Every winter, town squares and natural snow-covered stages across northern Italy come alive with the voices of male choirs wearing the distinctive feathered hats of the Alpini corps: these are the Cori Alpini, ensembles rooted in the traditions of Italy’s mountain infantry and closely connected to the cultural fabric of the country’s Alpine regions.

Their origins go back to the late 19th century, when the Italian state founded the Alpini in 1872 to defend its mountainous northern borders. Recruited primarily from rural, often isolated valleys, these troops became emblematic of Italian resilience during the grueling mountain campaigns of World War I.