Franco Allavena Refuge

The Franco Allavena Refuge (Rifugio Franco Allavena), also marketed as the Nuovo Rifugio Allavena, is a mountain hut and hospitality brand in the Ligurian Alps of north-western Italy. It sits at Colla Melosa, at 1,545 metres above sea level, in the municipality of Pigna in the province of Imperia, on the south-eastern slope of Monte Grai and close to the French border and the watershed between the Roia, Nervia and Argentina valleys. It is described as the highest refuge in Liguria that is open all year round. The property is owned by Regione Liguria and operated under concession by the Bordighera section of the Club Alpino Italiano (CAI). The refuge brand traces its origins to 1947, when the CAI section of Bordighera was founded under the presidency of Franco Allavena, and members began discussing the creation of a section-owned alpine hut. A former military barrack at Colla Melosa was identified for renovation. The original refuge was inaugurated in October 1977 and named after Allavena, who had died shortly before. A 5 km circular cross-country ski trail was also opened, later supported by the "Caldi Nello" cross-country ski centre. A new refuge was then built using a decommissioned barrack next to the existing Allavena hut and was inaugurated on 3 September 1994 — the facility now promoted as the Nuovo Rifugio Allavena. As a hospitality brand, the refuge offers simple shared accommodation: dormitories with bunk beds and internal bathrooms, including rooms of 9, 12, 12 and 20 beds with shared bathrooms. Guests are required to use a sleeping bag or sleeping-bag liner, which can also be purchased at the refuge. The official website highlights practical access information, a webcam on Monte Toraggio, and driving directions from the A10 Autostrada dei Fiori via the Bordighera or Ventimiglia exits and the Nervia valley, or via Arma di Taggia and the Argentina valley, each roughly one hour by car. It is also reachable on foot from Buggio, Triora and Briga along marked CAI trails of about 3.5 to 5 hours. The refuge serves as a base for hiking and mountaineering in the Ligurian Alps, including the Sentiero degli Alpini on Monte Toraggio, the Alta Via dei Monti Liguri, the Incisa gorge, Monte Pietravecchia and Monte Grai, and the western Alpine Wall fortifications of the Balcone di Marta. The Sentiero degli Alpini has been in precarious condition and partly closed because of landslides in the Monte Toraggio area, although alternative routes exist. The brand is therefore both a public heritage asset of Regione Liguria and a working alpine hospitality operation under the CAI.

The history of the Franco Allavena Refuge begins with the founding of the Bordighera section of the Club Alpino Italiano (CAI) in 1947, under the presidency of Franco Allavena. From the outset, members discussed building an alpine refuge owned by the section, and a former military barrack at Colla Melosa was identified for renovation and conversion into a refuge. The original refuge was inaugurated in October 1977 and dedicated to Franco Allavena, who had died shortly before. At the same time, a 5 km circular cross-country ski trail was opened. In subsequent years, the growth of cross-country skiing required upgraded accommodation facilities, leading to the construction of the "Caldi Nello" cross-country ski centre. A project then took shape for a new refuge using a decommissioned barrack immediately adjacent to the existing Allavena refuge. This new facility was inaugurated on 3 September 1994 and is the basis of the current Nuovo Rifugio Allavena brand. The refuge is owned by Regione Liguria and held under concession by the CAI Bordighera section. Over time the refuge has become a key node in the Ligurian Alps trail network. It is reachable on foot from Triora (about 4 hours), from Briga (about 5 hours, also touching the Alta Via dei Monti Liguri) and from Buggio (two trails, about 4 hours to Colla Melosa). It is also reachable by car all year via an asphalt road from the junction of roads rising from the Nervia and Argentina valleys. From the refuge, visitors can undertake excursions along the Sentiero degli Alpini on Monte Toraggio, the Alta Via dei Monti Liguri around Monte Pietravecchia toward Passo della Valletta, the Incisa gorge (an equipped route requiring some climbing experience), and trails to Monte Pietravecchia and Monte Grai. A former military road leads to the western Alpine Wall fortifications of the Balcone di Marta, a large underground fortified complex built in the 1930s as a second defensive line against a possible French attack during the Second World War. The Sentiero degli Alpini has been in precarious condition and partly closed for safety reasons due to multiple landslides in the Monte Toraggio area, though it remains partly walkable and alternative trails exist for closed sections.

• 1994

  New refuge built from a decommissioned barrack adjacent to the existing refuge and inaugurated on 3 September; basis of the Nuovo Rifugio Allavena brand.

• 1977

  Original Rifugio Franco Allavena inaugurated in October, named after Franco Allavena; a 5 km circular cross-country ski trail also opened.

• 1947

  Bordighera section of the Club Alpino Italiano (CAI) founded under the presidency of Franco Allavena; discussions begin on building a section-owned alpine refuge.

Highest year-round mountain refuge in Liguria; a public heritage alpine hospitality facility owned by Regione Liguria and operated by CAI Bordighera, serving hikers, mountaineers and cross-country skiers near the French border.

• Shared dormitory accommodation (9, 12, 12 and 20 beds with shared bathrooms)

• Sleeping bag / sleeping-bag liner requirement (purchasable at refuge)

• Cross-country ski trail access (5 km circular)

• Caldi Nello cross-country ski centre

• Hiking and mountaineering base services

1. 1Nuovo rifugio Allavena – official websitenuovorifugioallavena.it
2. 2Franco Allavena Refuge – Wikidatawikidata.org
3. 3Rifugio Franco Allavena – Wikipedia (Italian)it.wikipedia.org