Forte Strino

About the museum

Forte Strino was built by the Austrians between 1860 and 1861 at 1,538 metres above sea level, along the road that climbs from Vermiglio to the Passo del Tonale, then the southern border of the Austro-Hungarian Empire. It belongs to the first generation of works built on the western borders of Trentino, with the task of blocking the road and controlling traffic on the new Milan–Vienna carriage road. The structure, on two floors, has a semicircular plan and carefully worked granite facing.

Judged inadequate, the fort was disarmed during the First World War and suffered heavy damage from scrap-metal collectors (recuperanti) in the 1930s. In the 1990s the Autonomous Province of Trento launched a restoration project that led to its reopening in 1995; since 1998 the fort has hosted exhibitions.

Part of the imposing structure is now a museum and holds finds and relics of the White War, the fruit of the recovery and clearance work of the recuperanti of Vermiglio. The visit begins with a short clip, followed by backlit panels on the general themes of the First World War and, in greater depth, on local history. Since 2012 educational panels and multimedia installations have opened a virtual window onto the fortified landscape of the entire Vermiglio valley. The fort is part of the Trentino Grande Guerra network and of the open-air museum “Sulle tracce della Grande Guerra” (On the Trail of the Great War).

Highlights

• Museum on the White War with finds and relics from the Vermiglio recovery workers
• Semicircular two-storey structure of 1860–61
• Backlit panels and multimedia display on the fortified landscape
• Summer guided tours of the forts of the Tonale barrier
• Part of the open-air museum “Sulle tracce della Grande Guerra”

Permanent exhibition

• Guerra Bianca a Forte Strino – Finds and relics of the White War recovered by the recovery workers of Vermiglio, with backlit panels and a multimedia display on the fortified landscape of the valley.

Founded

1860

Visitors per year

approx. 15,000

Admission & discounts

Full ticket price according to the Museionline portal (updated October 2024). With the Trentino Guest Card and the Val di Sole Card admission is free.

Accessibility

• Partially wheelchair accessible
• Elevator: no information
• Accessible restroom
• Accessible parking: no information
• Service dogs welcome: no information
• Tactile models & exhibits: no information
• Sign language tours: no information
• Easy-to-read materials: no information
• Audio description: no information

The fort is reached by car with prior notice. From the car park to the lower floor there is a path of compacted earth of about 25 metres (maximum gradient 13%); the entrance has a 14 cm step, and in the rooms of the lower floor there is a 12 cm step with a gravel floor. The upper floor is reached by a level path of 5 metres and a door 163 cm wide; two rooms have steps. The toilets have grab rails on both sides.

Kids & families

The museum hasn’t published any information on this.

Getting there & parking

The fort is on the Tonale state road (SS 42), about four kilometres from Vermiglio and six from the Passo del Tonale.

Amenities & dining

The museum hasn’t published any information on this.

Events & venue rental

The museum hasn’t published any information on this.

Plan your visit