‘Fascismo d’alta quota’. Tourism in Trentino under the fascist regime

During the Fascist era, the Trentino-South Tyrol border region (annexed to Italy after the First World War) became a laboratory for Italianisation and propaganda. Alpine tourism – formerly the preserve of the Austro–Hungarian elite – was transformed into an instrument of social control and ideological outreach. Through the construction of new roads, mountain huts, and ski resorts, alongside national and patriotic events, the regime both reinforced its presence and projected an image of a vigorous, modern nation. Tourism in Trentino thus shifted from an elite pastime to a mass activity for the emerging middle classes, advancing the Fascist programme of mass nationalisation. This study examines tourism’s dual role in Fascist Trentino: as a vehicle for economic integration and as a mechanism of cultural and political propaganda. Focusing on advertising rhetoric and sporting events that emphasised physical strength, patriotism, and national belonging, it draws on official documents, journalistic and specialised magazines, multimedia archives, and a comprehensive bibliography to show how mountain tourism reshaped the region’s economy and fostered a Fascist ‘national and patriotic consciousness’.