Located at the altitude of 1550 m between the magnificent group of Brenta Dolomites and Adamello-Presanella glaciers, Madonna is a popular resort visited the whole year around.
Malga Campo, photo courtesy of Azienda per il Turismo Madonna di Campiglio Pinzolo Val Rendena
The picturesque road connecting Val di Sole and Val Rendena valleys has been appreciated already in ancient times, but for some other reasons. According to the story during his way through the Alps, Hannibal has set the campus in the grassy plateau, where today is the village Campo Carlo Magno. The road was used also in Medieval times and became protected by the presence of monastery with the shelter for the pilgrims and the church of Santa Maria di Campiglio. In the 19th century the abandoned monastery slowly was turning into the dust until
Giambattista Righi di Strembo bought it from the bishopric of Trident. He transformed it into the first hotel in Madonna, opened in 1882 with cooperation of Franz Joseph Oesterreicher, who is said to be the illegitimate son of Austrian Emperor. Osterreicher family transformed the small village into the modern resort for Austrian and European aristocracy and Madonna became the summer residence of Royal family : Sissi and Franz Joseph. Shortly after the Second World War the freshly created Società Funivie Madonna di Campiglio has opened the lift to spinale and started the succesful tradition of Madonna as a winter ski resort.
Today there are 60 km or downhill runs around Madonna snow connected with ski area Folgarida-Marilleva and by the new lift with Pinzolo, which gives total of 142 km of runs promoted under the name Skiarea Campiglio Val Rendena Val di Sole. There are a lot of celebrities seen in Madonna including Naomi Campbell and Michael Schumacher, who has even the run named after him here, the fastest one of course.
Besides alpine skiing Madonna offers places for skating, ice climbing, routes for Nordic skiing an for snow-shoe walking even sled-dogs.
The area around Madonna di Campiglio is incorporated into the Natural Park Adamello Brenta
UNESCO World Heritage site.
During the summer the white slopes change the colours into the green under the majestic white gey peaks of Dolomites and the trails became vivid with mountain bikes, hikers and other visitors who want to just take a rest in the picturesque, healthy area, and use the numerous spa facilities, or swimming pools.
The nearby Campo Carlo Magno bursts golf course with 9 holes and 18 tees
at the altitude of 1650 m.
