Fenestrelle Fort
Encyclopedia
The Fenestrelle Fort is a fortress overlooking Fenestrelle
, Piedmont
, northern Italy
. It is the biggest alpine fortification in Europe, having a surface area of 1,300,000 m². Built between 1728 to 1850, it guards the access to Turin
via the Chisone
valley, and stands at altitudes between 1,100 and 1,800 m. The territory was acquired in 1709 by the Duchy of Savoy
(later known as the Kingdom of Sardinia
) after the defeat of the French at fort Mutin (Fenestrelle).
officially ceded Fenestrelle
to Savoy
as required by the Treaty of Utrecht
in 1713. To defend the newly acquired territories, a complex of forts was built. They were connected by a 3 km long wall and a long indoor staircase of 3,996 steps.
The fort was never besieged. It was used as a prison by the French Empire
: notable prisoners were Joseph de Maistre
and Bartolomeo Pacca. The prison also held held Pierre Picaud
, whose story was the inspiration for Edmond Dantès
, the main character in Dumas’s Count of Monte Cristo
. The Kingdom of Sardinia
locked political prisoners, Mazzini's supporters and common criminals in the fort, including the Archbishop
Luigi Fransoni.
In 1861, after the unification of Italy, around 24,000 Kingdom of the Two Sicilies
supporters (mainly soldiers) were put into the fort, which effectively became a concentration camp. Several Garibaldi's and Papal States
supporters were also locked up. Most of the prisoners died of hunger and cold.
In 1882, the fort was upgraded. After 1887, it became the headquarters of the Fenestrelle battalion of the Third Alpini Regiment.
After World War II
, the fort was abandoned and left to decay, most of the available material being plundered. In 1990 a redevelopment action, guided by a group of volunteers, known as Progetto San Carlo (ONLUS) was started.
Fenestrelle
Fenestrelle is a comune in the Province of Turin in the Italian region Piedmont, located about 50 km west of Turin.It is home to the Fenestrelle Fort.-External links:*...
, Piedmont
Piedmont
Piedmont is one of the 20 regions of Italy. It has an area of 25,402 square kilometres and a population of about 4.4 million. The capital of Piedmont is Turin. The main local language is Piedmontese. Occitan is also spoken by a minority in the Occitan Valleys situated in the Provinces of...
, northern Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
. It is the biggest alpine fortification in Europe, having a surface area of 1,300,000 m². Built between 1728 to 1850, it guards the access to Turin
Turin
Turin is a city and major business and cultural centre in northern Italy, capital of the Piedmont region, located mainly on the left bank of the Po River and surrounded by the Alpine arch. The population of the city proper is 909,193 while the population of the urban area is estimated by Eurostat...
via the Chisone
Chisone
The Chisone is a 50 km Italian torrent, which runs through Pragelato, Fenestrelle, Perosa Argentina and Pinerolo in the Province of Turin. It is a tributary of the Pellice, which in turn is a tributary of the Po River...
valley, and stands at altitudes between 1,100 and 1,800 m. The territory was acquired in 1709 by the Duchy of Savoy
Duchy of Savoy
From 1416 to 1847, the House of Savoy ruled the eponymous Duchy of Savoy . The Duchy was a state in the northern part of the Italian Peninsula, with some territories that are now in France. It was a continuation of the County of Savoy...
(later known as the Kingdom of Sardinia
Kingdom of Sardinia
The Kingdom of Sardinia consisted of the island of Sardinia first as a part of the Crown of Aragon and subsequently the Spanish Empire , and second as a part of the composite state of the House of Savoy . Its capital was originally Cagliari, in the south of the island, and later Turin, on the...
) after the defeat of the French at fort Mutin (Fenestrelle).
History
FranceFrance
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
officially ceded Fenestrelle
Fenestrelle
Fenestrelle is a comune in the Province of Turin in the Italian region Piedmont, located about 50 km west of Turin.It is home to the Fenestrelle Fort.-External links:*...
to Savoy
Savoy
Savoy is a region of France. It comprises roughly the territory of the Western Alps situated between Lake Geneva in the north and Monaco and the Mediterranean coast in the south....
as required by the Treaty of Utrecht
Treaty of Utrecht
The Treaty of Utrecht, which established the Peace of Utrecht, comprises a series of individual peace treaties, rather than a single document, signed by the belligerents in the War of Spanish Succession, in the Dutch city of Utrecht in March and April 1713...
in 1713. To defend the newly acquired territories, a complex of forts was built. They were connected by a 3 km long wall and a long indoor staircase of 3,996 steps.
The fort was never besieged. It was used as a prison by the French Empire
French colonial empire
The French colonial empire was the set of territories outside Europe that were under French rule primarily from the 17th century to the late 1960s. In the 19th and 20th centuries, the colonial empire of France was the second-largest in the world behind the British Empire. The French colonial empire...
: notable prisoners were Joseph de Maistre
Joseph de Maistre
Joseph-Marie, comte de Maistre was a French-speaking Savoyard philosopher, writer, lawyer, and diplomat. He defended hierarchical societies and a monarchical State in the period immediately following the French Revolution...
and Bartolomeo Pacca. The prison also held held Pierre Picaud
Pierre Picaud
Pierre Picaud was a 19th century shoemaker in Nîmes who may have been the basis for the character of Edmond Dantès in Alexandre Dumas, père's novel, The Count of Monte Cristo...
, whose story was the inspiration for Edmond Dantès
Edmond Dantès
Edmond Dantès is the protagonist and title character of Alexandre Dumas, père's novel, The Count of Monte Cristo.Dumas may have gotten the idea for the character of Edmond from a story which he found in a book compiled by Jacques Peuchet, archivist to the French police. Peuchet related the tale of...
, the main character in Dumas’s Count of Monte Cristo
The Count of Monte Cristo
The Count of Monte Cristo is an adventure novel by Alexandre Dumas. It is often considered to be, along with The Three Musketeers, Dumas's most popular work. He completed the work in 1844...
. The Kingdom of Sardinia
Kingdom of Sardinia
The Kingdom of Sardinia consisted of the island of Sardinia first as a part of the Crown of Aragon and subsequently the Spanish Empire , and second as a part of the composite state of the House of Savoy . Its capital was originally Cagliari, in the south of the island, and later Turin, on the...
locked political prisoners, Mazzini's supporters and common criminals in the fort, including the Archbishop
Archbishop
An archbishop is a bishop of higher rank, but not of higher sacramental order above that of the three orders of deacon, priest , and bishop...
Luigi Fransoni.
In 1861, after the unification of Italy, around 24,000 Kingdom of the Two Sicilies
Kingdom of the Two Sicilies
The Kingdom of the Two Sicilies, commonly known as the Two Sicilies even before formally coming into being, was the largest and wealthiest of the Italian states before Italian unification...
supporters (mainly soldiers) were put into the fort, which effectively became a concentration camp. Several Garibaldi's and Papal States
Papal States
The Papal State, State of the Church, or Pontifical States were among the major historical states of Italy from roughly the 6th century until the Italian peninsula was unified in 1861 by the Kingdom of Piedmont-Sardinia .The Papal States comprised territories under...
supporters were also locked up. Most of the prisoners died of hunger and cold.
In 1882, the fort was upgraded. After 1887, it became the headquarters of the Fenestrelle battalion of the Third Alpini Regiment.
After World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, the fort was abandoned and left to decay, most of the available material being plundered. In 1990 a redevelopment action, guided by a group of volunteers, known as Progetto San Carlo (ONLUS) was started.