Fort Larino - an early Austro-Hungarian fort in the Chiesa Valley

Fort Larino is an early Austro-Hungarian fort built in the Chiesa Valley, just south of Lardaro in Trentino. Built between 1860-62 at an altitude of 2,310ft, it was constructed out of chiselled granite on top of a mountain, which made it more visible and thus more vulnerable to artillery. The fort measures 9,690 sq ft, and was staffed by 3 officers and 122 enlisted men.

Unlike newer forts, Larino's main armament was mounted in casemates instead of armoured turrets. To make up for the ease to hit, Larino had 8.25ft of clay on top to cushion the fort against artillery blasts. The armament consisted of four 15cm guns and four 9cm field guns, and the fort is surrounded by a ditch.

In 1914, Larino's armament was removed and its status was downgraded to a warehouse. In 1918, the fort passed into Italian hands and was used as a powder keg until 1956. After 1970, the Autonomous Province of Trento collaborated with the municipalities of the valley to fix up Fort Larino. The fort was water-proofed and is now a World War I museum open for tours.

Sources: Wikipedia, OpenStreetMap, Wikidata, Wikimedia Commons