Mount Rosa is the second highest and widest mountain in Europe and has exerted an irresistible fascination on many enthusiasts, giving rise to the birth of alpine tourism and mountaineering. The adventure of mountaineering began in a climate of effervescence that saw the English and others, nobles and bourgeois, head for Monte Rosa where, in a quiet and discreet way, locals, including some parish priests, had already opened important routes. Woolen jackets, leather boots with studs and alpenstock accompanied the first brave men to the summits. The approaches were facilitated by mules for the transport of equipment. The villages at the foot of the great Monte Rosa massif were transformed, hotels and Art Nouveau villas were built. The high plateaus were transformed and saw the construction of mountain huts and hotels.
