Forte Albertino | |
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Forte di Vinadio (Italian) | |
General information | |
Type | Fort |
Architectural style | Military |
Town or city | Vinadio, Piedmont |
Country | Italy |
Completed | 1847 |
Website | |
www |
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]
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]