Our Story
SErtorelli: Italian, World and Olympic Champions
A century of history and success in sport and hospitality
The beginnings
The foundations for today's success were laid in 1894 at the 4th Stelvio Cantoniera at 2,500 metres, where Costante Sertorelli, the guardian of the last section of the highest carriageable pass in Europe, dedicated himself to maintaining the pass during the months of the great snowfall and in fine weather to the profession of mountain guide, escorting the first hikers, mainly English and German, up 'his mountains'.
Constant took his customers to enjoy the ineffable joys of direct contact with nature, up and down the mountains of what is now the Stelvio National Park. On his return from hiking, his wife Maria made the traditional barley soup, pizzoccheri, speck and home-made rye bread in the three rooms of the IV Cantoniera, originally reserved for wayfarers. This explains the success as tourist operators of the Sertorelli family, who still continue the activity today with the same commitment, seriousness and passion. From mountain guide to 'skier' the step was short: pioneer in the absolute sense of the word, Costante Sertorelli can be considered a true forerunner in skiing. After Constant's death in 1922, the eldest son Erminio He took his place as Cantoniere, Alpine Guide and Ski Instructor, helping his mother to raise his brothers. These, in the wake of their father's tradition, would write golden pages in the history of Italian skiing. Erminio took part in the 1928 St. Moritz Olympics and was Italian captain and flag-bearer at the 1932 American Olympics. StefanoInstead, he won the Gold Medal in the relay at the 1936 Olympic Games in Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Italy's first gold medal at the Winter Olympics. Having achieved his greatest achievements in Nordic skiing, Stefano devoted himself to Alpine skiing, winning Italian titles and international competitions and later becoming coach of the national team. He alternated competitive skiing with teaching, establishing and extending the prestige of the Sertorelli Ski School, which officially became "National School"in 1936.
'A complete champion then, on whom technicians and enthusiasts can rely seriously. For those who are new to the art of skiing, I recommend him as a teacher. You will be satisfied."
Gazzetta dello Sport in 1938
Giacinto Sertorelli, known as Cinto, born in 1915, followed his brothers' exploits and soon established himself in youth competitions. It was at this point that the great Austrian master, Cerviniese by adoption, the coach of the Italian team, Leo Gasperl, entered the scene. A silver medallist at the World Championships in Innsbruck in 1936, he again won the silver medal at the World Championships in Chamonix behind the great French athlete Emil Allais. For the first time, two Latinos placed ahead of the teams from Austria, Switzerland and Germany. In 1936, out of sixteen international races, he won 12 and twice came second. Cinto - nicknamed 'the man with legs of steel' by the press of the time - fell and crashed into a tree on 26 January 1938 during the downhill in Garmisch-Partenkirchen due to the severely deteriorated piste. He died on the morning of 28 January. He was awarded the gold medal for athletic valour and his funeral was also attended by Prince Umberto di Savoia, his pupil, among the multitude of dignitaries, sportsmen and Valaisans. If the dominant colour of the Sertorelli brothers was blue, for Pierino, the youngest, it was the grey-green of the Alpine troops. After a promising start, the competitive interlude quickly came to an end with the outbreak of World War II. On his return, amidst a thousand difficulties, Pierino reopened the Sertorelli Refuge and the ski school, which was also considered the best in Europe by the American magazine Capitan.
Egidio, the eldest son of the Sertorelli family, was an excellent downhill skier, when unfortunately the speciality in Italy was managed in an artisanal way, in comparison with the French who were leading a continuous evolution and the Swiss and Austrians who counted on a great tradition...Egidio stopped quite early with competitive skiing and became a trainer. As a trainer he embarked on a path that took him to the highest levels: from the Sporting Club in Madonna di Campiglio, gradually up to the Italian national downhill team, the legendary 'Valanga Azzurra'. At the same time, he is director of the Sertorelli Ski School, which operates in winter in Bormio and in summer at Stelvio. In Bormio, the site of the Grand Ski races, Egidio is responsible for the technical side of the various World Cup races that see, among other things, the triumph of his fellow countrywoman Deborah Compagnoni.
And he was responsible for the great technical and spectacular success of the Finals, with Alberto Tomba winning the Overall World Cup.
It is precisely thanks to this expertise that the new initiative in Cervinia, the large international resort in the Aosta Valley, was able to get off the ground.
