THE GREAT WALL OF CHINA IN EUROPE

THE FIRST FORTRESS



In 1693, on the advice of General Nicolas



Catinat, Louis XIV of France (the "Sun



King") ordered that a fortress be built where



the upper Chisone valley narrows, just below



the village of Fenestrelle. The Pragelato



Valley, as it was then called, was French



territory. For centuries it been literally a thorn



in the flesh of Piedmont. Shaped like a crow's

beak and thrust into the Savoyan lands which



surrounded it on three sides, it had gained the



epithet "le Bec Dauphin", from the period



when this territory was the southernmost



extension of the Dauphinate, long before it



was ceded to France in 1349 by the last of the



Dauphins of Vienne. A curiously shaped



rocky promontory near Meano delimited the



border, a rock which is still today called the

"Bec Dauphin".



While it was clear that the main purpose of



this new fort was to thwart the expansionist



ideas of the Savoy Dukes, Louis XIV



declared that its objective was to keep the



"mutinous bearded heretics" (i.e. the Valdese



protestants) under control. Its original name



"Fort du Fenestrelle" soon gave way to the



more colourful "Fort Mutin", the Mutineers



Fort.



The site chosen by its architect, De



Richerand, was just across the valley from the



present day Fortress, but despite its imposing



size, it was heavily criticised by the great



Sébastien Le Prêtre, Lord of Vauban, the



French King's First Engineer, when he came



to inspect it in the year 1700. His expert eye



immediately identified its principal weakness



- its vulnerability to attack from the



surrounding heights, since although it was a



well-structured pentagon, the form best-suited



to defence, it lay in a gently-sloping hollow.



While this might have been acceptable in a



lowland site, it was courting disaster in a



mountainous area. Vauban scathingly



commented that if this fortress had not



already cost a fortune to build, and that if the



need for one in the upper valley had not been



imperative, he would have ordered its



demolition there and then! He ordered the



reinforcement of the perimeter and the main



buildings and the construction of a series of



redoubts in strategic positions to forestall any



attack from the heights above, but left with



grave misgivings. Due to their cost, these



improvements were only partially carried out.



Vauban's criticism must have echoed in Louis'



ears some years later when the fort was



conquered by Savoyan forces under Vittorio



Amedeo II and General Rhebinder in August



1708. The Duke first retook Exilles then



crossed the Finestre Pass to beseige Fort



Mutin. A large French relief force under



Mareschal De Villars found its every move



thwarted by energetic Piedmontese countermanoeuvres,



relegating it to the role of an



impotent and reluctant spectator of the



systematic demolition of Mutin by Savoyan



seige cannons until finally the demoralized

defenders surrendered. Details of the siege



can be found in the chapter on Fort Mutin.



The Treaty of Utrecht in 1713 saw reciprocal



territorial exchanges between Piedmont and



France, establishing the border on the alpine



watershed at Montginèvre, with the High



Chisone Valley and Fort Mutin becoming part



of the newly-created "Kingdom of Sicily".



With Bourbon support, Vittorio Amedeo



gladly surrendered his ducal coronet for a



King's crown.



In the 1720's, having already "traded" Sicily



for Sardinia, Vittorio Amedeo began to



consolidate his kingdom. Worried by the



inadequate defensive system represented by



the patched-up Fort Mutin, he challenged



Ignazio Bertola, his First Engineer, to design



an impregnable fortification at Fenestrelle.



The result became the largest single military



construction in the world after the Great Wall



of China. It also fulfilled its primary objective



- it was never taken in battle.



21



In giving his assent to this pharaonic project,



something which cost the kingdom almost



one third of its income for the next 50 years,



Vittorio Amedeo had much more than just



than its obvious military function in mind -



first it had to be an expression of the new



King's statement to the world - the need to



demonstrate the vigour and potential of his



fledgling kingdom by means of an imposing



construction (a feature common to many



nations, even today); the second is more



prosaic but probably of greater fundamental



importance - to provide work, and thus



engender loyalty among those of the valley



who for 600 years had considered themselves



French. Bringing work to a depressed area is,



of course, still one of today's ploys to



stimulate loyalty, albeit merely political rather



than anything more substantial.



The new fortified complex, conceived as a



barrier across the Chisone valley, was situated



on its left flank, and originally comprised



three forts, (the San Carlo, Tre Denti and



Delle Valli), two Redoubts (Santa Barbara



and Delle Porte) and five Batteries (San



Carlo, Beato Amedeo, Sant'Ignazio, Dello



Scoglio and Ospedale). The Delle Valli Fort



was in turn composed of three independent



Redoubts - Belvedere, Sant'Antonio and



Sant'Elmo.



The Fortress of Fenestrelle



The Carlo Alberto Redoubt was a much later



construction, not part of the original design.



Communication between Fort San Carlo and



everything above it was by means of a



prodigious covered stairway nearly two and a



half kilometres in length, its staggering 3996



steps taking it through approximately 580



metres of vertical height. This was essentially



the main artery of the fortress, linking all its



elements together, allowing the movement of



men and materiel between the Forts, the



Batteries and the Redoubts in any weather and



in complete security from enemy fire thanks



to its cannon-ball proof construction.



Illuminated and ventilated by tall narrow slots



every few metres on the "safe", inner side, the



thousands of tiny stalactites caused by the



seepage of rainwater through its calcareous



superstructure, add a mysterious fascination



to an already dramatic and almost



unbelievably vast feat of engineering (by



comparison, the Empire State Building is less



than two-thirds as high, at 335 metres, while



the Eiffel Tower is a “mere” 300 metres in



height - to the very top!



The first "Instructions for the work required to



build the fortifications of Fenestrelle" are



dated the 8th of October 1727, signed by



Ignazio Bertola, and list under 96 separate



headings all the various aspects involved and



how each task should be performed. They



specify in enormous detail not merely the



duties of the workmen and the types and



quantities of their tasks but also the quality



and the origin of the material to be employed.



A series of such instructions were emanated at



various times during the construction of the



complex.



Work began in 1728, starting from the



summit of Mount Pinaia (an extension of



Mount Orsiera) with the construction of the



three upper Redoubts (Sant'Elmo,



Sant'Antonio and Belvedere) which together



make up the Delle Valli.Fort Descending



towards the valley as work progressed, the old



"Trois Dents" redoubt built by Catinat was the



first to be integrated into the new structure,



and was given the name of Fort Tre Denti.



Vittorio Amedeo II, the instigator of the work,



saw only a small part completed. He



22



abdicated in 1730 in favour of his son, Carlo



Emanuele III.



The year 1731 saw the beginning of the



"lower fort" (Fort San Carlo), the largest of all



and most important of the entire complex.



FORT SAN CARLO



Fort San Carlo was designed to impress



visitors. It was meant to convey the



impression of strength, power, determination,



and fortitude, everything that the new



Kingdom was trying to display to the world.



