Interrupted Fort

Asiago

Forte Interrotto is located in a dominant position on the summit of the mountain of the same name at an altitude of 1,392 metres, clearly visible from the centre of Asiago and much of the Plateau. With its mighty stone and brick walls that make it look more like a medieval castle than a First World War fort, it was erected in 1887. It was subjected to recovery and static consolidation on the initiative of the Municipality of Asiago, thus becoming part of the 'Ecomuseum of the Great War of the Vicenza Pre-Alps'. The name of the Fortress derives from the mountain on top of which it was built, called Monte Interrotto, as an Italianisation of the Cimbrian term Hinterrucks, which means 'mountain to the north'. It is the venue for concerts, exhibitions and theatrical performances.

The visit

A careful display board welcomes the visitor arriving here, presenting the history of the fort. The building, with an average height of 14 metres, looks like a medieval castle. It consists of a rectangular plan structure approximately 1,170 m2 wide, in the centre of which is the parade ground with the underlying rainwater collection tanks. The two-storey perimeter casemates were intended for troop accommodation, storage, ammunition depot, as well as a kitchen and stables for horses. On two opposite corners of the perimeter are two circular towers with a diameter of 10 m. The fortress is surrounded by a 5-metre wide moat.

The history

The construction of Fort Interrotto began in the second half of the 19th century and was completed in 1887. The structure is made entirely of stone and brick and was conceived as a defensive barracks to house the ‘Bassano’ Alpine Battalion. During World War I, the building was used as a fortress, with the task of constituting a barrage in the upper Val d’Assa in the event of an Austrian advance, assisted by the Tagliata Val d’Assa and the batteries of Monte Rasta below. In May 1916 it was directly involved in the events of the war and occupied by the Austro-Hungarian army during the advance towards Asiago. It was then adapted and reused as an observatory on the Plateau and in this circumstance was equipped with several beacons and small-calibre cannons.

The history of this fort continued after the end of the war when it was used by the Italian Army as a target during exercises, which took place for decades on the Asiago Plateau until the second half of the last century. Since 2005, it has undergone recovery and static consolidation on the initiative of the municipality of Asiago, becoming part of the ‘Ecomuseum of the Great War of the Vicenza Pre-Alps’.

The site is freely accessible.

In the case of snow, the road is closed and the site cannot be reached by car.

For information and guided tour bookings:
Plateau Guides Tel. 340 7347864 e-mail: info@guidealtopiano.com

Asiago Guide Tel. 346 2379118
e-mail: info@asiagoguide.com cell.

Tourist Information Desk
Tel. 0424 462221
e-mail info@asiago.to

How to get there

The fort is located above the village of Camporovere. By car, it can be reached from Asiago by following State Road 349, which leads to Trento. At the height of the village of Camporovere, turn into Via Monte Interrotto, climbing first to Monte Rasta (where the asphalt road ends) and then, with a series of wide hairpin bends, arriving directly at the summit of Monte Interrotto. On foot, following the path that climbs from Contrade Lamara and Buscar to the north of Asiago.

In the case of snow, the road is closed and the site cannot be reached by car.

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