Itinerary 1
1. Consorzio Pro Loco Valpolicella
We are now in the centre of Valpolicella Region, a territory situated between Verona and Garda Lake, famous for its heritage and its wines and vineryards. From here departs this itinerary, that takes us back in the past, to discover those places which were not damaged by battles and the sequence of events happened during the War, but they surely were affected by them.
We are now ready to start our itinerary towards Val d’Adige, the area located in the north part of Verona, which starts from Garda Lake and extends towards Lessinia and which is located along River Adige.
2. Forte Chiusa Veneta
We are now at the very beginning of Val d’Adige, hold between the river and the rocks, where military structures rise as if they are still defending the territory as they did before the Word War I. Thank to the morphology of the territory and to the presence of many fortifications it is also called “Terra dei Forti” (Land of Forts). With the first fort: Forte Chiusa di Ceraino, starts our itinerary.
Situated on the left of River Adige, Forte Chiusa is located on the road that goes to Trento, immediately before the centre of Ceraino. This is the first austrian fort, built between 1849 and 1851 to control the road that still goes from Verona to Trento. It was constructed near the steep rock wall, exactly above a previous construction built during the domain of Venetia. That wall was used to make way for two galleries for riflemen and which hosted ammunitions. In reality it was used as a custom because the railway that led to Trento went through a whole opened inside the fortification, while the road was blocked by two front doors. Soon became property of the so called “Regio Esercito Italiano” and were added other functions, such as two cannons, in order to control the road and the railway.
In the past it was dismantled in order to enlarge the road and was definitively abandoned. Today it is possible to see part of the ancient building, in part covered by trees and bushes. Instead the railway is not visible anymore.
3. Forte di Ceraino
Going on for hundread metres, passed the centre of Ceraino, park the car in front of the Church (on the left). On the other side of the road starts a path which conduct to the cemetery, but in just few metres we encounter a road which conduct to the forts of Ceraino and Monte upon Monte Pastello. This is the road constructed by the Italian Army during the war in the second half of IX Century. Let’s go on this path and go on for 30 minutes. Suddenly we go through a gate and in few metres we can see the perimetral wall of the Fort of Ceraino, immersed in the bushes and brambles. In front of the corridor which conduct to the entrance of the building there is flat space from which it is possible to have an overview of Val d’Adige and the hills upon Garda Lake. If we look back we can see a lodge that signals the entrance of the fort.
This is the second step of our itinerary. In part hidden by trees and bushes rises the fort of Ceraino or Hlawaty, which is still perfectly preserved. Dedicated to the field marshal Johann von Hlawaty, was built between 1850 and 1851 and was modernized from the Italian Army, inverting the cannons, which looked at the opposite direction. Today it is possible to see the building which was, during the IX century, enclosed by a moat and the gate, which was a lift bridge. This gate is at the entrance of a little aisle which leads to a big polygonal court yard. What is interesting here is a light blue plaque dedicated to Santa Barbara, the protector of fireguns and firemen, hung at the left wall of the aisle. At the sides of the aisle and the court yard there are some rooms, which were used as deposit for munitions during the World War I.
At the second floor there is a terrace from which it is possible to see the panorama of Val d’Adige and Garda Lake. Only a steep and dark stair leads to the second floor and in particular on the deck which is now covered by bushes.
At the first floor are still present the original writings and signs made durig the war, which were made to signal the presence of cannons.
Now it is time to proceed on the military road constructed by the Italian Army, which leads to another fort, which is located upon the mountain and in another village: Monte.