Fort Corbin (or Punta Corbin Fort) was a military fortress built to defend the Italian border against the Austro-Hungarian Empire (along the border line that today lies between the province of Vicenza and Trentino), located at 1,077 meters above sea level. The fort is situated in the municipality of Roana (VI), on the southwestern edge of the Asiago Plateau – also known as the Plateau of the Seven Municipalities – and takes its name from the rocky spur overlooking the Astico Valley on which it stands.
The fort was constructed between 1906 and 1914. Due to its significantly rearward position compared to the frontline, it remained practically inactive throughout World War I. Today it is privately owned and offers food and drink services along with a small military history museum.
History
The fort was conceived as the eastern component of the defense barrier along the Astico Valley, designed to counter a potential Austro-Hungarian attack. The western component was Fort Casa Ratti, located at an altitude of 350 meters near Arsiero, on the right bank of the Astico stream. The project was overseen by the general staff of the Verona Military Engineering Corps and included a main structure to house the batteries, a command building, a powder magazine, communication trenches, observation posts, warehouses, and accommodations.
The construction site opened in 1906 and required substantial logistical efforts due to the impervious location. A military road was specially built to connect Treschè Conca with Punta Corbin, while the steel components of the rotating gun turrets were transported by rail to Campiello station, then transferred by wagons and welded on site. For this purpose, the Rocchette-Asiago Railway, which had just been inaugurated in 1910, was used. For several years, workers from the contracting companies lived with their families in a village built near the fort. Construction was completed in 1911.
War Events
The Fort Today
In the first two months of the war, the fort (whose garrison mainly came from the 9th Fortress Artillery Regiment) actively engaged in combat, attempting with limited success to hit enemy positions in Luserna. However, it was soon decided that the Corbin artillery pieces would be more useful closer to the front line. As a result, the six 149 mm guns were dismantled and replaced with tree trunks to deceive Austrian spotters. The ruse worked: the Austrians continued to shell the fort for nearly a year (even using heavy calibers such as 380 mm). In particular, on May 15, 1916, the fort was heavily bombarded by about fifty long-range shells fired by the Austrian 380 mm siege howitzer nicknamed “Barbara”, stationed near Fort Campo Luserna.
In Memory of Carlo Stuparich Near Fort Corbin
Shortly afterward, on May 30, 1916 (during the Strafexpedition), the fort was occupied by the Austrian vanguard of Colonel Kliemann’s 28th Division, after heavy shelling and partial destruction of its structures by retreating Italian forces. On the same day, writer and irredentist Carlo Stuparich was killed in a forward defensive position along the fort’s access road, held by a platoon of Grenadiers.
Italian Cannon Captured by Hungarian Troops near Fort Corbin
An Italian counterattack in early June involving two Grenadier companies failed (the fort was briefly retaken but lost again after a strong Austrian counteroffensive). It finally returned to stable Italian control on June 25, 1916, when imperial forces withdrew from the Monte Cengio area to the Val d’Assa defensive line.
After the war ended, the fort was used for several years (until the late 1920s) as a depot and barracks for military training units. It was later abandoned and fell prey to salvagers—people who made a living from recovering valuable materials such as iron and steel. This activity caused significant damage to the architectural structures, as explosives were used to extract metal from the masonry.
In 1942, the land and remains of the fort were sold by the military authorities to private owners, who began extensive cleaning, safety, and conservation work in the early 1980s. Today, the site is open to visitors.
Fort Layout
Armament
The fort was equipped with six 149 mm steel guns mounted in rotating steel domes about 160 mm thick. Thanks to their 360° rotation and a range of 7 to 11 km, the guns could target strategically important positions along the Astico Valley, such as Monte Cimone, Tonezza del Cimone, Spitz di Tonezza, Monte Campomolon, Cima di Campolongo, and Luserna.
The Fort in Enemy Hands
If necessary, Fort Casa Ratti could provide support for offensive operations in the Astico Valley. Additional defenses included smaller bronze 87 mm cannons on fixed carriages and some machine guns in casemates for close defense.
Structure and Defenses
The fort is surrounded on its land-facing side by a deep anti-personnel ditch with massive masonry works. Outside the ditch, on the eastern side, there were light artillery positions for close-range defense, while in the center of the ditch there is a protected machine gun post with firing slits.
Inside the ditch perimeter, on the northeastern side facing the access road, lies a second line of defense: a long covered trench with numerous firing positions for close defense. This covered trench continues as an open trench protecting the fort’s northwestern side.
At the western end, on the most exposed spur of the fort, there is a small “valley observation post” equipped with multiple slits providing a wide 180° view over the Astico Valley.
The main structure is protected by a massive guard post on the eastern side, shielding the entrance and cableway. An internal route and a series of underground tunnels allow access to the fort’s western section, where the barracks for the 134 artillerymen, service rooms, powder magazine, six large firing positions, and mechanisms for rotating the armored turrets were located.
N 45.833448, E 11.387210
https://www.fortecorbin.it/
