| Forte Albertino | |
| Image Alt: | At the center of the photo is a stone archway leading into a short covered hallway that lets out on the other side of the building. The building itself is a mix of smooth, worn-down gray stone and larger, more visible stones. The windows are fortified with red-brown brick. |
| Building Type: | Fort |
| Architectural Style: | Military |
| Location Town: | Vinadio, Piedmont |
| Location Country: | Italy |
| Completion Date: | 1847 |
| Destruction Date: | --> |
The Forte Albertino (also Forte di Vinadio) is an alpine fortress in Vinadio, Piedmont, northern Italy, located outside the town in the Stura di Demonte Valley.[1] [2] It is now used as a museum.
Forte Albertino was commissioned in 1834 by Charles Albert of Savoy and, following a brief reprieve between 1837 and 1839, finished in 1847.[1] The fort is placed strategically close to the French border and the Maddalena Pass, giving Italian troops control of who entered the country.[3] An estimated 4,000 men helped erect the fort.[3] Its walls have a length of about 1200m (3,900feet), with a total of 10km (10miles) internal paths on three levels: the Upper Front, the Attack Front, and the Lower Front.[4] [3] The Upper and Lower Fronts consist of casements while the Attack Front had a ravelin and was the only point of access for communication with the outside world.[3] This included communication with the town, Porta Francia, and the Pass.[3]
The fort was never properly outfitted for war and was used as a prison for captured Garibaldini during the Battle of Aspromonte.[3] After the dawn of the 20th century, Forte Albertino became a barracks, then an artillery warehouse.[3] It was later bombed by the Allies during World War II and abandoned.[3] It has since then been renovated and is now used as a museum.[3]