The Albertino Fort - Vinadio, Cuneo, Italy # 3
The decision to build the fort has been taken by king Carlo Emanuele III to exploit the strategic position of the village of Vinadio against to the possibile French invasions through the Stura valley. In fact, from the village it was possible to control the main way of the valley and also the other four deep valleys connected with France: Rio Freddo, S. Anna, Bagni of Vinadio and Neraissa.
Works started under the King Carlo Alberto on the 21st of August 1834 and finished in 1847. Despite a break of two years, from 1837 to 1839, in only eleven years, the four thousand workers employed, who came especially from Biella and Bergamo, realised a real masterpiece of engineering and art of war.
The fortressis long about 1200 metres in a straight line. The course is organised on three levels of walking long about 10 kilometres and divided in three fronts: higher front, front of attack, lower front. Since 1900 began the decline of the fort: in a first time, it became a barracks, then an artillery store until lots of destructions and spoliations of the second post-war period. Nowadays, thanks to the contribution of Regione Piemonte, the town of Vinadio and the Marcovaldo Cultural Association apply themselves to the promotion and improvement or the fortress trying to rescue the lost during lots of years of neglect.
The Albertino Fort - Vinadio, Cuneo, Italy # 3
The decision to build the fort has been taken by king Carlo Emanuele III to exploit the strategic position of the village of Vinadio against to the possibile French invasions through the Stura valley. In fact, from the village it was possible to control the main way of the valley and also the other four deep valleys connected with France: Rio Freddo, S. Anna, Bagni of Vinadio and Neraissa.
Works started under the King Carlo Alberto on the 21st of August 1834 and finished in 1847. Despite a break of two years, from 1837 to 1839, in only eleven years, the four thousand workers employed, who came especially from Biella and Bergamo, realised a real masterpiece of engineering and art of war.
The fortressis long about 1200 metres in a straight line. The course is organised on three levels of walking long about 10 kilometres and divided in three fronts: higher front, front of attack, lower front. Since 1900 began the decline of the fort: in a first time, it became a barracks, then an artillery store until lots of destructions and spoliations of the second post-war period. Nowadays, thanks to the contribution of Regione Piemonte, the town of Vinadio and the Marcovaldo Cultural Association apply themselves to the promotion and improvement or the fortress trying to rescue the lost during lots of years of neglect.