The fort that fought Rome

Forte Braschi, one of 15 fortifications encircling Rome, served as a strategic defense point, plunged into a time of espionage and sabotage during the 20th century. Building started between 1877 and 1891 and was situated in the Quarter Q. XIV Trionfale, within the Municipio XIV. Its land previously belonged to Cardinal Romoaldo Braschi-Onesti, giving it its namesake.

From 1877 to 1881, it was built on an area of 8.2 hectares along Via della Pineta Sacchetti. Since 1925, it has hosted various Italian military intelligence agencies such as the Servizio Informazioni Militare (SIM). On 29 May 1931, the site became notorious as it played host to the shooting of an anarchist, Michele Schirru, found guilty of plotting an assassination attempt on Benito Mussolini. With the second postwar period came SIFAR and SID, intelligence agencies that carried on the fort's military tradition. However, it is unclear from the source material if Forte Braschi served as a military operation center from 1977 to 2007 for SISMI.

Since that time, it has been under the command of the Agenzia Informazioni e Sicurezza Esterna (AISE) and the Raggruppamento Unità Difesa (RUD). The site still bears the title of Nicola Calipari to this day.

Sources: Wikipedia, OpenStreetMap, Wikidata