The Fort of Pozzacchio – or Werk Valmorbia – is a fort built by the Austrian commands since 1909 to garrison the Vallarsa. It was entirely excavated in the rock and reinforced with inserts of reinforced concrete – according to the most modern construction techniques of the time – on three levels with rooms, large shelters and underground spaces, numerous service rooms, connecting stairs.
From the collaboration between the Municipality of Trambileno, the Cultural Association "Il Forte" and the Italian Historical Museum of War, within the Great War Project promoted by the Autonomous Province of Trento, the recovery project was born.
At the end of 2012 the first batch of works was completed, which included the restoration and securing of the underground structure of the Fort, the cleaning and restoration of access areas and internal routes, a lighting system, the tourist and environmental enhancement of the area.
The project, prepared by the Studio of the architect Francesco Collotti, wanted to maintain the distinctive character of the fort, its incompleteness due to the abandonment of the work due to the war events, enhancing the traces still visible of the works that were being carried out. In order to give the idea of the barracks that once were present in the inner rooms, horizontal iron grids have been mounted and delimited by vertical parapets, which evoke the volume. The same kind of intervention has been done for the staircase, reassembled within the original vertical compartment of the elevators that from the lower level reaches the top, and for the walkway – also in iron – that, in its profile, recalls the corridor that connected the armored domes. In order to give a strong definition to the spaces and at the same time emphasize the idea of temporariness (as in an archaeological excavation or a modern construction site) all the inserted structures have been colored with a protective varnish made of minium, with an intense orange color.
During 2013, the second lot of completion works on the areas facing the fort also started, with the realization of further restoration works, with the recovery of the barracks and some positions in the cave, and the creation of service facilities and a refreshment point. At the same time, the Province, through the Risk Prevention Service, is taking care of the safety and arrangement of the access road to the Fort. The creation of a museum exhibition space at the former school of Pozzacchio should complete the project.
