Strongly desired by the Superior Council of Defence, it was completed shortly before the outbreak of the First World War, in 1914.
It was equipped with four long-range cannons (about 13 km) that could rotate and defend all the passes and passes potentially subject to Austrian danger, hitting targets at the Foscagno Pass, at the Bocchette di Pedenolo, at the Torri di Fraele Pass, at the Stelvio and in Valfurva.
It was the task of the Italian lookouts stationed on the facing ridges to inform the command of the Fortress of the objectives to fire on.
These reports were followed by a series of checks on the accuracy of the trajectory, which involved the use of tracers and close cooperation between the command and the positions located in the territory.
The garrison, which could accommodate up to 80 men, was autonomous in all respects.
It had ammunition reserves crammed into the countless warehouses present, a solid powder magazine, sufficient food and water resources to allow a month's siege and even a large diesel engine that provided the necessary power to illuminate the entire structure.
The external defences, such as the moat, the grids, the imposing rampart, the retractable armoured turrets and the sliding bridge, combined with the solid structure of the granite walls and the thick sheet metal doors and windows, made the fortress practically impregnable.
The Fort continued its activity uninterruptedly until 1958.
It was then disused and experienced almost half a century of abandonment. In 2003 a major restoration gave it back to the community and in autumn 2014 it officially passed under the protection and ownership of the Municipality of Valdisotto, which is responsible for its development and enhancement.
Opening times
Temporarily closed for renovation work
