Forte Albertino

Forte Albertino
Forte di Vinadio (Italian)
Interactive map of the Forte Albertino area
General information
Type	Fort
Architectural style	Military
Location	Vinadio, Piedmont, Italy
Completed	1847
Website
www.fortedivinadio.com/en/

The Forte Albertino (also Forte di Vinadio) is an alpine fortress in Vinadio, Piedmont, northern Italy, located outside the town in the Stura di Demonte Valley. ^{[1] [2]} It is now used as a museum. ^[3]

History

Forte Albertino was commissioned in 1834 by Charles Albert of Savoy and, following a brief reprieve between 1837 and 1839, finished in 1847. ^[1] The fort is placed strategically close to the French border and the Maddalena Pass, giving Italian troops control of who entered the country. ^[3] An estimated 4,000 men helped erect the fort. ^[3] Its walls have a length of about 1,200 metres (3,900 ft), with a total of 10 kilometres (6.2 mi) internal paths on three levels: the Upper Front, the Attack Front, and the Lower Front. ^{[4] [3]} The Upper and Lower Fronts consist of casements while the Attack Front had a ravelin and was the only point of access for communication with the outside world. ^[3] This included communication with the town, Porta Francia, and the Pass. ^[3]

The fort was never properly outfitted for war and was used as a prison for captured Garibaldini during the Battle of Aspromonte. ^[3] After the dawn of the 20th century, Forte Albertino became a barracks, then an artillery warehouse. ^[3] It was later bombed by the Allies during World War II and abandoned. ^[3] It has since then been renovated and is now used as a museum. ^[3]

Permanent exhibitions

• Montagna in Movimento: Multimedia installations allow visitors to see the development, natural and otherwise, that built up Alps civilizations. ^[1] The strategic value of the fort's location as well as ongoing environmental conservation and biodiversity efforts are highlighted. ^[3]
• Messaggeri Alati: Located at Porta Neraissa, this exhibition details the history of the important military dovecote, which remained until 1944. ^{[1] [3]}
• Vinadio Virtual Reality: Introduced in 2017, the virtual reality exhibit gives visitors two options of fort exploration: the Vollo libero sul forte, a flight simulator, and Giallo Forte, a spy game. ^{[1] [3]}
• Mammamia che Forte!: This exhibition has offered a wide range of children's programming since its introduction in 2019. ^{[1] [5]}

Gallery

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References

1. "FORTE ALBERTINO" (in Italian). Abbonamento Musei. n.d. Retrieved 2022-03-20.
2. "Forte Albertino della Valle Stura" (in Italian). Terres Monviso. 2021-12-02. Retrieved 2022-03-20.
3. "Cuneo: Forte Albertino di Vinadio" (in Italian). Castelli Aperti. n.d. Retrieved 2022-03-20.
4. "FORTE ALBERTINO DI VINADIO" (in Italian). Turismo Torino. n.d. Retrieved 2022-03-20.
5. Marcon, Elena (2020-08-09). "Mini guida dei musei per bambini a Cuneo" (in Italian). VViaggiapiccoli Piemonte. Retrieved 2022-03-20.

44°18′22″N7°10′21″E / 44.3062°N 7.1725°E / 44.3062; 7.1725