The refuge was built by the SAT between 1889 and 1891, a few dozen metres below the summit of Monte Altissimo di Nago 2079 m. and was inaugurated in 1892.

The summit of Altissimo was a very popular destination since then and could be reached even in winter with snow. Subsequent expansions were completed in 1897 and 1906.

During the Great War 1914-1918, the refuge did not suffer serious damage and in 1921 it was once again efficient, while in 1919 it was dedicated to the Trentino martyr Damiano Chiesa.

The Second World War, however, left the refuge in very poor condition. In 1955 the refuge underwent a decisive conservation intervention.

Towards the end of the 1960s, with the improvement of the road system on Monte Baldo, the widening of the road between Brentonico and Ferrara di Monte Baldo and with the construction of the Malcesine-Bocca Tratto Spino cableway, the refuge began to register a considerable increase in visitors again.

In 1963 the SAT section of Rovereto sold the refuge to the SAT section of Mori which over the years carried out a series of expansions, improvements and important renovations which between 1971, 1994, 2005 and 2015 provided the refuge with hygienic improvements, thermal insulation, water supply and an electrical system with eco-sustainable and cutting-edge systems.

The environment and easy access make Altissimo and its refuge a destination also for the winter season. From the nearby peak the panorama is vast and magnificent; the view goes from the intense blue of the Garda waters to the chains that form a 360-degree horizon of peaks. Also of great interest is the presence of rare botanical species, of which the Bes-Corna Piana Nature Reserve is particularly rich. The landscape of Baldo is also interesting from the point of view of rural architecture: huts and mountain dairies that testify through materials and singular construction typologies to a history and culture born in the mountains.