Spectacular Places

Astronghold 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.

Text — DEBORA LONGARI VA 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.

At the time, it was the largest construction site in Europe, employing 3,500 to 5,000 men from across the Habsburg Empire. To put this in perspective, Brixen/ Bressanone had just around 3,000 inhabitants back then.

A small fortune The fortress cost almost three million guldens. In modern money, that equates to around 55 million euros, although the actual construction costs would be much higher today. During the opening ceremony, Emperor Ferdinand I – who likely had no idea about the sheer scale of the project – allegedly asked whether Franzensfeste was made from silver.

A masterpiece of planning Franzensfeste is one of the final generations of above-ground fortresses to have ever been built. Carefully adapted to the terrain, meticulously laid out and equipped with fire fronts, shellproof gun emplacements, entry points with several levels of security, accommodation and material stores, it is a showpiece of Austrian military architecture.

Military use By the time it was completed, Franzensfeste fortress no longer held any strategic importance. Artillery was never installed here as originally planned and cannons were only placed behind the fortress’s defensive walls during the wars of 1848, 1859 and 1866. The rest of the time, the complex was guarded by a regular garrison of just 70 men. Companies were occasionally billeted to the fortress, but only ever temporarily while awaiting deployment to the south. More recently, the Italian military used Franzensfeste to store weapons and ammunition, before finally vacating the complex in 2003.

127.5 tonnes of gold In 1943, in the midst of the Second World War, the German military administration stored Italian monetary gold in a rock formation at Franzensfeste. Between then and its surrender, the Nazi regime transported much of this gold to Germany. In 1944, the Americans secured the gold still stored in the rock and returned it to Rome. After the war ended, the remaining 100 tonnes of gold were gradually tracked down at various locations across Germany, Austria and Switzerland. Art and exhibitions Now sensitively restored, the well-preserved fortress has been open to the public since 2005, and in 2008 it played host to the Manifesta 7 art biennale. Since then, a wide range of temporary exhibitions and events have been housed inside its historic walls, bringing the place to life with everything from local art to orchestral music. Since 2015, the fortress has also been home to a permanent exhibition on the Brenner Base Tunnel.

Chapel The chapel built in Franzensfeste’s courtyard in 1844 was one of the first neo-Gothic buildings to be constructed in Tyrol. Mass was held here for the soldiers guarding the fortress. Since its restoration in 2009, the chapel has been dedicated to John the Baptist, the patron saint of stonemasons, and Saint Barbara, the patron saint of miners, artillery crew and armourers.

Railway lines Following the completion of the Brenner railway line between Bolzano/Bozen and Innsbruck, a railway line was constructed through the Pustertal valley in 1871. At the military’s request, the tracks ran through the middle of the fortress so that the passing trains could be searched for enemy passengers.

Reservoir In 1939, Italy’s fascist government ordered the construction of a reservoir at the foot of the fortress to help meet the increasing demand for energy. The construction work required the hamlet of Unterau/Prà di Sotto to be submerged, along with part of the fortress. The reservoir is roughly 23 hectares big and up to 59 metres deep, and is bordered by an approximately 65-metre-high dam. The electricity generated by the reservoir was originally used to power the Brenner railway line.