This was an expensive fortress to build,



typified by graceful buildings. The Governor's



Palace, despite its massiveness, is a tasteful



edifice which a nobleman could have



admired. The Officers' Pavilion, built into an



incredible slope, displays five of its six stories



to the rear but only three to the front. All its



44 rooms have fireplaces. The great bulwarks



stretching up the hillside are all semiindependent



little forts which once housed the



great cannon that would keep French armies



out of Piedmont until Napoleon's time. The



genteel clock tower, the seemingly endless



covered stairway and the triple set of barracks



for the troops, all visible at once from the



parade square must have produced the desired



effect, as would the appearance of the



intermediate fort, the Tre Denti, some 200



metres higher up the hill..



Fort San Carlo from the South-East



The fort is completed by the battlements, the



powder magazine of Sant'Ignazio, the Main or



Royal Gate and a host of other buildings used



as deposits for munitions and artillery pieces,



munitions loading houses, workshops for the



maintenance crews, guards quarters, the



infirmary, storehouses for hay, straw,



firewood, rations for the troops etc.



THE GOVERNOR'S PALACE



This edifice is rectangular in plan, stands



three stories high with one underground floor



and has a porticoed entrance overstood by a



loggia; its severe frontage is graced by two



magnificent doorways, splendid cornices and



finely carved decorations in grey stone.



The Governor's Palace



Structurally massive, it boasts double loadbearing



walls more than two and a half metres



thick, bomb-proof barrel and pavilion vaults



with robust iron grilles some 4 cm thick at the



ground floor windows. Inside there are many



fine rooms - all with stone fireplaces -



amongst which two stand out for importance,



both located on the "noble floor" (the 1st



upper floor): the first is the "Quadrato



Militare", that is the office of the Governor



(originally with the rank of General, and



successively with the rank of Colonel) who



was in command of the entire fortress. It was



from here that he issued the orders which



were communicated to all parts of the fortress



by means of optical semaphores or by carrier



pigeon. The other important room is his



personal dining room, with fireplace, washing



facilities, a small kitchen, an adjacent storeroom



for food and provisions, and once upon



a time, with the utensils necessary for the



preparation and consumption of the meals for



the Governor and a few other high-ranking



officers.



The uppermost, mansarded floor was reserved



as living quarters for the Governor and his



family. The Governor was the only officer



23



accorded this possibly doubtful privilege. His



wife and daughters (if any) were normally the



only females in the fort.



Today, this beautiful building has been



extensively restored, and is being readied for



use as a hostel for young visitors.



THE OFFICERS' PAVILION



Constructed between 1780 and 1789, to the



design of Count Lorenzo Bernardino Pinto,



and on the instructions of Vittorio Amedeo



III, with the function of state prison and



military confinement for officers in mind, this



is historically the most significant building



within the fortress.



A truly robust edifice, with stone walls from



two to three metres thick and vaulted brick



ceilings, it is beautified on the Parade Ground



side by a splendid stone doorway. To the



front it stands three stories high, while to the



rear, due to the steep slope upon which it is



built, 5 stories are visible above ground. In



addition it has an artfully illuminated



underground floor in which an immense



double cistern supplies water through a brickbuilt



well.



The Officers' Pavilion



Its 44 rooms on the three upper floors all have



fireplaces, although only a small number of



them were used on a regular basis as quarters



for the garrison officers. The others mainly



"hosted" important prisoners and military



officers under arrest. The below-ground floors



were given over to the kitchens and the storerooms



for Fort San Carlo. Every fort, in fact,



had its own independent kitchen and storerooms,



and was able to support itself



autonomously in the event of seige. Two large



reflecting ovens for bread making can still be



found, both of which are in good state of



conservation (and perfectly functional!), as



well as two built-in cauldrons for the



preparation of rations. It is, however doubtful



that they were in fact ever used while the



fortress was operational. Supplies were



normally brought from the nearby villages.



In the cellar, a fine brick well with a stone



cap-ring served to draw water from the



underground cistern below. The cistern



consists of two large communicating



chambers, waterproofed with the finest lime,



which fills with pure water right to the



vaulted ceiling where the overflow outlet is



located. This large reserve of water, estimated



as being more than 100,000 litres, was only



for Fort San Carlo, each of the other forts



having their own water supply.



The well in the cellar of the Officers'



Pavilion



Recently, the cistern was cleaned out,



removing all the material (stones, bricks,



wood, rubbish etc.) that had found its way in



during the years of abandonment, and to our



great surprise the huge stone cap-ring that



crowned the upper part of the well was found.



This has now been restored to its original



position.



It is sad to say that the role of state prison



characterized the Fenestrellian fortress for



many years. The Officers' Pavilion in



particular and Fort San Carlo in general had



the function of State Prison and Military



Correction Institute (as can still be seen today



on the walls of the entrance hall) for officers



24



under arrest up just after the First World War.



Both Napoleon and the Savoyans made ample



use of its facilites as a "maximum security"



prison, and the fortress was held in extreme



dread, not merely for the imprisonment itself,



but the harsh conditions which accompanied



it.



Personal liberties were non-existent. A series



of hard governors took pleasure in extracting



the maximum suffering from their charges,



while remaining within the confines of the



rules. These rules were strictly obeyed to the



letter, mercilessly, without regard for any



sentiment or sympathy for the innocent



motivation for the request. A best-selling



book of the period ("Picciola") recounts the



tale of a prisoner who cared for a small plant



growing in a crack and the furore caused by



his request for more space for its roots as it



grew.



To use the words of the writer Edmondo De



Amicis, "soldiers and Officers of all ages and



Regiments were frequently sent on vacation



to Fenestrelle to meditate on the rules of



discipline".



Various illustrious historic and cultural



personages were imprisoned in the cells of



this building. François de Maistre wrote his



masterpiece "Un Voyage Autour de ma



Chambre" (A Jouney around my Room) at



Fenestrelle; another writer, Jean Xavier



Saintine, located the events of his novel in the



fortress; Stendhal in "The Certosa of Parma"



cites the fortress as one of the most feared of



all the Savoyan prisons.



The room in which Cardinal Pacca was



imprisoned for nearly four years



From 1809 to 1813, the most illustrious of its



"guests", Cardinal Bartolomeo Pacca,



Secretary to Pope Pio VII, was imprisoned



there, together with other eminent prelates.



His cell is the only one which today has



frescoed walls, however those are Sabaudian



works from the post-Napoleonic period.



The fresco of the Savoyan eagle on the



ceiling



Underlining the sentiments of the post-



Napoleonic period, the eagle is portrayed



actively shredding the fronds of France and



ripping up "le tricoleur". As a final insult, its



tail end points North - directly towards France



!



Pacca's memoirs, written in 1830, describe



how tragic and full of suffering confinement



in Fenestrelle really was, even for those of



rank, whose treatment was immeasurable



better than that accorded to the common



prisoners



During the Restoration, and in fact throughout



the 1800's, many other significant personages



were housed in these cells, although in some



cases, fortunately for them, only for brief



periods: Prince Carlo Emanuele Dal Pozzo



della Cisterna, Giuseppe Bersani (who some



historians indicate as the illegitimate son of



Carlo Felice), various liberals of the "Giovine



Italia" movement, Mons. Luigi Franzoni,



Archbishop of Torino, following the



promulgation by the Subalpine parliament of



the Siccardi laws regarding the ecclesiastical



reforms to which he was opposed; six of



Garibaldi's officers after the Battle of



Aspromonte and some Papal soldiers



following the capture of the Porta Pia in



Rome. Gioberti was also held here before he



25



was able to have his punishment commuted to



exile.



