Visit to Fort Cherle

Among the different itineraries it offers Folgaria there is also the famous tour of the forts. A hiking route that leads us to discover the many Austro-Hungarian fortresses who took part in the First World War defending the borders between Austria and Italy.
The territories of Folgaria and Asiago were the scene of bloody clashes between Italian troops and Austrian troops. The mountains were "desecrated" by heavy bombing by both sides, the valleys of these two magnificent locations became the fulcrum of the First World War.
Among the numerous Military Forts found on the former border between Austria and Italy is the Fort Cherle also known as Forte San Sebastiano, at the entrance to the Fiorentini plateau it is located a short distance from the Hotel Cherle.
It is only a few hundred meters from the hotel, in less than 5 minutes on foot you can reach it for one interesting visit to discover the First World War.

The fort is located at an altitude of 1440 meters and overlooks the access valley to Folgaria, from there there are views towards what once would have been defined "strategic points" while today we prefer to call them splendid alpine views. In front of the fort, Monte Cornetto, Il Becco di Filadonna rise imposingly and below are the villages of San Sebastiano, Carbonare and all the villages of the Lavarone plateau. In the distance you can see Cima Vezzena and Cima Verena (where the Italian Fort was located).

Il "Tour of the Cherle", as the dedicated route is called, winds around the Military Fort, which is now in decline. The Fort itself was never subject to direct bombing and I ended the war intact. However, due to the severe post-war economic crisis, the structure was partially demolished in order to extract the iron contained inside.
Controlled demolitions led to the destruction of most of the domes and control towers. Time has done the rest causing internal failures and the progressive crumbling of the walls.
Although in the past the Fort could be visited for a good part, yesterday I did not have the opportunity to visit it as both the moat (which allows access to the paths leading to the internal tunnels) and the front passage itself were closed or marked as dangerous. I do not know if this is the signal that the Fort is no longer accessible or if it is a question of safety measures due to conservation work in progress, in any case I preferred not to go inside.

Along the way there are several information signs explaining the history of the fortress, its structure and its strategic functions in the conflict, at the beginning of the walk you will find an introductory sign that states:

Fort Cherle
It is a fortress Built between 1909 and 1912, it was later renamed "Werk San Sebastian" (from the name of the town that lies beyond the valley) to prevent it from being confused with Fort Buse Verle in military communications. The designer and construction manager was Eng. Eugen Luschinski, lieutenant of the Austrian military engineers.
In its basic structure Forte Cherle follows the model of the Austro-Hungarian fortresses of the Highlands: Large block of stone casemates, thick concrete roof reinforced with steel beams and - at a safe distance - battery block equipped with howitzers in an armored dome , fast-firing cannons, observatory domes and machine gun positions. The passive defense consisted of the moat and large bundles of fences that enclosed the entire surrounding area. Together with Forte Sommo Alto (1614m), an intermediate work that kept the accesses from Val Orsara - Passo Coe and Forte Dosso del Sommo (1670m) under control, which controlled access from the Passo della Borcola, Forte Cherle (1445m) was one of the main strengths of the fortified array of the Folgaria plateau.
In combination with Forte Gschwent Belvedere dominated the furrow of the Alta Val d'Astico and in concert with Forte Sommo Alto it blocked access from the Passo della Vena and from the Altopiano dei Fiorentini. It was subjected to fire by the Italian artillery located in Fort Campomolon.

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The whole fort is surrounded by a moat that was used to block any attacks by infantry Italian, at a guess the moat that surrounds the structure is 5 meters high and 7-10 meters wide. It does not have the same height and the same width in all points, but this can also be due to natural subsidence, in fact the Fort is in concrete but also in stone. In fact it has been completely excavated in the rock (you can easily realize this if you have the opportunity to visit it).
At the northern entrance of the fort you can see several control windows that allowed the lookouts to guard the entrance without being exposed to enemy fire, inside there is an access corridor to the various structures (kitchens, command turrets, ammunition room etc.) that you can see in detail on the map of the Fort:

As already mentioned, the Fort itself was never subject to enemy attacks, however it took part in the offensives on the Florentine Plateau with heavy bombardments in support of the Austrian advance (the Strafexpedition).

To the north-west there is a "refreshment area", there are 2 tables with wooden benches where you can stop for a little refreshment (obviously without leaving waste around).

Unfortunately the closure of the moat and therefore of the paths that lead to the top of the Cherle fort was not possible for me to deepen the visit, however I was able to take several photos that better than any word can describe this bulwark of the First World War:

Departure of the path leading to the Fort

Arrival at the Fort, the surrounding moat

Gola moat

The walls of the fortress

One of the many information signs

control tower demolished

Entrance of the Fort

stalking window at the entrance

A sign at the entrance warns of danger

Corridor inside the Fort

From the fort to the outside

North side of the Cherle Fort

Moat

Moat ... quite a leap, right?

Remains of the "Controscarpa"

The Summit of Fort Cherle

From the Fort you can enjoy the magnificent landscapes that overlook Mount Cornetto and the valleys of Vezzena and Lavarone:

On the left Monte Cornetto, on the right the Becco di Filadonna

Panorama towards Lavarone

On the left Cima Vezzena, on the right Cima Verena

A look towards Alpe Fiorentini

Altopiano mountain pastures

Curiosity: until a few years ago the Cherle Fort was surrounded by several fir trees that over time had grown around the fortress, now these fir trees are no longer there because a terrible Tornado struck a few years ago destroying them all.

Article written by Davide for Montagna Estate