The 1928 explosion at the low battery of Mattarello

In the late 1800s, a defensive complex was built in the locality of Mattarello to protect the city from the south, along the Adige Valley, and from the east, through the Valsorda. The area had long been important for the defense of Trento and the control of access to the city, featuring fortifications to this end. The site was considered particularly suitable for the construction of a complex defensive system to be integrated into the Fortezza di Trento.

By 1915, the director of the Genio Militare of Trento, Tenente Maresciallo Franz Edler von Steinhart, ordered the reconstruction of the defensive structures in this area. All existing structures were disarmed and their pieces were destined for other field fortifications. Once disarmed, the old buildings served as false targets, warehouses, and housing for the troops. In particular, the main guns of the fort were moved to a small rounded hilltop southeast of the fort called the Zampetta battery, while the guns from the high and low batteries were transferred to cave fortifications in the southern slopes.

Today, the high battery (batteria alta) and the main fort (forte di Mattarello) are in good condition and accessible to the public. They are part of a project to redevelop the area into a public park. However, the low battery (batteria bassa) is located on private property and is currently used as a stable. This lower part of the complex has a history marked by a 1928 explosion that destroyed the battery and caused the death of a soldier.

Sources: Wikipedia, OpenStreetMap, Wikidata, Wikimedia Commons