Forte Belvedere_part 5

Some photos footage

An atmosphere of great charm, one that you can still feel the Forte Belvedere Lavarone. Proud and majestic at the same time, the only stronghold of the so-called Trench of Steel to have escaped to the countryside Iron destructive to the country, promoted by the fascist regime in the thirties. After careful restoration work, today presents itself as a strong museum of itself and of the dramatic events of the Great War 1914-18 and contains within itself a modern museum devoted to the First World War and the history of the front of the Highlands.





1916 - Fort Belvedere - The fort garrison seated at table celebrating the movement of the war operations away from the line of the Forts



An airplane downed of "Millegrobbe"





Unloading The 42 cm shell

1916 - The Austro-Hungarian soldiers inspect the captured 280mm italian cannon



1916 - A 280mm Italian Cannon captured during the May Offensive



1916 - A 38 cm Austro-Hungarian "Barbara" howitzer at Costalta(Luserna). This howitzer was used for shelling the Italian Forts of Casa Ratti and Punta Corbin



Italian 280 mm Mortar



Italian prisoners

Forte Belvedere_part 4

Trenches - Living

Whether its extensions in all 5 on all land borders and seas of the world, both for its length, mass society that was emerging, there was also "ground war." It mobilized 70 million men from 19 countries, including the colonies.



The trenches

From temporary shelters to permanent quarters

As previously studied, the lives of soldiers during the war was the easiest defensive position in the trench. Initially these were considered merely a temporary refuge to shelter from enemy fire, but with the passage of time, they became real and their neighborhoods permanent wards of the front line. From here, the trenches were provided with wooden shacks and protected by barbed wire and connected by walkways.



The assault with the bayonet

Life in the trenches was very boring and sometimes the soldiers were surprised only by the weird cry "attack!" from one camp or the other. Here took place the ceremony of the assault with the bayonet, whenever that happened hundreds of lives disappeared, were preceded by artillery fire, which served only to eliminate the element of surprise. At the same time the infantry had to venture out into the open until the enemy trench, where, if you ever get there, we hired a hand to hand combat with bayonets. So millions of soldiers died in the course of 4 or 5 long years.



The sufferings of the troops

Who lived in the trenches suffered the physical and moral wear and tear. The infantry soldiers and officers did not receive the lower rate for endless weeks, were exposed to all the elements of time, were treated with arrogance by his superiors in the life of the bourgeoisie as they treated the workers and peasants, were punished if by chance during the battle lost his cap. In addition, officers are assigned their own medals and medals without ever going on the front line as they should.

Forte Belvedere_part 3

The garrison

On May 24, 1915, the day of declaration of war on the Kingdom of Italy Austro-Hungarian Empire, the official garrison of Fort Belvedere was as follows: a captain, two officers of artillery, an infantry officer, a Medical Officer, 130 NCOs and gunners, 50 Landesschützen; 8 phones, 5 health workers, 5 sappers, 5 orders (runner) and 5 attendants.





The bombing

Although not directly affected by the assaults of the Italian infantry, throughout the first year of the war Forte Belvedere suffered intense bombing. The enemy artillery fire caused considerable damage to structures several times and also made the victims of the garrison, not succeeding in any case never reached the intensity of the bombing range Luserna Forte and Forte Vezzena.





The next day May 23, 1915 at 18, with the declaration of war on Austria-Hungary, began hostilities. At 5 am the following day the first shots were fired the cannon against Forte Belvedere. In addition to the guns of Strong Italian Verena and Campolongo, the Italian artillery were stationed at Port Manazza near Cima Campomolon, Passo della Vena and Mount Torarica.



Part of Austria, the only field artillery in the early days of the war was made ​​up by the batteries of the forts belt, often too weak. Without the opportunity to comment on Italian action, only the great strength of the bombing Strong ensure the seal of the line. Only later would come into action from the mortar off of 30.5 cm placed on Costalta and other heavyweights.



The nineteenth century was marked by bloody wars of the Risorgimento. The House of Austria and the Kingdom of Italy clashed repeatedly to counter (one part) and try to complete (other) Italian national unity. After 1866, with the passage of the Veneto region of Italy, the changed geo-political situation prompted both sides to strengthen significantly the Trentino salient and, in particular since 1908, he proceeded to the fortification of the modern highland Folgaria, and Lavarone Luserna considered strategically important.



