Trascrizione
Welcome! You are at the entrance of Forte Belvedere. Here begins an interactive journey that will guide your discovery of the fort through stories, audiovisual content and multimedia installations.
Start your visit now by walking to the left. To activate the audio guide, scan the QR codes positioned at the points of interest. If you wish to change the language, you can, by clicking on the corresponding flag.
The fortress is an imposing edifice, consisting of three levels, built into the mountain. A structure which has seen, heard, and felt the scars of war, through the eyes, ears and bodies of those who lived here. Entering the building, you will find yourself at the intersection of two corridors. Take the one on your left. It is the main corridor on the ground floor.
Fort Belvedere was constructed between 1908 and 1912 by the Austro-Hungarian Empire to block the way of any attempted Italian invasions through the Astico Valley in case of war. Built of concrete blocks and reinforced by heavy steel beams, the Fort was made to survive any bombing. The entire complex is composed of the main building, the three story “nerve” center of the complex, a fixed forward battery with three revolving armored domes and 4 armored outposts, equipped with shields, machine guns and reflectors. The various buildings of the Fort could be reached through an intricate system of tunnels dug into the rock and can still be used today. The main building was equipped with a water system, a telephone system and a small power plant. It also housed offices, warehouses, dormitories, a kitchen and an infirmary.
In the same period, between 1908 and 1914, 6 other Austro-Hungarian fortresses were built, all in an advanced position close to the Italian border to defend against an Italian offensive and potentially give footing to an Austro-Hungarian offensive towards the Veneto region of Italy. However, their location on the Italian frontier also made the forts easy targets for Italian artillery and fortresses, built in the same period, on the Italian side of the border.
Advancing down the main corridor, you will first pass the Accumulator Room on the left once used to store energy produced by Fort Belvedere’s internal power generator. Further along, the only room on the right was once the Fort’s petrol storage room, today it houses various historical artifacts found during the Fort’s most recent restoration. The audio guide will continue in the “power plant”, found a few steps ahead on the left.