History
A History of the Franzenshöhe Berghotel
The Franzenshöhe Berghotel, resting on a plateau below Stilfserjoch, has fulfilled various functions over the course of its long and eventful history. The building was erected at the beginning of the 19th century to act as a barracks for the Austro-Hungarian army. Emperor Franz Joseph I, who spent some time here with his retinue, named the plateau Franzenshöhe.
During the construction of the route over Stilfserjoch (the Stilfserjochstraße), many of the construction workers lodged here, as well as in another location - today's "Cantoniera".
After the Stilfserjochstraße was completed in October 1825, Franzenshöhe was turned into a way-station for changing horses and, for a time, it served as a custom's post. As a result, it became necessary to convert one of the two buildings into a postal inn, and also to provide some shelter for horses.
Old smuggler legends, and an original stagecoach schedule - the latter still hangs in the hotel bar today - bear witness to this time.
Generations on the Franzenshöhe
Around the turn of the century, Johann Joseph Wallnöfer leased the building of what is today's Cantoniera, and began to run it as a hotel. He had been in charge of stage coach transportation from Tirano to Spondinig, and on his travels he'd formed the impression that this was a place where one might work profitably. When the building stood free to lease, he immediately snapped up the opportunity.
The hotel business ran well, so much so that when it was offered for sale by the Italian government in 1935, his son Karl was able to purchase today's Franzenshöhe Hotel for 35,000 lire. At the time, this was equivalent in value to 35 good dairy cows. The building that had been leased up until then became the building-yard for the Road Administration. Karl died in 1970, and one year later his son Johann took over the hotel.
Forces of nature
In the winter of 1975, it was partially destroyed by an avalanche. Without a moment's hesitation, Johann rebuilt the hotel, and modernized it by adding a swimming pool, tennis court, and rooms with private shower and WC.
In the beginning of the 80's, Karin took over the hotel from her father, Johann. She ran it for eight years, and then leased it out in the 1990's. During those years she lived in Seattle, U.S.A., where she worked as a youth counselor. When the lease ran out in the summer of 2000, she returned in order to once again take up the running of the hotel personally. Karin strives to remain faithful to her family's traditions, though she brings her own experience - gathered outside her native country - to managing the hotel.
History of the Stilfserjoch Route
Over many centuries, the Stilfserjoch has been an important military base, and the shortest connection linking Austria and Lombardy. The first traces of a footpath in the region of Stilfserjoch date back to the Bronze age (1700 - 1500 b.c.).
The Austrian government was well aware of the strategic significance of Stilfserjoch, and it issued an initial contract for a road construction project to cross over the pass in 1812. Emperor Franz Joseph finally authorized and contracted out a second project in 1818. Engineer Carlo Donegani of Brescia was put in charge of site supervision. After a five-year construction period, the Stilfserjochstraße was opened to traffic in 1825.
The entire length of the road, from Spondinig to Bormio, measures 49.42 km. The stretch on the northern side, from Spondinig to the pass summit, is 27.45km long, has 46 hairpin turns, and climbs 1900m high. The stretch on the southern side, from the summit of the pass to Bormio, has 34 turns, is 21.97km long, and descends over 1500 meters in altitude. Because of the hard sub-soil, and the altitude that must be traversed, every turn has been laid out as a hairpin. (see M. Thöni, Die Geschichte einer Paßstraße)
The rising of tourism
The singular construction, and the stunning mountain landscapes brought the Stilfserjochstraße renown far-and-wide soon after its completion.
In 1876, it gained notoriety with the murder of Madeleine Tourville by her husband Henry above the "White Knot". A shepherd witnessed the murder and reported it to the local police. Over the course of the trial, it emerged that Madeleine was already the third wife Henry had murdered for her money. All of Europe's newspapers avidly followed the legal proceedings, which gave a huge boost to tourist travel on the Stilfserjochstraße.
In the 19th century, the Stilfserjochstraße could also be traveled in winter - something unthinkable today. Travelers not only crossed over the pass in the warm summer months, but also in the snow-filled winter months. So-called "gangs" pulling horse-drawn snowplows were hired to keep the road open .
The First World War
During the First World War, Austrian and Italian soldiers fought each other along the Ortler front lines. The Stilfserjochstraße was closed to private traffic during this period, and used exclusively for military purposes. The border located at the Stilfserjoch vanished as a result of the war: in 1918, South Tyrol became a region of Italy. Summer skiing began on the Stilfserjoch in the subsequent post-war era, reaching its high point in the 70's with Gustav Thöni, who came originally from Trafoi.
Re-orientation
Today, with the upgrading of Stilfserjoch to a national park, the road has taken on new importance. After the road had been neglected for a period of several years and allowed to fall slowly into disrepair, the Province of South Tyrol has in recent years committed considerable funds toward its maintenance and conversion into a scenic route. We may hope that this queen of Alpine roads, etched into an unsurpassed mountain landscape, will continue to provide people from throughout Europe with pleasure for decades to come.