A leap into a hundred year History. That’s the impression you get on visiting Fort Montecchio Nord at Colico where the ambience is that of it having been frozen in time fully a century ago: military technology, soldiers’ personal scribbling on walls, and some of the largest field guns ever sited in a fortress in Italy. And all surrounded by one of the most celebrated panorama over Alto Lario, lower Valtellina, and magnificent Valchiavenna. “Every year more than 20 thousand visitors choose to come to admire the fortifications at Colico” explains the director Stefano Cassinelli, “to immerse themselves within the military history of the territory. Half of them are from abroad. And there’s a constant growth year in year out, which clearly points up the work of the Museo della Guerra Bianca in its efforts to fully promote our unique heritage. We have always believed in the value of our local resource in both tourism and cultural terms and the response from visitors has been admirable”.
Not far away one can also visit the Mine museum at Verceia, another place which was a significant factor of the First World war, and the Fort at Fuentes which dates back as far as1603. All represent features which underline the immense strategic importance of the territory.
Forte Montecchio is unique for a number of elements ranging from the powder magazine completely burrowed into the mountain, to the electrical installations still bearing their marble frames. But the most stunning feature surely has to be the149S field artillery units stationed on the roof itself; four cannons that weigh over a 100 tons each, capable of rotating through 360 degrees and with a range of up to 14km. From the roof visitors can enjoy a breathtaking view that stretches from the 2,609m of Legnone to the Pian di Spagna with the mouth of the Adda in the foreground.
All relevant info. can be found on www.fortemontecchionord.it or by contacting the secretariat on 0341/940322.
The fort is open every weekend and daily during July and August; it’s also possible to book guided group visits at reduced rates.
