Fort Mattarello was buit between 1898 and 1900, near the town of Mattarello, as part of The Fortress of Trento, which was the fortified ring built around Trento starting in 1860 and strategically active until its dissolution in 1916. The purpose of this fort was to block invaders coming from both Vigolo Vattaro and the Adige Valley. In later years it became part of the Alpine Wall, or Vallo Alpino as the Italians named it.
The Fort is situated on top of a hill. Unlike Fort Tenna and Fort Colle delle Benne, which were completely restored, Fort Mattarello is left to its fate and abandoned.
Nature is slowly taking back what belongs to her. Foliage fills up the anti tank / personnel ditch. The roof cover is torn off, the metal is laying all over the perimeter. I tried to take a picture through the keyhole in the front door. A spider made his web just behind it, my camera focused on the web instead of taking a shot from the entrance.
The Fort had two batteries on the side, the upper and the lower battery.
The armament of the main building consisted of:
- 4 x 12 cm M 96 guns in armoured Casemates
- 2 x 15 M 80 armoured mortar in revolving domes
- 2 x 8 cm tank gun M 94 P under revolving tank domes
- 7 x 8 mm machine guns M 93
- 11 x 1 rifle feed
Visit
The address of Fort Mattarello is Strada dei Forti, 38123 Trento, Trentino-Alto Adige, Italy. There is a small country road through the vineyards loading up to the Fort.