THE COVERED STAIRCASE



With its 3996 steps, this incredible cyclopean



staircase is one of the most unusual features



of the fortress. It is not the only one of this



type which exists, the Fortress of Bard having



a much shorter version (530 steps), but this



one was constructed from the outset as the



main logistic communications way for the



entire fortress. For many years it was the only



means of moving men and materiel between



the various sectors of the fortress. Amongst



other things, it also served to hide the



movements of the garrison and their supplies



from enemy view.



Part of the Covered Staircase



Approximately 2.10 meters wide and 2.35



meters high with walls of over 2 meters thick,



illuminated by narrow slits which also serve



for ventilation, it climbs 580 metres in nearly



3 kilometres within an artificial barrel-vaulted



tunnel. Covered with a double layer of stone



roofing slabs, it connects one fort with



another and all the sections between each



other. It was a strategic means of



communication, particularly in times of



inclement weather or enemy attack, since



despite the steepness of some of the slopes, it



could be traversed by mules as well as by



large loads which were either towed up or



restrained on the way down by ropes through



large rings fixed to the walls.



Five double drawbridges (called



“trabocchetti”) could cut off further access



and isolate each single tract. When necessary,



either of the two mobile parts, hinged to their



fixed center part, could be raised vertically by



means of chains running through pulleys in



the roof, revealing a water-filled ditch, some 5



to 6 metres deep.



From below the Tre Denti fort, a second



stairway of nearly 300 steps runs parallel to



the Covered Staircase, forming an alternative



to the external route to the fort. It is



illuminated only by small openings high in



the walls. The main staircase provides access



to a terrace a short distance above the Devil’s



Garret, where the "Royal" or Open Stairway



begins. This is a wonderful panoramic route



of “only” 2500 steps, running essentially



parallel to the Covered Staircase up the slopes



of Mount Pinaia, linking the remaining



Batteries and their Redoubts with the Delle



Valli fort. It is said that King Carlo Emanuele



preferred the external stairway to the internal



one, hence the name attributed to it.



Ascending the Royal Stairway



Volunteers have cleared away the thick



vegetation accumulated over the last 50 years,



which had rendered it otherwise unuseable.



Regular "corvées" of work still continue, to



remove undergrowth, tree roots etc, generally



improving it from a safety aspect.



THE CHURCH



The church is the only "genteel" building in



the fortress: its decoration is however,



restrained, without excessive ornamentation,



blending in well with the general austerity of



26



the other architecture. Unfortunately, at



present, little is known about the church. We



have very limited information, none of which



can be considered precise nor reliable about



who designed it, the date or the length of time



of the construction, not even its exact usage



through the centuries.



The Church



It was most likely built in the last quarter of



the 1800's, although has also been attributed



to the military architect Carlo Andrea Rana by



some scholars (for example Brayda and



Contino), who state that they see the same



architectural elements and a similar style in



the facade of this church to those of his other



works in Piedmont. (In 1773 Rana had drawn



up an ambitious plan for reinforcements,



works which were never carried out, to be



built on the mountainside between the Santa



Barbara and Delle Porte Redoubts.)



By the Second World War, it had become a



storehouse and magazine for bombs,



munitions, grenades and detonators, as



testified by inscriptions on the internal walls.



Documents dated 1917 show that by then the



church had already been deconsecrated.



The facade of the church is characterized by a



central corpus, slightly protruding with



respect to the lateral elements, a stone



pediment on which rest six pilasters (four in



the corpus - in pairs on each side of the main



entrance - and two, one on each side, in the



lateral extremities of the facade), and by a



horizontal moulding between the upper and



lower windows and between the circular rose



window and the entrance. Unfortunately, due



to either having collapsed or been stolen, the



carved stone arch originally over the entrance



is now missing. The trabeation is simple, and



in the centre is surmounted by a triangular



timpanum which houses a semicircular



window.



Internally, it has three naves, the lateral ones



are vaulted, while this was never completed



over the central nave. Of its former



furnishings only two carved wooden shelves



which once supported the pulpit of the organ



remain.



A false ceiling in wood, at the same height as



the lateral vaulting divides this central space



into two floors. The upper floor could be



reached by a wooden stairway from the old



sacristry alongside the presbytery. Above the



apse, the lovely brick-built dome with its



stone arches still exists today.



The roofing of stone slabs was refurbished



about ten years ago, and from then on, the



interior is no longer exposed to the elements.



Recently, consolidation of the structure of the



walls and the creation of suitable new flooring



has been undertaken: these works, amongst



other things necessary for the conservation of



the building, now finally allow its use as a



prestigious site for cultural events such as



exhibitions, concerts, theatrical presentations,



conferences etc.



During the 20th Century, the underground



floor was divided up into tiny prison cells. To



one side of this still exists a small courtyard,



the airing yard, surrounded by high walls and



furnished with stone benches where prisoners



were taken to enjoy their daily "hour of air".



Running along one of the external support



walls of the church there is a stone-built



tunnel, 25 meters long which leads to the



morgue, a windowless underground chamber



where the corpses of dead defenders were



thrown during a seige to prevent outbreaks of



disease until there would be time to decently



bury them.



THE MILITARY BARRACKS



These are three long buildings, each 11



metres wide and three floors high, in parallel



one behind the other on a steep slope, their



facades each distinguished by a gracious



balcony in grey stone.



27



The Military Barracks



Originally built to house the garrison soldiers,



the ground floors became prison cells for



deserters and criminals, becoming known as



"les Forçats", from the 12 hours a day of



forced labour, mainly stone breaking, which



was their lot.



The internal layout was typical of an army



barracks, with wide symmetrical dormitories



reached by flights of steps at each end. The



ground floor was particularly inhospitable,



being damp and unhealthy due to being



completely interred in the mountainside at the



rear. The upper floorings (in some places



completely stolen after the war) consisted of



wooden planks covered with stone flags, the



whole supported by squared-off larch beams.



The ceiling was barrel-vaulted brickwork,



above which were directly cemented two



layers of "lose" or stone roofing slabs. The



floors were sustained by great larch beams



with a similar double layer of stone and



wooden planking. This can be clearly seen



inside the second Barracks, where damage to



the ceiling of the ground floor has exposed



this stratification. Each upper floor had, on its



eastern side, some "very useful" latrines on



the southern side. Curiously, exactly like



those in the Officers Pavilion, these were



open, and set side by side in pairs about one



metre apart. The two drain pipes, refurbished



during the 1920's, serving the latrines in the



second barracks can be easily seen.



The ground floor of each of the barracks



consisted of two large cells for common



prisoners, up to around 400 of them in each



cell. Conditions were unimaginable. The



stone floors were covered with straw and



manure as a concession to warmth. The uphill



wall, set against the mountain, was



perpetually wet with humidity. Drainage



holes at the base of the wall produced small



rivers when it rained. Toilet facilities within



were non-existent. Medical treatment was



sporadic. The ball and chain was standard. At



night, the prisoners were attached to a



common chain set into a large stone block.



