The beginning of Hotel Conturines

Mariangelo Ploner was born in 1906 as the son of a shoemaker and farmer in a small mountain farm called Rü near San Cassiano. Since his childhood, he recognized the tourist potential of Alta Badia and his dream has always been to own his own house with room rental. The location for this house should be in the centre of San Cassiano, not far away from the church.

Until the late 1940s, San Cassiano was largely rural and the work on the steep and barren slopes required a lot of strength and effort. Others, in turn, were forced to emigrate to Val Pusteria or even abroad to find a work.

Mariangelo found a job as a porter in what was at that time the Hotel Majoni in Cortina d’Ampezzo, a day's walk from San Cassiano. There were no connecting roads through the Falzarego Pass to Cortina. Being at the service of the guests, as a first generation 'butler', he found his deep passion for hospitality. In Cortina he also met his future wife Francesca, who worked in a butcher's shop and was also an excellent cook.