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stronghold made from stone and a symbol of war built to protect the region’s thoroughfares and stop the land between the mountains from falling into enemy hands. Today, the fortress is a historic monument used to host events and art exhibitions – a place steeped in history with plenty of stories to tell.
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Construction and purpose Work on the fortress complex you see today began in 1833 under Francis I, Emperor of Austria. With Tyrol seen as an important axis between Southern Germany and Northern Italy, the objective was to protect the thoroughfares and crossing points between the Inn and Po rivers. Franzensfeste fortress was opened by Emperor Ferdinand I just five years later in 1838. As large as nine football pitches Franzensfeste fortress covers an enormous 65,000 square metres, making it the largest historical site in South Tyrol. In addition to some 20 million bricks and 250,000 cubic metres of granite, many tonnes of wood, sand and lime were needed to construct the fortress, which meant that hundreds of cartloads of materials were delivered every day.
