The Fella Valley represents the main passageway between the
Friulian plain and Austria, a long area stretching from
Venzone all the way to
Pontebba. Here, you can visit
Chiusaforte, a village which used to be a
custom checkpoint already under the
Patriarchate of Aquileia in the Middle Ages. Its presiding function was further strengthened in the 900's with the creation of a military fortress.
The building dates back to 1904 and was soon made operational after its construction. If you intend to visit it, you need to cross
Moggio Udinese and, right before Chiusaforte, turn left near the railway tunnel of Peraria Bridge. From here, start ascending to
Badin Hill, where the fortress is located; the hilltop offers
beautiful views across the surrounding
Julian Alps.
The fortress is structured on four floors (including the one where the fortified battery is located) and from outside it almost looks like a residential complex, mainly due to its several balconies. Once you cross the entrance iron gate, you can see several facilities such as blockhouses, the kitchen, storerooms, the housing for officers and troops as well as a repair shop and a power plant. You can also access an old
ammo deposit, which can be easily identified thanks to the signboard on the entrance.
A steep staircase inside the fort leads to the
artillery positions, flanked by a small room which worked as a ready-to-use ammo deposit. The fort was provided with
four 120 mm cast-iron guns mounted on armoured towers which could turn 360 degrees but proved quite weak as their structure was merely made of concrete.
Back to the main yard through a walkway, you can visit the
underground powder magazine served by a lift, while the storerooms are located behind it. On the main yard, you can still see the tracks used for the carts carrying ammunitions from the powder magazine to the fortified battery of the fort.
During the Great War, the Fortress of Chiusaforte was not dismantled and actually slowed down the
advance of the Austro-German troops following the
defeat of Caporetto. On 29th October 1917 Italian soldiers engaged in a fierce battle with the 30th Feldjager Battalion here but were captured after a few hours, leaving an open way to the south.
