Fortress of Trento
Fortification in the municipality of Trento, Italy / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The Fortress of Trento (Festung Trient in German) is the fortified wall built around the city of Trento starting in 1860 and strategically active until its dissolution in 1916.
Fortress of Trento | |
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Festung Trient | |
Trento in Italy | |
Type | Fortified line |
Site information | |
Controlled by | Imperial Austrian Army Austro-Hungarian Army |
Condition | Mostly open to visitation |
Site history | |
Built | 1860-1915 |
Garrison information | |
Past commanders |
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The purpose of the fortress was to cope with the threats that the newly formed Kingdom of Italy could bring toward Trentino and South Tyrol in the second half of the 19th century. These provinces represented an Austrian salient in Italian territory, and the city of Trento was a crucial junction in the Habsburg Empire's strategy for the defense of its southern border.[1] The first fortifications (1860 - 1864) were concentrated to the west of the city to block any advances from the newly acquired Lombardy of the Kingdom of Italy. The later ones, after the Veneto became Italian territory, provided cover for other possible lines of attack. In this case, these were fortifications of a permanent nature. Before the outbreak of World War I, the fortress underwent a drastic rearrangement and reinforcement to adapt it to the needs of modern warfare.[2] The permanent works, considered antiquated, were dismantled and numerous modern field fortifications were built all around the city.[3][4][5][6][7][8] With all threats having disappeared after the withdrawal and consolidation of the front following the Frühjahrsoffensive, the Fortress of Trento was decommissioned and its armaments transferred to areas deemed more important.
The term "Fortress City" also refers to all the consequences that the status of "Fortress" and the crucial junction of the Dolomite front had on the urban and social fabric of the city of Trento throughout the course of World War I.[9]