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.

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Address

Via alle Torri 45, Colico, Italy
See all sites in Colico

Details

Founded: 1911-1914
Category: Castles and fortifications in Italy

More Information

en.wikipedia.org

Rating

4.6/5 (based on Google user reviews)

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San Giacomo Church (19,7 km)
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Villa del Balbianello (24,2 km)

User Reviews

Yossi Meiri (2 years ago)
Very good place! Well preserved and interesting Torre Nice view from the top, good story line of history!
William Leeman (2 years ago)
Great place and worth a visit only open for weekend. Check timings. Very helpful people
Tessa Thompson (2 years ago)
They do guided tours every hour on the hour. She speaks English and Italian It takes about 55 mins. You get to see inside and out. Even a display of the cannons and how they work. You get to go on the roof to see the cannons as well and the beautiful lake and town. Its 7€ an adult and kids under 6 are free.
Balint Pokoly (2 years ago)
It was only open for groups whereas the place was seemingly quiet and had no sign of other visitors. Otherwise it looked promising from the outside, over the wall
Adam Sparrowhawk (2 years ago)
Remarkably well preserved fort with excellent views from the gun platform, only a short walk from Colico station. It has an interesting history and the wider conflict around a lesser well front (to me at least) of the First World War compared to the more widely known battles of the Western Front was also an eye opener. Our guide was very knowledgeable, impressively conducting the tour in multiple languages whilst still finding time to accommodate each set of guests and answer questions. When we visited you couldn't just roam the site freely, you had to join a tour, so check what times the tours run to avoid disappointment. A wholly unexpected discovery in this region, definitely worth a visit.
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Soave Castle

Soave castle was built in 934 to protect the area against the Hungarian invasions. It was remodelled by Cansignorio of the Scaliger family in the mid-1300s. in 1365 Cansignorio had the town walls erected and the Town hall was built in the same year.

The castle underwent various vicissitudes until, having lost its strategic importance, it was sold on the private market in 1596. In 1830 it was inherited by Giulio Camuzzoni who restored the manor and in particular the surroundings walls (with is twenty-four towers), the battlements and living-quarters.

Soave castle is a typical medieval military edifice, commanding the neighbourhood of the city from the Tenda Hill. It comprises a mastio (donjon) and three lines of walls forming three courts of different size. The outer line, with a gate and a draw bridge, is the most recent, built by the Venetians in the 15th century. It houses the remains of a small church from the 10th century.

The second and larger court, the first of the original castle, is called della Madonna for a fresco portraying St. Mary (1321). Another fresco is visible after the door leading to the inner court, and portrays a Scaliger soldier. The mastio is the most impressive feature of the castle. Bones found within showed it was used also as prison and place of torture.

The House called del Capitano (the Scaliger commander) houses Roman coins, weapons parts, medals and other ancient remains found during the most recent restoration. Adjacent is a bedroom with a 13th-century fresco with St. Mary and Madeleine and a dining room with medieval kitchenware. Another room houses the portraits of the most famous Scaliger figures: Mastino I, Cangrande, Cansignorio and Taddea da Carrara, wife of Mastino II; the portrait of Dante Alighieri testify an alleged sojourn of the poet in the castle.

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