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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.
LOCATION
CORTINA
Is located 170 Km north of Venice in the heart of the Dolomites, the geological wonder named after Deodat de Dolomieu (1750-1810) constituting a unique part of the Alps. It is surrounded by 7 National Parks and can be easily reached.
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