Path of Saint Bernard | Stage 1 Simplon Pass - Gondo

The Simplon road that ascended from Brig to Domodossola was made passable by the baron in the 17th century and contributed to his great fortune through salt trade. This first stage begins at the New Hospice at the Simplon Pass, a severe and massive building resembling a barracks that Napoleon had begun to construct. Purchased in 1825 by the Augustinians of St. Bernard, it was adapted as a convent and a place of hospitality. It is situated on an ancient route that was already frequented in prehistoric times. In the valley below, the Old Hospice, known as Alter Spittel, was founded in 1235 by the Hospital Order of Saint John of Jerusalem at the behest of the Bishop of Sion, Landric de Mont (circa 1206 – before April 10, 1237), who had a chapel dedicated to Saint James and a hospice for travelers built there. The building was reconstructed in 1666 at the request of Baron Kaspar Jodok von Stockalper. Along this route, Napoleon commissioned the design and opening of a military and commercial road that was to connect Paris to Milan. The current road follows its path and leads into the high Val d'Ossola, along the left hydrographic bank of the Diveria, reaching the village of Simplon Dorf with its solid stone houses and the Simplon Ecomuseum. Upon arriving in Gabi, where the ruins of an ancient goods storage depot are located, one traverses the thrilling Gorges to arrive at Gondo, passing through the tunnel of the Fort.