Forte di Valledrane

Description

Located at an altitude of 831 metres above sea level, Valledrane Fort was once part of the Sbarramento Giudicarie barrier. The fort stretched along Lake Idro to the mountains between Capovalle and Valvestino, along which the Italian-Austrian border ran and thus where the first line of barriers were placed. Recently, the fort has undergone landscaping projects which have allowed for visitation of the fort (with great care) both inside and outside. The fortification is one of the largest of its scale in all of Italy. It is most noted for its great length, which follows the morphological ridges of the terrain that form various tiers. The domes of the fort are therefore not all arranged on the same floor but in groups of two, on three tiered terraces.
Along the perimeter, two caponiers are still visibile (as the third one was demolished) with a surrounding moat. The fort is also equipped with an observatory dome positioned on the same level as the two highest domes.