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All Italy The Alpine Wall

The Alpine Wall

A line of abandoned, alien-like fortresses dot the mountains of North Italy.

Italy

Added By
Hannah Wagner
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A bunker in the Kreuzberg Pass   Luca Lorenzi
A bunker in the Kreuzberg Pass   Luca Lorenzi
Casamatta Monte Lega   Roberto Manfredi
Dragon’s Teeth from the Alpine Wall   Luca Lorenzi
Bunker on the Alpine Wall   Armin Kübelbeck
Bunker on the Alpine Wall   Armin Kübelbeck
Bunker in Monte Croce Comelico Pass   Luca Lorenzi
A tank barrier on the Alpine Wall   Luca Lorenzi
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About

Similar to the Maginot line of France, the Alpine Wall was built as a defense for Italy in preparation for World War II. There was concern that the natural defense of North Italy’s mountainous terrain was not enough as tensions rose with its neighbors along the top of the "boot"—France, Switzerland, Austria and the former Yugoslavia.

The mountains were enhanced with lookout posts and fortifications all along the passes, stretching over 1,100 miles. The Alpine Wall fortifications varied between three designs: large mountainside forts, rallying points and bunkers, and point-defense fortifications. Many of these can still be seen today.  

Despite the economic burden of building them, these fortifications were barely used during the war. Few saw conflict and many were destroyed or later given to Yugoslavia as a part of war retributions. Later, when the Cold War ended, the Alpine Wall was abandoned and sealed.

Today these fortifications still serve a function: as a place of exploration. Visitors can walk back into the memories of the Second World War. These abandoned, austere concrete shapes adorn the melancholy, natural landscape of North Italy—a juxtaposition of the beauty of Earth along the horror of war.

Related Tags

World War Ii Fortresses History Military History Abandoned Military
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Community Contributors

Added By

hcw2rp

Edited By

aribrown

  • aribrown

Published

June 23, 2017

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Sources
  • https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alpine_Wall
  • http://valloalpino.altervista.org/index-en.htm
  • http://www.bunkermuzeum.hu/Bunkermuzeum/tarsmuzeumok/olaszorszag2_en.htm
The Alpine Wall
Italy
46.655861, 12.402768

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