The outcome of this flurry of fortifications could only be one: the war. The first gunshot was fired by the strong Italian Fort Verena at 3:55 on 24 May 1915. Since then a firestorm spilled in the Highlands. The inhabitants were evicted in a hurry, forced to pick a few things and to leave their homes. From the stations call and Caldonazzo, the refugees crammed into cattle cars were brought to Bohemia, Moravia, in the "Barakenlager" of Mitterndorf, Katzenau of Braunau and in so-called 'city of wood'. From May to October 1915 the clashes were violent: it is shown by the three military cemeteries Folgaria, and Lavarone Luserna. Operations resumed after the winter parentheses at the initiative of the gen. Konrad von Hötzendorf who have long planned a major offensive to break the Italian front and allowed to hit the royal army behind him. So it was that May 15, 1916, at 6:00 am, the soldiers of the regiment and Kaiserjäger Rainer sector Folgaria ordered to attack and starting to break through the defenses on the Italian line upstream in May, and Côte d'Pioverna Agra , an operation that would have gone down in history as the Strafexpedition and led the front line on the heights Veneto-Vicenza.



The offensive did not achieve its objectives, the front stabilized and the Highlands - no more front-line area - took over a relative peace that lasted until the end of the conflict in November 1918, when they reached the Italian troops and the refugees went back to return to their homes.

Forte Belvedere_part 2

Nevertheless, in November 1940 began a partial dismantling of the work. In particular, the domes were removed battleships, was taken on the first layer of beams from the roof was removed and the metal cladding of the roof. After the Second World War, the fort became the property of the Trentino Alto Adige and from 1966 to an individual with that vision partially restored it, transforming it into a museum.



In 1996 it was purchased by the City of Lavarone (with the decisive contribution of the Autonomous Province of Trento), which operates a deep restoration, restoring the original ceiling in zinc, the arrangement of the floors and a complete reorganization of the site.





Was provided also to the preparation of a modern and updated historical museum (text in Italian, German, English) with educational and informational rposes, not only dedicated to Forte Belvedere and the strongholds of the Highlands, but also to broader issues of local and international First World War. Today, moreover, through the good offices of the Autonomous Province of Trento and the creation of Studio Azzurro, Milan, Forte Belvedere relives the tragedy of war through the establishment of a series of interactive multimedia installations that evoke scenes of daily life in the structure during the conflict, an emotional experience who wants to reflect on the horror of one of the most devastating wars of all time and a reminder of peace for future generations.





Armament



The main armament of Forte Belvedere consisted of a battery of three howitzers of 10 cm in size, protected by armored domes rotating steel thickness of 250 mm. Although the 10 cm was rather small, it was preferred to more gauges for various practical reasons and also because of the fact that Strong Austrians had a mainly defensive. A relatively small caliber, in fact, allowed to pile up a large reserve of ammunition and a relative ease of movement. In addition, a larger bore would result in a loss of strength of the dome, that to be stable, would have to completely redesign and build larger ones.



Unlike other fortifications Plateau, Fort Gschwent stations did not fight armed with guns. In contrast, it was decided to equip the fortress with a large number of machine gun posts Schwarzlose 8 mm Mod 07, weapons equally effective but much cheaper.

Forte Belvedere_part 1

Dear friends, in this post is divided into several parts, I want to tell the Forte Belvedere, Austro-Hungarian fortress built in the first world war, lies at an altitude of 1177 meters south of the district Oseli on a rocky spur that goes to the Valdastico the valley of the Rio Torto, dominating the covers. The fort belongs to the great system of fortifications in Austria to the Italian border.

introduction

Under the command of Captain Anton Perschitz, the garrison consisted of one hundred and sixty Landsschützen (1st Regiment) supported by sixty local. The armament was composed of three shells instead of 10 cm, manufactured by Skoda Werke, Pilsen in Bohemia, and twenty-two armored cupola machine gun. During the first year of the war and had suffered heavy bombing casualties but was not hit by the fury of iron and fire in the area of ​​Passo Vezzena Luserna and put to a severe trial Cima Vezzena Forte, Forte and Forte Lusérn Busa Verle, and even due to its location overlooking the Val d'Astico, never received a direct assault by the Italian infantry. In the First World War the fort passed into the hands of the State Property sublet it for a long period to the City of Lavarone. Unlike the other strongholds of the Highlands, by royal decree of King Vittorio Emanuele III, Forte Belvedere escaped the demolition ordered by the Fascist government in times of self-sufficiency.