19th century fortifications in Sector IV
Mount Calisio
Sector IV of the Trento Fortress started from the Civezzano barrage, encompassing all of Mount Calisio and ending in the Adige Valley, where an entrenched camp cut through the valley near Gardolo. The fortifications included Fort Civezzano, the upper and lower fortified blockades of Civezzano and the Casara Battery.
Sector IV
The Calisio, whose top measures 1096 m, closes the Adige valley to the north-east of the city: it is also called Argentario because of its ancient silver mines. Its slopes were already fortified between 1869 and 1872 with the Civezzano barrage, which consisted of two road blocks (fortified blockade) and the main fort. Then, in the 1880s, the Martignano and Casara batteries were built. In 1915, cima Calisio, which already housed batteries and an observatory, was completely fortified. The Trento military engineers built an underground fortress: one of the most modern and largest works in the fortress. Walking towards the top of the mountain, one finds caves, remains of trenches and casemates for machine guns, infantry outposts and positions for field artillery: the traces of the great defence system are still easily recognisable. The panorama from the summit, although modest in altitude, sweeps over the Adige valley, the other mountains surrounding Trento, the upper Valsugana and the Lagorai.
The trekking routes of the IV sector
All trekking routes
The fortifications
Fort Civezzano
- year of construction: 1869-1872
- typology: fort
- ownership: private
- opening to the public: no
- state of preservation: traces
- Demolished in 1915
Upper road cut Civezzano
- year of construction: 1869-1872
- typology: road block (fortified blockade)
- ownership: public
- open to the public: open to the public
- state of preservation: restored
- Lower roadside cutting
Lower roadside block Civezzano
- year of construction: 1869-1872
- typology: road block (fortified blockade)
- ownership: public
- opening to the public: no
- state of preservation: traces
- Demolished after the war
Casara Battery
- year of construction: 1882-1884
- typology: battery
- ownership: public
- open to the public: no
- state of preservation: traces
- Demolished in 1915