Cinque Torri Historical Timeline

Origins

The towers are erosional remnants -- harder blocks left standing when the softer rock around them was carried away. They sit on a shelf of pasture rather than on a ridge, which is what makes them so unusually accessible.

Turning points

In 1915 the Italian army fortified the towers as a forward position. The Austrian line was on the Lagazuoi, directly opposite, and the two sides could see each other across the Falzarego valley.

Influential people

Artillery was hauled up here and dug in among the rocks, and the men lived in shelters cut into and built against the towers through two winters.

Cultural evolution

After the war the positions were abandoned. From the 1970s the towers became a mainstream climbing destination, reached by chairlift.

Present-day significance

The front-line works were restored from the 2000s as the Museo all'Aperto delle Cinque Torri, with trenches, walkways and gun emplacements relaid on their original lines. In 2004 part of one tower, the Torre Trephor, collapsed -- a reminder that these are eroding rock stacks, not permanent architecture.