Italy pioneered purpose-building high-altitude resorts in the 1930s and Cervinia, like Sestriere by the country's French border, is one of Europe's originals. The little settlement that did stand there originally was known as 'Breuil', but was changed to Cervinia, apparently because in those nationalistic times the former "Sounded too French". Now the two are officially hyphenated together, although most English speakers still tend to call the place Cervinia.
