Messner Mountain Museum Firmian at Sigmundskron near Bolzano

The MMM Firmian is the headquarters of Messner's museum project, which also includes the satellites MMM Juval (Messner's family residence), MMM Dolomites (in a fort from the First World War on Monte Rite between Cortina d'Ampezzo and Pieve di Cadore), MMM Ortles (in Sulden at the foot of Ortler) and MMM Ripa (at Bruneck Castle, opened in 2010).

The themes of the MMM Firmian are the relationship between mountain and human, as well as the history and art of mountaineering, which are conveyed through images, photographs, sculptures, and memorabilia from various expeditions. The interaction between mountaineering and tourism is also addressed, especially the impact on nature and the environment. In the "White Tower," there is also a separate exhibition on the history of the castle from 5000 BC to 1957.

Although the MessnerMountainMuseum itself remains somewhat arbitrary and not very meaningful in many areas, and a certain cult of personality around the world-famous South Tyrolean mountaineer cannot be denied, the impressive fortress of Sigmundskron alone is well worth a visit.

The castle is first mentioned in a document in 945 under the name "Formicaria," later it was owned by the bishops of Trent and was called "Firmian." Around 1473, the then sovereign of Tyrol, Duke Sigmund the Rich, bought the castle and had it expanded into a fortress that could withstand the new firearms. From then on, Firmian was called Sigmundskron Castle. Only the remains of the old castle, which are still preserved at the highest point of the hill, have survived. However, the elaborate construction of the fortress quickly depleted the wealth of the duke, and Sigmund had to pledge the castle. Also, due to the rapid development of weapons technology, the new fortifications were obsolete after a few years, so Sigmundskron soon fell into disrepair and changed owners frequently.

Sigmundskron became an outstanding political symbol for South Tyrol after the Second World War, as the autonomy movement mobilized more and more against Italian rule. On November 17, 1957, the largest protest demonstration in the history of South Tyrol took place here, with 35,000 South Tyroleans demanding freedom for South Tyrol. This demonstration received international attention, and the then chairman of the South Tyrolean People's Party and later governor, Silvius Magnago, proclaimed his famous "Los von Trient" slogan in a fiery speech. His goal was autonomy for the predominantly German-speaking part of South Tyrol, which was eventually realized in the "South Tyrol Package." However, it was not until 1992 that autonomy was finally implemented.

During the renovation work for the MMM Firmian, a Neolithic grave with the skeleton of a woman was discovered in March 2006. The age of the grave is estimated to be 6000 to 7000 years, proving that the fortress hill was already inhabited in prehistoric times.