Fort of Fenestrelle

Thu, 28 Jul 2022 10:18:12 GMT

The Fenestrelle Fort is the largest fortified structure in Europe and the most extensive masonry construction since the Great Wall of China. A stone giant that stretches about five kilometers into the Chisone Valley and covers an elevation difference of nearly 700 meters. The only one among Piedmont's 18th-century forts that still has its original architecture, it was designed by engineer Ignazio Bertola to protect the French-Italian border. It is located within the Orsiera-Rocciavré Regional Natural Park and has been the symbolic monument of the Province of Turin since 1999.

More than a fort, it can be considered a barrage. It is composed of several forts, (San Carlo, Tre Denti, Sant'Elmo and Valli), powder magazines, a medieval quarter that served as a fortress and a quarter for the troops, all connected by reduced and mighty gunboats and that admirable work that makes Fenestrelle Fort even more unique and impressive: the covered staircase of about 4,000 steps, carved into an artificial tunnel of almost two kilometers.

It is on the parade ground of Fort St. Charles that all the most representative buildings of the entire defense complex face each other: the governor's palace, the officers' pavilion, and the church; the long covered staircase that connects every part of the vast fortress also starts from the parade ground. Inside Fort St. Charles there are also three military quarters, the powder magazine of St. Ignatius, the risalits, the royal gate, and numerous other buildings used as depots, workshops, infirmary, and guardhouses. Absolutely not to be missed.

THE STORY

The Fenestrelle Fort project dates back to 1727 and was conceived by engineer Ignazio Bertola at the request of King Victor Amadeus II. The wondrous work would have been a barrage in the Chisone valley against foreign invasions. Construction began in 1728 below and continued for more than a century, closing in 1850, creating Europe's largest Alpine fortress. A military garrison and defensive bulwark, it was also a state prison.

Abandoned at the end of World War II since 1990, the fort has come back to life, becoming a cultural and tourist landmark in the area thanks to the efforts of volunteers from the San Carlo Onlus Project Association.

Fortress in numbers

3 km in length;
1,300,000 sq. m;
3 Forts, 7 Reductions, 28 Risings;
Covered Staircase: 4000 steps;
Royal Staircase: 2500 steps;
122 years of construction;
14 connecting bridges;
5 internal drawbridges;
183 beacons for illumination.

Sacra di San Michele

Wed, 11 Jul 2018 15:58:00 GMT

An iconic monument in Piedmont, the Abbey of San Michele della Chiusa was founded between 983 and 987; it was one of the most famous Benedictine abbeys in northern Italy and is among the largest architectural complexes of the Romanesque period in Europe, located along the path from Mont St. Michel to St. Michael of the Gargano. Its present imposing construction, begun around a small church dedicated to the archangel Michael, was built between the 11th and 14th centuries (Cover photo by Luca Martinacci).

The Sacra di San Michele has unique artistic and architectural elements, such as the zodiac portal and the staircase of the dead (12th cent.) and, outside, the monks' tomb, while the interior of the abbey church is embellished by Romanesque sculptures in the apse area and numerous frescoes from the 15th-16th cent.

The tour is enriched periodically by the special opening of the library, which was established from 1836, the year the Rosminian Fathers arrived on Mount Pirchiriano, and the old monastery, destroyed by Catinat's troops in the late 17th century. The library currently houses about 8,000 volumes, with texts from the 17th century onward, and is available for consultation upon request.

The Sacra di San Michele can be reached by car through the town of Avigliana, or by walking up via a mule track from Sant'Ambrogio.

Information: phone num. 011/939130. Web Sacra di San Michele

info@sacradisanmichele.com

Places

Fort of Fenestrelle

THE STORY

Sacra di San Michele