The Oga Fort or Forte Dossaccio or Forte Venini in honor of General Valtellinese Venini ,It is located in the municipality of Valdisotto, above the town of Oga, ( Italy ) at 1750 m altitude, it was built between 1909 and 1912 in a strategic position on the hill called Dossaccio. From here it dominates a vast area: from the Foscagno Pass to the Torri di Fraele, from the Stelvio to the Valfurva.
The purpose of the mighty fortress was not however the offensive one, but rather to hinder the transit of enemy troops on the Stelvio road, and to be able to defend the pass of the Torri di Fraele and the accesses of Valdidentro and Valfurva.
The structure was built by studying the most prestigious military engineering studies of the time including those of the French general expert Henri-Alexis Brialmont.
The Dossaccio is a fortification of the Great War, built at an altitude of 1750 m between 1909 and 1912 and part of a vast alpine defensive network (“Linea Cadorna”) with the aim of defending the Italian territory from possible Austro-Hungarian attacks . Still operating in the II GM, the fort of Oga was disarmed in 1958.
During the conflict, Italian observer officers stationed on the ridges placed north of the Fort, transmitted to the command post of the Dossaccio, by telephone lines. valuable information on the targets to hit. For the first shots, tracers were used to verify the accuracy of the shot. The observers then communicated the necessary “shooting adjustments” to the command and, once the target had been reached with the tracers, the cannons began their firing operation.
The artillery of the Fort operated effectively throughout the period of the great war, so much so that the elders tell us that: “The windows of the houses in Bormio trembled when they fired from the Fort of Oga! They were shooting beyond the Stelvio on Gomagoi and Trafoi! ”
In more recent years it has been equipped as a museum of the Great War and open to visitors.
Access : Coordinates: 46°28’06.4″N 10°20’22.0″E / By car. From the SS38 before Bormio, to Santa Lucia, go up to the left along the road that goes up towards Le Motte. Turn left after a few bends and pass by Oga, go past the town and continue to the end of the road at the Al Forte restaurant./
You will find clear directions to get to the site. After the passage located in the village of Le Motte, you can easily find the way to the fort: from then on you can identify the site by means of signage. Road traffic (regularly paved) is guaranteed throughout the year, with the forecast of the use of winter tires in the colder seasons.
structure and layout :
- Armament : The main armament consisted of four modified naval cannons, caliber 120 mm, located under flat armored domes- turrets , this caliber had a range of 7300 meters, but the . 120/40 RM was modified to be able to cover the firing perimeter up to a distance of nearly 13 kilometers (12,800 meters). could hit targets on the Stelvio, the Foscagno Pass, the Bocchette di Pedenolo, the Torri di Fraele, in Valfurva and reach the Trafoi Valley.
- Two sliding armored turrets with machine guns, concrete barbed wire ditches, iron spikes and “spiders” and last but not least difficult terrain in combination with nearby swamps ,today a nature reserve and sloping sidewalks, were supposed to provide immediate protection of the fort.
- The four-storey structure of the fortress combined armor elements – towers- with massive stone blocks and concrete, but at the same time it was skillfully incorporated into the surrounding terrain. The building was intersected by lifts and rails, along which ammunition from the ammunition depots underground was transported to the individual towers.
- External defenses such as the moat, the grids, the imposing rampart, the retractable armored turrets and the sliding bridge, combined with the solid structure of the granite walls and thick sheet metal doors and windows, made the fortress practically impregnable.
- The garrison that could accommodate up to 80 men was autonomous in all respects. He had ammunition reserves crammed into the countless warehouses present, a solid powder keg, enough food and water resources to allow a month of siege and even a large diesel engine that provided the current needed to light up the entire structure.
Ammenities available : refreshments / Parking lot / Large information boards with drawings , descriptions of the individual parts of the building only for Italian language
Visiting hours: from 11.06 to 11.09: open every day, 9.00am> 6.30pm (open all day) Special opening: 2-3-4-5 June 2016 (09:00> 18:30)
Guided tours guaranteed on Friday / Saturday / Sunday , Guided tours by appointment!
Entrance fees: Single adult ticket: € 4.00 , Children up to the age of 13: FREE
Activities : guided tour for groups / Enjoy the Fantastic views / Scenic Driving- Auto Touring / Hiking , Oga – Fort of Oga route, 3,02 km / Biking : there is numerus bike routes in the area , Find your perfect cycling route, create your own bike trails, and discover the most stunning cycling destinations For short or long cycle routes across the Valdisotto /
Go next : The Natural Reserve of Paluaccio di Oga / The Stelvio Pass / Bormio / San Colombano ski area