Barred loopholes at the entrance allowed the



guards to keep an eye on their charges.



Sentences were strange (and often incredibly



long) in today’s terms - 3 years for stealing a



pair of shoes, 20 years for insulting the King,



15 years for desertion, 5 years for uxoricide



and for vagabondage, 10 years for



insubordination, and only the exceptionally



strong managed to survive to be released.



Being sent to Fenestrelle was akin to being



condemned to death. The survival rate was



modest when the sentence exceeded 5 years.



Detailed records of just how many prisoners



never left Fenestrelle do not exist. Some



historians suggest that about 600 men died



here. Others place the figure much higher, at



more than 10,000, alleging that thousands of



deported Bourbon soldiers from Sicily were



never seen again following the Piedmontese



invasion of the South under Garibaldi which



led to the unification of Italy in 1861. Each



year even today, Neapolitan and Sicilian



organizations place remembrance wreathes in



“Les Forçats” to commemorate their dead.



Further research is needed to uncover the



truth of what really took place during that



A burial scene at Fenestrelle



28



period. A drawing of the period portrays what



appears to be a burial, apparently just outside



the walls, near the service entrance.



Some of the prisoners also left drawings on



the walls of their cell. These have



unfortunately disappeared due to the humidity



which has crumbled the plaster, although



luckily, photographic evidence remains.



Drawing on a cell wall (now lost)



THE POWDERHOUSE OF



SANT'IGNAZIO



Situated above the Barracks, the Powderhouse



of Sant'Ignazio - named in honour of Bertola,



the architect of the fortress - is the most



important of the whole complex. Square in



plan, it has triple perimeter walls several



metres thick to protect both the powder



magazines from enemy shells and the nearby



buildings in the event of an explosion within.



The central nucleus is surrounded by



humidity-proofing walls giving air circulation



to ensure that the powder, stored in large



barrels, remained dry and serviceable.



The Powderhouse of Sant'Ignazio with the



lightning conductor tower in the foreground



Internally, the nucleus is just over 10 metres



per side and once consisted of two floors; as



can be seen by the holes which housed the



trusses for the wooden beams of the upper



floor.



Since everything, including the very air itself,



would be saturated with gunpowder, all metal



fittings, including door hinges and locks,



rings, chains, even the floor nails, were of



copper, brass or bronze to avoid the creation



of dangerous sparks. Everybody who entered



had to wear wooded clogs and a type of apron



to cover any exposed metal parts which might



cause sparks.



Two special windows provided illumination



inside the powder magazine, illustrating how



much care was taken to ensure safety within.



Internally, a thick sheet of glass was “glued



into” a tight fitting frame with molten



sulphur, while from the outside, a lockable



metal door gave access to a ventilated shelf



which held an oil lamp. The key was held by



the Officer of the Watch to avoid sabotage.



Despite the anti-humidity measures, the



transportation of gunpowder between the mill



and the fortress was a routine and frequent



operation due to the hygroscopic effect of



potassium nitrate or "salt-petre", the major



component of gunpowder. The gunpowder



was ground and mixed in the Armoury of



Pinerolo, brought in barrels to Fenestrelle in



special transport carts then carried the last



part of the way by mules. Gunpowder is



relatively unstable, thus prisoners (being



“expendable”) were often assigned to this



final dangerous and delicate operation.. The



mules were unshod and climbed the



mountainside in single file before entering the



fortress one by one through a "secret"



entrance known as the "Postierla" or back



door. A corps of guards was stationed at this



gate for security reasons. Once within the



fortress, each mule with its dangerous cargo



had only to complete a short, straight and



level path, some 60 meters in length to reach



the unloading courtyard of the powderhouse.



The path was wide for most of its length, then



narrowed at the junction with another path



which descended from behind the



powderhouse. Once its load had been



removed, each mule continued anti-clockwise



29



round the powderhouse, climbed a short ramp



to circumnavigate the powderhouse then



descended back onto the wide part of the path,



allowing it to exit the fortress by the same



gate it had entered. The “convoy” was kept to



a length which ensured that the unloaded



mules never had to pass loaded mules for



safety reasons.



After 1865, the powderhouse was modified



and provided with a new shellproof and



fireproof roof: this consisted of a robust barrel



vault, well waterproofed with bitumen and



overlaid by a layer of earth some two meters



thick. The building was also furnished with a



system of lightning conductors. Four iron rods



about five or six meters long terminating in



gilded stars were planted in the earth-covered



roof, interconnected by a copper strip. This



ran into a curious little tower, shaped like a



truncated cone, alongside the powderhouse, in



a small depression to keep the base damp. The



end of the copper strip was fixed in turn to a



copper ball to which were attached a series of



sinusoidal-shaped rods. The ball was



submerged in damp sand at the base of the



tower to ensure that any lightning, attracted



by the iron bars on the roof and conducted



along the copper strip into the tower



dissipated itself completely to earth. This



system of lightning protection was substituted



in 1930 by a metallic screen: the entire



building was enclosed along the perimeter



walls and roof by a gridwork of iron strips,



forming a Faraday cage, which like its



ancestor, was earthed via the little tower.



A further curiosity is the low ogival archway



in the base of the tower. At fist sight this



seems like a little oven, but its true function



is even more practical. It is a discharge well.



The powderhouse was under armed guard day



and night. Muzzle-loading weapons cannot be



readily unloaded, so when the watch was



changed, the off-duty guards discharged their



weapons into the damp sand to recover the



lead ball. This feature was common to the



various other powder houses of the complex.



It is said that the nearby villagers could tell



the time when they heard the crackle of the



guns being discharged each time the relieved



guard finished their watch.



THE MAIN, or ROYAL GATE



Today's visitors enter through the "service



entrance", which was, naturally enough, on



the side nearest the enemy, with the scope of



allowing patrols or troops to regain the safety



of the fort across the drawbridge, which could



then be quickly raised.



The Service Entrance



The main entrance to the fort was on the



Piedmontese side. This juxtaposition of



entrances was common to most military



fortifications, and indeed, in the event of



being captured by the "enemy", the two



entrances had their roles reversed! The Main



or Royal Gate to Fort San Carlo was reserved



for the nobility of the King's court,



Ambassadors and other visiting VIPs. It was



reached by means of a carriage road full of



hairpin bends which joins the present main



road to Pinerolo just below the 13th Century



Chateau Arnaud.



The Main or Royal Gate



30



The Gatehouse itself is an imposing threestorey



building, originally furnished with a



drawbridge and had a large hallway at ground



level where the visitor's coach and horses



could be housed. The spacious rooms of the



upper storeys were given over to apartments



for guests, dormitories for body guards and



store-rooms. It later became the apartments of



the military engineers.



The external facade is graced by finely carved



portals, large windows and decorations in



stone, all elegantly finished. Unfortunately,



removal of the protective stones from the roof



and damage to the original larch beams by



predators has caused the collapse of most of



the roof and the internal flooring, leaving only



the external shell. One of the projects begun



in the summer of 2004 is to re-roof this once



magnificent building.



