Forte Interrotto
Overview
Fort Interrotto was a military barracks built in the 19th century and partially fortified as a fortress at the First World War outbreak. It was meant to defend the Italian border against the Austro-Hungarian Empire. The fortress is located at 1,392 meters above sea level in the municipality of Asiago. The name of the fort derives its name from the mountain on which it was built, precisely Monte Interrotto (Italianization of the Cimbrian germanic term "Hinterrucks", which means "mountain placed to the north").
Historical background
The structure, entirely in stone, was initially conceived as a barracks to house the "Bassano" Alpine Battalion during the second half of the 19th century. Its construction was completed in 1887. It was heavily damaged and occupied by the Austro-Hungarian army on May 22, 1916, during its advance towards Asiago. It was then adapted as an observatory on the plateau (with the affixing of some lighthouses) and equipped with some small-caliber weaponry.
Its purpose during the First World War was to build a barrier of the upper Val d'Assa valley in the event of an Austrian advance. Its defense was to also be assisted by the Tagliata Val d'Assa, an Italian defense structure on the border with Austria-Hungary, and the batteries of Monte Rasta,
The building was further damaged during the various military exercises on the Asiago plateau during the following decades. Today, it has undergone a restructuring plan thanks to a project called "Great War ecomuseum of the Vicenza Pre-Alps".
Fortress features
The building with its mighty stone and brick walls looks more like a medieval castle than a 19th-century fortification. The structure has an area of approximately 1,170 m<sup>2</sup> wide, 14 meters high. There are two towers, with a diameter of 10 m each, on the opposite corners of the site's perimeter. The fortress is surrounded by a 5-meter wide moat (water-filled ditch).