Parc Hotel Victoria

The Story

The Hotel Victoria is owned and managed by the Angeli family since 1892, year in which Amadio Girardi bought the "Villa Vittoria" and transformed it in a Hotel.

At that time Cortina was part of Southern Tyrol, itself part of the Austrian Empire; it was barely a century that the geological uniqueness of the Dolomites had been recognized by the French scientist Deodat de Dolomieu and the very beginning of the world wide recognition of the gorgeous natural beauties of the "Ampezzo Thal" (valley).

The British where the pioneers of alpinism and their exploits with the local guides still echoe in the mountains. Tourism was strictly a summer phenomenum and the guests of the Hotel had free "donkey service" for their excursions.

In 1897 the first skis were imported in Cortina and in 1901 the Ski Club was born.

In 1914 the first world war broke out and the men of Cortina enlisted and left for the oriental front to fight against the tzarist troups.

In 1915 Italy declared war to Austria and Cortina was occupied by the Italians. From the Hotel Victoria hang the first Italian flag.

In 1917, after two years of fight on the surrounding peaks,at more than 3000 m of height,the Italians had to retreat from Cortina. The owners of the Hotel fearing revenge because of their well known simpathies for the Kingdom of Italy left abandoning all their belongings. In 1918 the war ended, Italy won, Cortina was annexed and its wounded mountains started to recover.

The hotel was completely looted but the family returned in 1919 and Augusto Angeli could come back to his teaching at ther Art School of Cortina and to his wood sculptures that can still be seen in the Hotel.

Fascism took power in Italy. The new jetset society and the Royal family elected Cortina as their favourite mountain resort as did King Albert of the Belgians. Some aristocratic Italian families like the "della Gherardesca", "Montezemolo" and the "Orsi-Balbo" choosed to stay at the Hotel Victoria.

The Balbo where here in 1940 when they got the news of the death of their father and husband,the Minister of Aeronautics and Governor of Lybia.

In 1938 the Hotel owner, Amedeo, participated to the Winter Olympic Games at Garmish as a member of the Italian bobsleight team.

In 1940 Italy joined Germany in the second world war. In 1943 Italy passed on the anglo-american side, and was occupied by the Germans. Cortina became a Hospital town for wounded soldiers. The Hotel Victoria was requisitioned as quarters of the German doctors. In 1945 the victorious Anglo-American troops replaced the Germans and in the euphory of those days contributed to the degradation of the Hotel until 1947. Once more the Angeli had to start all over again.

In 1948 for the summer season the hotel was ready to welcome its guests.

Major transformations took place in between 1954 and 1970 and the hotel assumed the aspect it has nowadays. In 1956, the daughter of Amedeo, Manuela participated to the Winter Olympic Games of Cortina in figure skating. The Japanese team was guest of the Hotel Victoria (M. Igaia, now member of the Japanese Olympic Committee, won a silver medal in ski).

Today the Hotel Victoria strong of its tradition of hospitality faces the new millennium having replaced the donkeys with mountainbikes but still committed to sports and leisure contributing to the promotion of Cortina and its beauties in the respect of nature