Immediately on leaving the Gatehouse, the



visitor found himself in a funnel-shaped



courtyard, surrounded by high walls, which



could be manned by musketeers able to bring



the courtyard under crossfire if necessary. A



steep slope led up past the artillery workshop



and round the side of the Officer's Pavilion to



the Parade Square. It is presumed that the



VIPs rode up on horseback, as it is too steep



and tortuous for a coach to pass.



As our VIP rode up the slope, he would pass



by a long two-storey building - the armourers'



and carpenters' workshop.



The Armourers' Workshops



Here the weapons used by the fortress were



maintained, repaired and tested.



This building, with seven arches and



magnificent vaulted ceilings, still conserves



the chimneys of the two forges used for



metalworking.



The first four archways to the left were used



as store-rooms, while the other three were



workshops for the maintenance and repair of



the weaponry. One workshop has a peculiar,



round aperture in its high ceiling. Its purpose



will become apparent as you read on.



The original bronze cannons of the fortress



were, naturally enough, smooth bore, and



fired a cannon ball of slightly smaller



diameter than the bore itself, sometimes



wrapped in leather. On firing, the ball was



propelled up the barrel more or less in a



straight line, richocheting against the bore



along the way, and causing some damage to



the bore itself. This plus the imperfection of



the projectile itself made the trajectory and



impact point a matter of guesswork at



anything over two hundred metres or so,



although master gunners with practical



experience of individual cannons knew how



to use each one to best effect. Artillery was



generally a fairly short range weapon unless



the target was of such size that precision was



not important. Periodically, however, bronze



cannons needed reaming-out to keep them



operative, removing any damage caused by



the cannonball or by excessive quantities of



gunpowder.



In this workshop, the cannon barrel was



hoisted vertically by a system of pulleys



operating through the hole in the ceiling, from



where it was gradually lowered onto a



manually-turned boring tool which cleaned up



the bore to a uniform dimension. Part of the



stairway to the upper floor still exists.



Following this reaming, the cannon was tested



by firng a wadded (blank) round. The cannon



mouth and the touch hole were then quickly



sealed. If no smoke appeared through cracks,



the first part of this empirical test was



considered successful. With the touch hole



sealed with wax, the cannon was then filled



with water and allowed to stand for some



hours.



If no leaks were found and no traces of



humidity were seen, the final stage of the test



took place. An appropriately sized jagged and



hooked instrument was slid down the bore. If



this got caught up anywhere, the cannon was



31



reamed again. Irrecoverable cannon were sent



to the Royal Arsenal in Turin to be melted



down and recast. Every piece was worked



individually, frequently becoming a genuine



work of art, thanks to its markings, its



decoration and the mottoes or other



inscriptions which distinguished it. Many



were known by name: "Leggero",



"Adaloaldo", "Juno" and "Balista", to name



but a few, are currently in the care of the



National Museum of Artillery in Turin.



THE RAMPARTS



The ramparts are those giant "buttresses"



positioned on the "enemy" side (i.e. the one



that faces France), strategically visible from a



great distance, forming "a titanic flight of



steps, like an enormous cascade of overlaid



walls, mounting tortuously one on top of the



other, giving the effect that they were



climbing the mountain each on the shoulders



of another" (De Amicis, Alle porte d'Italia).



The Ramparts



There were 28 Ramparts in all, each about 20



meters wide and are internally interconnected



by various ramps and stairways. They are



numbered progressively from the lowest to



the highest and sinuously wind one after



another along the steep flank of the mountain



right up to the defences of Fort Tre Denti,



forming three bastions: - the San Carlo, the



Beato Amedeo and the Sant'Ignazio. The



height difference from one to the next varies



from between 3 to 13 meters. They begin at



the lowest tenaille (the Sant'Ignazio), the



lowest structure positioned to the South-West



which delimits and protects Fort San Carlo



and the Royal Gate itself. Close by, a small



powder magazine was built towards the end



of the 19th Century. It has no name, but is



identified by a Roman number, LXX (70).



Each building and construction was numbered



to enable the soldiers and officers to properly



orient themselves within the fortress). From



the tenaille up to the XVIth rampart the



bastioned wall is further protected by a wide,



deep ditch which runs like a ravine down to



the Carlo Alberto redoubt below.



The majority (22) of the ramparts are open



squares surrounded by high curtain walls



pierced by cannon outlets and loopholes for



the riflemen; during the 1800's the remaining



six were provided with casemates, i.e.



artillery positions closed by a shellproof



vaulted roof, open at the rear to facilitate the



evacuation of the gas produced at each firing.



One of these great Ramparts, the 12th, has the



most magnificent and unusual "cockerel-tail"



brickwork vaulting supporting the enormous



weight above it. This great quadruple arch is



the only one of its type in the fortress and is a



masterpiece of elegance and functionality.



The cockerel-tail arch in the 12th Rampart



The upper blockhouses still conserve the two



half-moon shaped tracks built into the stone



flooring which allowed the guns to traverse



laterally, and in a niche, in the curtain wall



below the cannon port, the cast iron hook



which was used to anchor the tail of the



chassis can still be seen.



Each casemate has a small store-room for the



tools required for the functioning and



maintenance of the artillery pieces, and a



small stock of spare parts. This store-room



also held the munitions and powder needed to



sustain at least three days of firing. The floors



32



of these rooms were formed of interlocking



wooden beams, cunningly raised clear of the



ground on stone pillars.



THE CARLO ALBERTO REDOUBT



In 1836, the Military Engineering Council



decided to completely dismantle the ancient



French fortress, Fort Mutin.



Considered obsolete and dangerous after



nearly one and a half centuries of service, it



was substituted by a new structure, which



completed the barrier across the valley, even



at its lowest point.



The Carlo Alberto Redoubt, named after the



King who financed its construction, originally



consisted of two squat buildings joined



together, located on the left bank of the



Chisone, strategically stradling the Royal



Road, today’s road leading to Sestriere.



The building, most of which still exists today,



stands on the bank of the Chisone, and is of



square plan-form, shaped like a truncated



pyramid (due to the sloping thick defensive



walls). It is five storeys high, of which two



are below road level, with each room vaulted



to be shell proof. It was furnished with



numerous cannon ports, 11 on each side of the



road, perhaps of lesser calibre than those at



Fort San Carlo since the casemates had



neither directional tracks nor anchor hooks.



The missing western part was demolished by



mines in July 1944 by the partisans of the



Serafino Division in an attempt to impede the



rounding up of the population and the march



of the Germans towards the Upper Valley.



The Carlo Alberto Redoubt today



This part of the building, consisted of four



storeys of rectangular form, directly



controlled the important road running down



the valley by means of a drawbridge and an



iron portcullis on each side, completely



blocking the passageway.



The Carlo Alberto Redoubt also had loading



rooms and a powder room of 24 square



metres called “della Tagliata”, located a short



distance from the moat of the same name



which proceeds upwards right to the eastern



tennaile of Sant'Ignazio.



A deep trench, or cutting, protected by a still



existing curtain wall pierced with loopholes,



connected the Redoubt with the “Colombaia”



(Dovecote): this was an annex of the former



Chateau Arnaud, the 16th Century seat of the



Chatelain who administered justice in the



Pragelato Valley. This edifice had since



become the redoubt of Fort Mutin, and had



been used to house and raise carrier pigeons.



