Forte Albertino

Forte Albertino
Forte di Vinadio (Italian)
At the center of the photo is a stone archway leading into a short covered hallway that lets out on the other side of the building. The building itself is a mix of smooth, worn-down gray stone and larger, more visible stones. The windows are fortified with red-brown brick.
Map
General information
TypeFort
Architectural styleMilitary
Town or cityVinadio, Piedmont
CountryItaly
Completed1847
Website
www.fortedivinadio.com/en/

The Forte Albertino (also Forte di Vinadio) is an alpine fortress in Vinadio, Piedmont, northern Italy, located outside the town in the Stura di Demonte Valley.[1][2] It is now used as a museum.[3]

History

Forte Albertino was commissioned in 1834 by Charles Albert of Savoy and, following a brief reprieve between 1837 and 1839, finished in 1847.[1] The fort is placed strategically close to the French border and the Maddalena Pass, giving Italian troops control of who entered the country.[3] An estimated 4,000 men helped erect the fort.[3] Its walls have a length of about 1,200 metres (3,900 ft), with a total of 10 kilometres (6.2 mi) internal paths on three levels: the Upper Front, the Attack Front, and the Lower Front.[4][3] The Upper and Lower Fronts consist of casements while the Attack Front had a ravelin and was the only point of access for communication with the outside world.[3] This included communication with the town, Porta Francia, and the Pass.[3]

The fort was never properly outfitted for war and was used as a prison for captured Garibaldini during the Battle of Aspromonte.[3] After the dawn of the 20th century, Forte Albertino became a barracks, then an artillery warehouse.[3] It was later bombed by the Allies during World War II and abandoned.[3] It has since then been renovated and is now used as a museum.[3]

Permanent exhibitions

  • Montagna in Movimento: Multimedia installations allow visitors to see the development, natural and otherwise, that built up Alps civilizations.[1] The strategic value of the fort's location as well as ongoing environmental conservation and biodiversity efforts are highlighted.[3]
  • Messaggeri Alati: Located at Porta Neraissa, this exhibition details the history of the important military dovecote, which remained until 1944.[1][3]
  • Vinadio Virtual Reality: Introduced in 2017, the virtual reality exhibit gives visitors two options of fort exploration: the Vollo libero sul forte, a flight simulator, and Giallo Forte, a spy game.[1][3]
  • Mammamia che Forte!: This exhibition has offered a wide range of children's programming since its introduction in 2019.[1][5]

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f "FORTE ALBERTINO" (in Italian). Abbonamento Musei. n.d. Retrieved 2022-03-20.
  2. ^ "Forte Albertino della Valle Stura" (in Italian). Terres Monviso. 2021-12-02. Retrieved 2022-03-20.
  3. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m "Cuneo: Forte Albertino di Vinadio" (in Italian). Castelli Aperti. n.d. Retrieved 2022-03-20.
  4. ^ "FORTE ALBERTINO DI VINADIO" (in Italian). Turismo Torino. n.d. Retrieved 2022-03-20.
  5. ^ Marcon, Elena (2020-08-09). "Mini guida dei musei per bambini a Cuneo" (in Italian). VViaggiapiccoli Piemonte. Retrieved 2022-03-20.

44°18′22″N 7°10′21″E / 44.3062°N 7.1725°E / 44.3062; 7.1725