The St. Bernard is a breed of very large working dog from the Italian and Swiss Alps, originally bred for rescue. The breed has become famous through tales of alpine rescues, as well as for its enormous size.
St. Bernards are credited with saving over 2000 lives. The most famous St. Bernard to save people at the pass was Barry (sometimes spelled Berry), who reportedly saved somewhere between 40 and 100 lives. There is a monument to Barry in the Cimetière des Chiens, and his body was preserved in the Natural History Museum in Berne.
BBC Ski Sunday presenters Graham Bell and Ed Leigh trek to the famous St Bernards Pass monastery on the Swiss-Italian border to live with the monks who have served the travellers for more than one thousand years.