Today it is private property.



An unmade military road still connects the



Carlo Alberto Redoubt and the Colombaia,



then joins the road which leads to the Royal



Gate of Fort San Carlo at the end of a tunnel



more than 80 metres long carved out of the



solid rock, locally referred to as the "Rocca



Furà", (perforated rock). This was excavated



in only four days during the 1708 seige of



Fort Mutin in order to bring a battery of great



seige cannons up to a position corresponding



to the Parade Square of Fort San Carlo.



THE TRE DENTI FORT



This fort is located at the top of a steep rocky



ridge some 1400 metres above sea level.



In the late1600’s this site was fortified with



the construction of a French redoubt in



accordance with the instructions of Marshall



The Tre Denti Fort



33



Nicola Catinat, as an integral part of the



defensive system of Fort Mutin.



For this reason, we find the Main Entrance on



the French side and the service entrance on



the Piedmontese side.



Following the Treaty of Utrecht in 1713, the



first Savoyan military engineer responsible



for the Tre Denti fort was Major Giulio



Cesare Bessone who in accordance with his



orders dated 13th June 1720, intervened to



amplify the defences beyond those



constructed by the French, and amongst other



things built the “Devil’s Garret”, a splendidly



panoramic observation point high up on the



side of a precipice with a 20 meter drop



below, overlooking the Tre Denti fort -



reachable only by means of a steep and



narrow 6-flight stairway.



The Devil's Garret



Its name is said to come from events during



its constructions, when having completed a



certain part of the work by day, unseen hands



threw down the work by night, leading to the



superstition of "devilish work". However,



considering that its construction was only a



few years after the Treaty that had transferred



sovreignty of the valley from France to



Savoy, it seems much more probable that the



unseen hands were those of French



sympathisers in the valley - or maybe it was



just a very unpleasant place to spend the night



on watch, with the wind howling eerily about



the ears of the sentries . . .



These works of fortification, which for the



most part consisted of repairs and



modifications to the former structure, with



barricades made up of larch trunks, continued



up until 1730 when the Tre Denti was



integrated into Bertola’s ambitious military



barrier across the valley.



By that time it had been furnished with



artillery batteries but had few buildings, most



of which were built into the solid rock, but



which were sufficient for its needs: it had a



two storey barracks for the troops and the



officers with an attic which doubled as a



storehouse (now missing the wooden flooring



and the roof, which was capable of being



dismantled in time of war to avoid being



damaged, a square-shaped, stone-roofed



powder house, built some way away from the



other buildings and also provided with a



curious truncated cone-shaped lightning



conductor tower, a low building of which



only a few ruins remain today, perhaps used



later as a mule stable, a water cistern and a



new underground aqueduct.



The entrance to the aqueduct at Tre Denti



This aqueduct is a minor masterpiece of



hydraulic engineering: below the Tre Denti



fort, a 424 meter-long artificial conduit some



130 cm high and 80cm wide was driven deep



into the mountain to reach water in an



underground spring active all the year round.



An overflow from the main stream feeds the



small drinking fountain in the foreground of



the photo above. The main stream runs down



alongside the Covered Staircase, within its



own little tunnel to feed both Fort Tre Denti



and Fort San Carlo.



From there, running in another tunnel beneath



the parade square, it reached the “emergency



34



exit”. There, a drawbridge, of which only a



few of the support beams remain, gave onto



the Piedmontese side, in the Mentoulles



woods. This secondary gate, a feature of all



these old forts, was protected on one side by a



Corps of Guards, whose post was dug into the



naked rock and furnished with firing



loopholes.



BATTERIES AND REDOUBTS



In the area between the Delle Valli and the



Tre Denti Forts, inside the enormous walls



(likened by De Amicis to being “a part of the



Great Wall of China”) containing the Covered



Staircase, acting as both a unifying element



and a defensive barrier, other military works



aiming to augment the fortress’s defensive



capability were built: the Scoglio and



Ospedale Batteries and the Santa Barbara and



Delle Porte Redoubts.



These were intermediate positions, of modest



dimensions as their names suggest, but no less



strategic and deadly when the occasion



demanded, and important in the general



scheme of the defences.



Starting from the lowest point, just beyond



the Tre Denti Fort, the Scoglio Battery is



reached first. This is characterised by the



presence of three emplacements one above



the other along the slope, on which were



positioned cannon or mortars, and by a single



low and modest building: this acted partly as



a storehouse for projectiles and munitions for



the cannon and mortars and partly as a



signalling post. On the western wall, the wellout-



of-plumb framework of a window can



still be seen. Originally, a signalling light



from within the building would shine



perpendicularly and distortion-free through



this window to be seen from a similar optical



position in the military battery of Monte Gran



Costa, some ten kilometers away in the



direction of France. The exchange of such



signals allowed communication at any hour of



the day or night.



Following this we come to the Santa Barbara



Redoubt at 1550 meters above sea level. This



is a stone edifice in the form of a truncated



pyramid, with steeply inclined walls up to 6



meters thick, with two sides buried in the



mountain. Only the south face has window



openings, protected by robust iron grillwork.



The building has two storeys: the upper floor



was the dormitory for the garrison, while the



single large ground floor room, with its stonebuilt



fireplace, was used both as the refectory



and store-room. A well gave access to an



underground cistern (which even today is full



of water), something which also here made



the Redoubt self-sufficient in the event of an



invasion. The projectiles reached the roof



directly from the arming rooms below by



means of a hand-operated lift located in a



purpose built tower erected on the eastern side



of the building.



The Santa Barbara Redoubt



Accessible from the external stairway, a



tunnel in the cellar also leads onto the



Covered Staircase. The Redoubt is also



externally connected by a drawbridge which



gives onto a junction of the Cannon Roadway.



The Drawbridge at Santa Barbara



35



The gently sloping roadway, once used by the



muletrains which dragged the cannons to their



various positions runs through a pine wood of



considerable natural beauty on the Fenestrelle



side. It is characterized by 26 hairpin bends,



each identified by a stone marker with its



number (they are numbered from the bottom



to the top).



The existing drawbridge mechanism for the



Santa Barbara Redoubt was made in 1884 by



the G. Maggi company, as can be read on the



iron parallelogram counterweight mounted on



two high pillars, its chains still in place.



It is important to recall that in 1882, Italy



became part of the so-called Triple Alliance



with Germany and Austria. A number of



military works were built or reorganized close



to the French border (one example is the



fortress built on the top of Mount Chaberton



at over 3000 meters above sea level).



The fortress of Fenestrelle was also involved



in this reinforcement work in many places,



and had two new outposts added: Fort Serre



Marie and the Falouel Guard (popularly



known as “the Dice” due to its being shaped



like a cube. At the same time, the Santa



Barbara Redoubt and its twin Delle Porte



were armed with greater calibre pieces,



located in emplacements at the top of the



building, in specially built seats.



The foundation stones for the rails which



allowed the guns to be traversed can still be



seen although the rails themselves have long



since been removed.



