Fort Hensel used to be
one of the most important structures of the Austro-Hungarian defensive system; it was built on the
Tschalawài Cape in 1809, near the village of
Malborghetto. It had been designed by engineer Captain
Friedrich Hensel during the
Napoleonic era while the French troops were heading back up the Friulian valleys towards the northern border. The two armies clashed on May 15 of the same year and the Fort was occupied by French troops for two years.
At the end of the Napoleonic period, the Fort was restored in the mid-nineteenth century and again in 1884, when the Kingdom of Italy needed to keep an eye on the border. The building was restored, modernized and transformed into an important
fortress suitable to accommodate 18 guns providing a 360-degree defence. It was named Hensel after his founder, who died while defending it in May 1809. It remained inactive for 30 years and then was activated again during the Great War, with a garrison including 21 officers and 567 soldiers.
The fort was formed by
two buildings 50 metres apart from each other: the first, located on a higher ground, would accommodate a
barrack, two howitzer batteries and a
2-floor bastion with four guns, while the second building comprised
two towers connected by a battery including a total of
eight guns. As it was provided with good weaponry and could also accommodate lower-calibre guns, Fort Hensel became one of the main targets of the Italian artillery from the peaks of the
Dogna Valley, along the former border. In the
summer of 1915 alone, over two thousand high calibre rounds were shot, while around 4,500 rounds were counted throughout the war, which resulted in the fort being reduced into a pile of rubbles.
Today, among the dense vegetation of the cape, we can still see the ruins of such buildings. The visit kicks off from the small parking area on road SS13, past the village of Malborghetto.
The monument of the "Hensel Lion" is well visible on the rocky wall of the cape, a statue of a dying lion pierced by a spear in memory of the Austrian Captain who died in battle against the Napoleonic army. Behind it, an inscription in German language bears the following wording: "In memory of the heroic death of engineer Captain Friedrich Hensel on 17th May 1809 and his comrades who fell with him".
On the other side of road SS13, a trail along the Fella River allows crossing a tunnel running through the Tschalawài cape with no difficulty. At the end of the tunnel and crossing road SS13 again (be careful here as there is no pedestrian crossing), you can start climbing up to the fort. When you arrive at an opening, you can see the first building, which still has a
plaque with the fort name, and the entrance of a tunnel provided with slits.
Opposite, you can see a second tunnel through the vegetation and a track on your left leading to the second building located on higher ground. Unfortunately, rubbles and vegetation do not allow visiting most of the remains, but from here you can
enjoy great views across the Canale Valley and understand the strategic importance of this fort.
If you climb all the way up to the top, you can see the
gun emplacements, from where you can then descend and visit some tunnels and rooms, with due caution.
