Fort Montecchio-Lusardi, Colico, Italy

Fort Montecchio-Lusardi is a military fort situated in Colico, built between 1911 and 1914. It is the only Italian fort from World War I which has been preserved intact with its original weapons. The main function of the fort was to control the roads of Spluga, Maloja and Stelvio, in case the Central Powers decided to invade northern Italy, violating the neutrality of Switzerland.

The fort was one of the strongholds in a complex barrier system which extended up to Monte Legnone, though it remained inactive throughout the World War. During the World War II the fort also never entered a major action: the only gunshots were fired after the fort was occupied by the partisans, at a German column that marched along the opposite bank of the lake. The fort was later used as a weapons depot and eventually transferred to the state property.

Attractions in fort are four French 149 mm guns, with a range of 14 km, each rotating inside a cast-iron dome. The fort is divided into two parts: the lower area contains housing and powder magazines and the upper part contains guns. The two areas are linked by a curved gallery.

References:

Wikipedia

Castles and fortifications in Italy

User Reviews

Dj Tra (15 months ago)
It's all right. Nothing to write home about. If you have relatives living inside the fortress and you're going to visit the, then by all means take a look at it. The Tour guid(ess) was excellent and fluently made the tour bilingual in IT/EN. Spoiler: in the end Mussolini dies. So one more star for the fort, that was indirectly resposible for it. At least according to the relatives, that live inside the fortress.

Patrik Bichsel (21 months ago)
Very interesting. We went with our kids (5, 3, 1)and the guide paused to let us translate.

Philip Batty (2 years ago)
Very quirky, never seen anything like it before.

Merlo Limet (2 years ago)
It was great experience hear and see these place.it is military installation during WW1

Janine Powell (2 years ago)
Very interesting place with a lot of history. 2 charming ladies look after you with 1 a special guide who explains everything in English.

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The castle (12th–13th century), which overlooks the town from a high crag, was formerly the seat of the Dukes of Normandy. The construction was started on the site of an earlier castle in 1123 by Henry I of England, with the 'large keep' (grand donjon). Later was added the 'small keep' (petit donjon). The tower built in the first quarter of the 12th century contained a hall, chapel, and a room for the lord, but no small rooms for a complicated household arrangement; in this way, it was similar to towers at Corfe, Norwich, and Portchester, all in England. In 1202 Arthur I, Duke of Brittany was King John of England's nephew, was imprisoned in Falaise castle's keep. According to contemporaneous chronicler Ralph of Coggeshall, John ordered two of his servants to mutilate the duke. Hugh de Burgh was in charge of guarding Arthur and refused to let him be mutilated, but to demoralise Arthur's supporters was to announce his death. The circumstances of Arthur's death are unclear, though he probably died in 1203.

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A programme of restoration was carried out between 1870 and 1874. The castle suffered due to bombardment during the Second World War in the battle for the Falaise pocket in 1944, but the three keeps were unscathed.

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