The Delle Porte Redoubt (at 1680 m) is



slightly larger, but very similar to the Santa



Barbara, in terms of the internal arrangement,



external shape and typical features, including



the presence of two artillery positions on the



roof and the lift for munitions.



The Redoubt is preceded by a powder



magazine of 36 square meters with its own



entrance from the Covered Staircase, built



towards the East on the slope protected by the



crest.



The Delle Porte Redoubt



Finally, a short distance away, the Ospedale



battery can be found: this position only holds



two gun emplacements and a small reserve of



munitions inserted in the tunnel leading to the



Covered Staircase.



In the 20th Century, the emplacements of



these batteries were modified to allow the



installation of twin-barrelled 11mm Gardner



machine guns whose task was to protect the



underlying trench by crossfire along the line



of the walls.



There was no permanent barracks for the



garrison, as this post was not far from the



Delle Valli Fort or from the Delle Porte



Redoubt. The Ospedale Battery presumably



gets its name from the nearby barracks



utilized as a “hospital”, but erected, due to



lack of space, outside the curtain wall.



THE DELLE VALLI FORTRESS



As previously mentioned, the building of the



Savoyan military complex began at the



summit of Mount Pinaia (1780 m), from the



Delle Valli Fortress and from the Elmo and



Sant'Antonio Redoubts. At the beginning



there is no mention of the Belvedere Redoubt,



which is cited with the name of "forte delle



valli": The three redoubts only began to be



known as the Delle Valli Fortress from the



1800’s.



Initially, the preliminary works were



contracted out. This involved construction of



the lodgings for the workforce, the supply of



sand, lime and wood, provisions and the



construction of a wooden aqueduct of



“bornelli” (hollowed out trunks of seasoned



36



larch) to bring water to the construction sites



“from Pinaia as far as Chateau Arnaud for the



"Fortifications that His Majesty odered to be



erected in these places".



Following that, the so-called "travagli di



rocco" (stone working) began: "uncovering,



excavation, levelling etc” - an enormous



amount of work necessary to obtain the



principal construction material (grey



serpentine rock) and to construct the



foundations upon which were erected the



great walls and buildings.



The Main Entrance to the Belvedere



Redoubt of the Delle Valli Fort



The entire fortress is surrounded by deep



trenches, protected by walls pierced by



defensive loopholes, massive traverses and



tennaile bastions which eliminated any “dead



ground” and rendered this bulwark practically



impregnable.



Here, the buildings, for a question of space,



are more grouped and clustered together: this



fact, coupled with the distance from the town



of Fenestrelle and its attractions, almost



certainly reduced the formal rapport between



the officers and the common soldiers.



Incision at the Belvedere Redoubt



Many stones and even the walls still carry the



incisions made by the soldiers, whiling away



the time, probably during their watch periods,



something which was evidently tolerated by



the officers.



During the 1820’s, as indicated in a report by



Major Perventi, each garrison was in service



at the fort for three (long) years before being



transferred. He recommended that this period



should be reduced since it had negative



repercussions on both morale and discipline.



The Belvedere Redoubt is the most extensive



and complete of the three, and is connected to



both the Covered and the Royal Stairways.



From the latter, access could be gained to the



Royal Gate by crossing a drawbridge (the



Royal Bridge, without a doubt), consisting of



three parts, one (that nearest the entrance)



which could be raised and two fixed parts



consisting of larchwood footpaths standing on



two high pylon walls which thrust upwards



for almost 10 metres from the trench below.



The heavy counterweight of wooden beams



which operated the drawbridge can still be



seen within the building.



This construction is also called “the Temple”



due to the presence of “classic-style”



decorative elements on the facade (pillasters,



cornice and a triangular timpanum), giving an



aspect typical of religious buildings. Above



the ogival arched entrance, an inscription



within a frame reads "Forte Valli, quota 1727



m" (Fort Valli, 1727 m above sea level)



Not far from the Royal Gate are the powder



magazines (identified in a map of the late



1800’s as the “San Carlo at the Valli



Powderhouse”) and a 3-storey guardhouse.



The organization within the powderhouse is



37



identical to that of the Sant’Ignazio



powderhouse. There was also a lightning



tower, but only the foundations remain in the



southern trench.



The stone roof slabs have been partially



removed, allowing us to see the great beams



of larch, each some 40 by 40 centimetres in



dimension.



Behind the powderhouse stand the three



Barracks.



The Barracks at the Belvedere Redoubt



Each of the barracks, similar to the barracks at



Fort San Carlo, consists of three storeys



above ground with a semi-interred floor. The



upper floors held the dormitories for the



garrison. The officers slept in the 3rd



Barracks, which had a series of smaller rooms



and whose facade was enriched by three



stupendous stone balconies. In the lower



floors, apart from the numerous storerooms



for hay, straw, wood and foodstuffs there



were the kitchens (with two brick ovens and



two cauldrons, the refectories and two water



cisterns. These are independent and



exceptionally large: one measures 5.65 x 5.3 x



4.3 metres and has a capacity of more than



100000 litres of water, the other measures



12.3 x 5.3 x 4.3 metres and can hold more



than 280000 litres.



Winter at the Belvedere Redoubt



The barracks were the nucleus of the fort. It



was here during the winter months - when the



snow blocked the roads and the danger of



aggression was unlikely - that the garrison



“hibernated” in what was the warmest part of



the fort.



The chapel at the head of the 3rd Barracks is



particularly beautiful. The baroque facade is



ornamented with pillasters and decorations in



yellow granite: internally, despite being



somewhat cramped for space, it surprisingly



soars upwards about 10 metres. A small bell



tower stands above the roof.



The Delle Valli Chapel



The Belvedere Redoubt was defended by



more than 20 artillery pieces, of which 7 were



in casemates on the southern and southwestern



fronts while the others were in open



positions distributed round the perimeter.



There were also various storerooms for



38



munitions and spare parts alongside the



casemates for the loading and maintenance of



the cannon.



The Belvedere Redoubt was in



communication with the next, intermediate



one - the Sant’Antonio Redoubt - by means of



a fixed central bridge (removed) and a pair of



lifting drawbridges with parapets and



loopholes for riflemen; in turn, this Redoubt



was in communication with the highest one -



the Sant'Elmo Redoubt - by means of three



similar bridges. For some years now, two of



the four drawbridges have had their wooden



walkway renewed, allowing guided visits to



the highest part of the whole complex.



To complete the description of the Belvedere



Redoubt, it is worth remembering the



existence of a long, steep flight of about 50



steps, known as the Stairway of the Three



Traverses, or the Savoyard Steps, which run



from the eastern trench to the path leading to



the the connecting bridges to the



Sant’Antonio Redoubt. Its name comes from



the three high walls or traverses which



protected the path in the event of it coming



under fire. Their remarkable size and



thickness was to ensure total protection for



users of this stairway, even under severe



enemy fire.



The Savoyard Steps



The Sant’Antonio Redoubt is of modest



dimensions and comprises only one building,



half buried in the solid rock, consisting of a



two-storey powderhouse on the eastern side



and eight small rooms for the tiny garrison on



the southern side.



