Completion and opening of the new Stelvio Pass road

Under the heading “Milan, July 24” the Österreichischer Beobachter contains the following article: “The newly constructed road, which leads along the eastern shore of Lake Como, through the Valtellina over the so-called Wormser and Stilfser Joch (Monte Stelvio), and reaches the post road at Pradt in the Etschland—which leads downhill via Meran to Botzen, and uphill through the Inn Valley via Finstermünz and Landeck to Innsbruck—is not only important as a direct connecting road between Lombardy and Tyrol, but as a work of engineering will also claim one of the first places among the monuments of our time. This road, which differs from all those previously built in the Alps primarily in that it runs across a mountain range of nearly 9000 feet where previously there was not even a mule track, is completed from Colico, today’s landing place on Lake Como, up to its junction with the aforementioned Tyrolean post road, and will be set up for letter and stagecoach post from August 1 of this year. In two years it will be extended along Lake Como to Varenna, and then to Lecco, rendering the water journey currently still required on part of the lake unnecessary. To understand the difficulties that the construction of this road had to overcome, the following detailed description of the route suffices. The ascent begins in Bormio itself. This place lies approximately 1250 meters above the level of the Mediterranean Sea. The highest point of the Stelvio reached by the road is 2814 meters (8850 feet); thus around 800 meters (approximately 2600 feet) higher than the highest point of the Simplon route. From there the road descends to Pradt, which lies slightly over 900 meters above sea level. This entire stretch is so skillfully engineered and crafted that it can be traveled by any freight wagon without an extra team of horses. Light carriages can cover it at a trot, in ascent as well as descent. On the Valtellina side four cantoniere (refuges) have been built, the second and fourth of which serve as post stations, and on the Tyrolean side two cantoniere. Where the shape of the mountain gullies indicates and favors avalanches, vaulted bridges have been built under which smaller avalanches pass, as well as wide, high covered galleries from 150 to over 200 feet long with large windows facing the valley side, over whose roofs the largest masses of snow slide off; a feature not found on the Simplon road. Between the third and fourth cantoniera, at an elevation of more than 2500 meters, vegetation ceases, and the traveler soon reaches the region of eternal snow. He can, however, be delayed by snow only momentarily, as road overseers and a sufficient number of workers are always ready in the cantoniere to clear the road. If caught in a thunderstorm, he finds good shelter in the cantoniere, and in the fourth—the highest of them—even very good board and kitchen. Everything that the Alpine region can offer to attract lovers of grand natural scenery is combined on this road. In addition to reaching the highest altitude of all European carriage roads, the southern side offers the majestic spectacle of waterfalls that appear in a different form at every bend of the road and form the Adda further down, while the north-eastern side offers the magnificent view of the great ice fields surrounding the Ortles Peak across vast distances. Three glaciers, outflows of this sea of ice, best seen from the second cantoniera, wind down to a depth of 2200 meters. On clear days or hours, the observer can see at a distance of a couple of hours, in the center of a giant group of mountains, the Ortles Peak itself, which was previously estimated to be equal to Mont Blanc in height, but according to newer measurements falls far short of it. In a period of less than three years the great work was completed. In this same period, the Splügen road and the two communication roads connecting the Puster Valley with the Venetian territory were built. None of these roads lags behind the Simplon road—praised by so many travelers and historians as one of the wonders of our days—either in terms of the difficulties to be overcome or in terms of skillful and artistic execution, although, lacking eulogists, their existence is scarcely known in foreign countries.”