot at the Tuckettjoch, enlarged it to 500 m², and began planning. Meanwhile, the Società degli Alpinisti Tridentini (SAT), an irredentist Italian association, had already obtained a building permit for its own Rifugio Quintino Sella in 1902 on the same ground. When the Berlin section learned in 1904 that the SAT would build only about 20 metres away, a bitter national dispute erupted. Both sides insisted on building their prestige projects. The SAT inaugurated its Quintino Sella hut in August 1906, and the Berlin section followed a week later with the Tuckettpasshütte, named after the English alpinist Francis Fox Tuckett. The two huts coexisted uneasily until 1910, when the Berlin section financed an 800-metre galvanised water pipeline from the glacier, ending the need to carry water over a kilometre. During World War I both buildings suffered heavy damage. After the war the Tuckettpasshütte passed into Italian ownership, with formal expropriation in 1920. The SAT, which had also been entrusted with the Tuckett hut by the German Alpine Association, restored both buildings in 1920, preserving their original floor plans. The smaller SAT hut eventually became a dependance of the larger Tuckett refuge. In 2006, on the centenary, the SAT and the DAV (successor of the DuOeAV) jointly declared the two refuges and the site a monument to peace and friendship between peoples. Further renovations and extensions in 2013 and 2020 modernised the structure while maintaining its historic character. In summer 2016, Reinhard Naumann, district mayor of Berlin's Charlottenburg-Wilmersdorf (partner city of Trento), and SAT president Claudio Bassetti unveiled a commemorative plaque at the refuge, reinforcing the message of international understanding. Today the refuge is run by the Angeli family on behalf of the SAT and continues to serve alpinists in the heart of the Brenta Dolomites.

• 2020

  Additional renovations and extensions modernise the structure.

• 2016

  A commemorative plaque is unveiled at the refuge by Berlin district mayor Reinhard Naumann and SAT president Claudio Bassetti.

• 2013

  Further renovations and extensions are carried out.

• 2006

  On the centenary, the SAT and DAV declare the site a monument to peace and friendship between peoples.

• 1920

  The Tuckettpasshütte is formally expropriated by Italy; the SAT restores both buildings.

• 1910

  The Berlin section finances an 800-metre water pipeline from the glacier to the huts.

• 1906

  Both huts are completed and inaugurated in August, the SAT's Quintino Sella one week before the Tuckettpasshütte.

• 1904

  The SAT informs the Berlin section of its intention to build nearby, sparking a national dispute.

• 1903

  The Berlin section of the DuOeAV takes over the plot at the Tuckettjoch and begins planning.

• 1902

  The SAT obtains the plot and building permit for its Rifugio Quintino Sella.

• 1896

  The Trento section of the DuOeAV plans a refuge in the Brenta.

• 1871

  Francis Fox Tuckett first documents the passage over the Vedretta di Vallesinella, now known as Bocca di Tuckett.

Historic alpine refuge and monument to peace in the Brenta Dolomites, owned by SAT and welcoming mountaineers.

• Rifugio Tuckett – Quintino Sella

  Twin alpine refuge at 2,272 m in the Brenta Dolomites, offering accommodation and meals.

1. 1Rifugio Tuckett e Q Sella 2272 mt slmrifugio-tuckett.it
2. 2Rifugio Tuckett – Quintino Sellade.wikipedia.org
3. 3Francis Fox Tuckettwikidata.org