The fort on Monte Festa belonged to the defence system of the upper course of the Tagliamento and the valley Val Fella. It was built in 1910, and an eight-kilometre military route leads to it from Interneppo. Together with the forts Osoppo, Monte Ercole and Chiusaforte, the fort of Monte Festa controlled possible inroads from the direction of the Fella and the Tagliamento confluence and from the direction of Val di Lago.
The fort was never demolished. After the retreat of the Italian Army from the Kobarid area, Captain Riccardo Winderling and his 200 men repelled here the advance of Austro-Hungarian and German troops for a week. On 6 November 1917, when the retreat to the Piave River began, the fort was already without ammunition, so they left it.
A military trail leads to a plateau at 980 metres above sea level, where the remains of smaller barracks, depots and accommodation facilities for soldiers can be seen. The path finally leads to the fort, where there was room for four 149-mm guns. The round platforms where the guns were emplaced are still visible today. To the left two caves can be seen in which were an ammo depot and a freight elevator. Remains of the telpher which connected the fort with Amaro can still be seen. It is possible to go down the stairs to the interior of the fort, where the casemates and part of the freight elevator have been preserved.
After leaving Bordano, turn right at the crossroads for Monte Festa–Monte San Simeone and continue to the branch for Monte Festa.
Tolmezzo Infopoint
Via della Vittoria, 4
I‒33028 Tolmezzo (UD)
+39 0433 44898
info.tolmezzo@promoturismo.fvg.it