The Sant'Antonio Redoubt



The upper part of the powderhouse is divided



from the main building by a splendid brick



barrel vault anchored with metal guy-rods to a



second extremely thick and cannon-ball-proof



vault, which covers the entire building. Two



mortars or small calibre pieces were sited on



this terraced roof, while there are two small



munitions stores located alongside the



powderhouse.



The Sant'Elmo Redoubt has a similar facade



to that of the Sant’Antonio, with five



windows defended by stout iron bars and a



small ogival-arched doorway preceded by a



small access terrace. This is the only entrance



to the Redoubt.



The Sant'Elmo Redoubt



It is surmounted by seven casemates on the



western side, added around the middle of the



19th Century to protect the new, more



powerful (and costly) cannon which had



entered service. Six were aimed towards the



39



road crossing the Colle delle Finestre and one,



located in the highest part of the fortress, at a



height of 1783 metres above sea level, was



aimed at the plateau of Pra Catinat.



To the North and to the East, 10 open



emplacements housed an equal number of



light cannon pointed towards Pra Catinat and



the lower Val Chisone.



The Sant'Elmo Redoubt also posessed an



efficient optical semaphore system in



communication with the Mezzodì (Mid-day)



Point. A lily-like double tennaile terminates



the fortress at the mountain-top, completely



surrounded by a walkway with positions for



riflemen.



The Ponte Rosso (Red Bridge)



It gives access to the road for Pra Catinat by



way of a beautiful bridge (the Ponte Rosso, or



Red Bridge) with its four splendid ogival



arches spanning a deep man-made defensive



gorge, which was essentially the quarry from



which the stone to construct the fort itself was



extracted.



This bridge was guarded by a drawbridge and



a massive iron gate between two high pillars,



on each of which was mounted a stone



cannonball. Being in full view, these were



intended to be a warning and deterrent to



possible attackers, symbolising the fearful



weaponry the fortress posessed.



CONSTRUCTIONAL DETAILS



The entire fortress of Fenestrelle is built on a



spur of uniform rock belonging to the family



of metabasitic basalt, a type of the so-called



green-stone calcium complex usually referred



to as "serpentine". With the few exceptions



where granite or brick are employed, the



entire structure is built of this green-hued



rock.



The preparatory work, at that time referred to



as “travagli di rocco” (stone working),



consisted of a series of successive operations,



reduction of the slope, uncovering,



excavation, tunnelling and levelling the rock -



an enormous amount of work necessary to



obtain the basic materials for construction and



to establish the foundations of the stoneworks



themselves. It has, however, been ascertained



that the greatest part of the material moved,



i.e. stones for construction, rubble, gravel and



infill was transported or heaped no more than



25 trabucchi (about 77 meters) from its place



of excavation to its final location. It has also



been established that large blocks of stone



were mined from the great trenches which



separate the Sant'Antonio Redoubt from both



the Elmo and the Belvedere Redoubts were



also used to build the Delle Porte and Santa



Barbara redoubts, being allowed to tumble



down the channel until they brought up



against a purpose-built massive dry-stone



wall. It was really an ingenious method to



transport the material and at the same time to



break the rock into pieces of more



manageable size. Lime was used as the binder



in all masonry-work. The limestone was



usually excavated from quarries in the



Fenestrelle area “in the Territory of



Mentoulles” (today Pra Catinat) and Roure, in



the region called La Comba, Boursetto, and



where convenient, from Colle della Rossa. In



certain instances, when it was necessary to



ensure the best results, as in the case of



rendering the water cisterns impermeable, the



lime was brought from Superga (the hill



overlooking Turin itself) being the best in the



whole kingdom. Where bricks were used they



were “all of true mezzanella” (i.e. of medium



dimensions), “well sounding and regular in all



their parts, of length six ounces” (here the



ounce was a linear measure of about 3 cm),



“width three ounces and height one and a half



ounces, made of good quality clay and



according to the best rules of the art” and



came from the furnaces of Pinerolo and



Meana. The roof beams and ceilings were



fabricated from “carefully seasoned wood of



red maleggine” (larch), felled as usual in the



40



forests of Fenestrelle and Pra Gelato, “during



a good (i.e. rising) moon”. The sand for the



cement was extracted from the Chisone



torrent, “in the direction of Mentoulles or



towards Pourrieres, in the places judged most



convenient by the Royal Service”. It had to be



“well granulated, passed through the grate”



(i.e. sieved), “washed in clean water and free



from any refuse material”.



The roofing-stones came from the quarries of



the valley, “all intact, sounded and regular, of



natural stone and each of about two feet in



length, one foot in width and between threequarters



to one ounce (i.e. about 2 to 3 cm) in



thickness.” These same quarries also



furnished the stone used to fabricate the arch



supports, door lintels, decorations and



mouldings of the most representative



buildings, as it was capable of being worked



with precision and geometric rigour. The



window grilles, the chains, the key-heads, the



“bolzoni” (heavy iron fittings) and the



“grappe” (U-shaped bars used to join



stoneworks) as necessary” in their turn had to



be “true iron of Aosta and not of any other



place, without blemishes, burn marks or other



defects which could prejudice their



effectiveness.”



During the course of the many tens of years of



the fort’s construction, thousands upon



thousands of people, indeed generation after



generation, took part in its building. Two



documents of 1732 and 1733 provide



interesting and important information



regarding the definition of the tasks of the



workers; the first is signed by the architect



Maller, and the other is signed by his



successor, De La Marche. The two reports



describe the “status of progress of work” and



indicate the numbers and the main tasks of the



workers. Some 4200 people (practically a



town in its own right) are identified,



subdivided as follows: 508 master masons



and master builders - those who materially



erect the stoneworks and the vaultings - of



proven capacity and expertise; 178 local



miners and 17 officials of the Company of



Miners - responsible for breaking up the rock,



using mines and gunpowder and preparing the



foundations of the constructions; 213 stone



workers - those who break up the large blocks



of stone, reducing their dimensions and



shaping them according to the requirements



of the masons; 35 carpenters or master



woodsmen - those who are specialised in the



placement of the wooden carpentry within the



buildings and the scaffolding thereof; 36



blacksmiths - those whose job it is to set in



place the window grilles, draw the roof



trusses and the working of iron in general; 71



“cabassins” i.e. porters who carry away the



excavated material (soil, stone chippings,



sand etc) in a wicker pannier (cabassa) on



their back; 1460 local workers - those



assigned to the heaviest and least specialized



work (moving and lifting the heavy stones



and generally helping the master masons; 116



assistants whose job is to check and verify



that the work is proceeding regularly; 1667



soldiers from the various companies: 325



soldiers of the Guards, 336 soldiers of Savoy,



648 soldiers from Monferrato, 348 soldiers



from Saluzzo. Of those, nothing lets us know



what task (if any) they had within the



workings. It would appear probable, however,



that they were not there merely to guard the



territory, but also to “collaborate” actively in



the construction work. Although no trace has



been found in the archives of forced labour



being employed, as fantasy might suggest, it



cannot be ruled out that forced labour was



used in limited periods (but in any case long



after the main construction phase in the



1700’s), when the fortress was “host” at



various times to convicts and soldiers under



arrest.



Copyright 2004 Ashleigh Hogg