Fort of Tenna

This fort was built on the hill of Tenna which separates the two lakes of Levico and Caldonazzo.

It was built in between 1880 and 1882 and along with the twin-fort Fort Colle delle Benne, it used to be part of – according to the Austro-Hungarian consolidated military scheme – the “level bite” closure of Valsugana and was able to also cover the plateau  towards of Caldonazzo.

From the Fort of Tenna they also controlled the access to the road of Monterovere, which brought to the fortifications situated at Lavarone and on the Highland of Vezzena. It also served as a connection point between the Fort of Pizzo and the Supreme Command of Trento. It was discharged from the Italian State Military in 1931

It has a quadrangular layout and was made out of metamorphic rocks exstracted from a quarry in Valle dell’Orco on the hill of Tenna: from here they were transported with big boats along the banks of Levico Lake and transferred with a cable car to the spot.
The artifact was articulated on two levels: on the floor level there were the kitchens and on the top floor the rooms. Above these two floors, a 400 square meter terrace was used to collect rainwater and its flooring preserved the humidity of the rooms beneath.

The big windows assured good ventilation, necessary when the artillery fired and to defend themselves from the enemies 5 big ribs were built.

The North face, unique in its genre, had 5 semi-colums of elliptical shape, 7 meters high and 1,60 m wide, these also served as buttresses to release the weight of the structure to the ground.

Thanks to the town funding, the fortress went under restoration starting in 2009. It was inagurated August 18th 2012; in the meanwhile the agreements for the management and the opening of the fort to the public are still being defined.


How to get there: it can be reached by foot in 10-15 minutes starting from San Rocco square in Tenna and following Roma street  and Valentino street. 

Opening hours and days 2026:
From 13 to 30 June: every Monday and Saturday from 10.00 a.m. to 1.00 p.m. and 3.00 p.m. to 6.00 p.m., and every Thursday from 9.00 a.m. to 1.00 p.m.

From 1 July to 27 September: every Monday, Saturday and Sunday from 10.00 a.m. to 1.00 p.m. / 3.00 p.m. to 6.00 p.m., and every Wednesday, Thursday and Friday from 9.00 a.m. to 1.00 p.m. Guided tours: Mondays and Saturdays from 10.00 a.m. to 1.00 p.m. / 3.00 p.m. to 6.00 p.m. and Thursdays from 9.00 a.m. to 1.00 p.m.
Closed on Tuesdays

 
Entrance fees:

Full price (without guided tour): €5
Reduced (without guided tour): €3
(for children aged 6-18, seniors over 65, and residents of Levico)
Full price (with guided tour): €8
Reduced (with guided tour): €6
(for children aged 6-18, seniors over 65, and residents of Levico)
Free admission for children under 6, people with disabilities and their carers.

To know more: Leonardo Malatesta, Lo sbarramento austriaco della Valsugana : dai forti dell'800 allo Sperre Grigno, Salò (BS), Museo storico del Nastro Azzurro, 2012
G. P. Sciocchetti, Le fortificazioni austriache dell’Alta Valsugana – Lo sabbaramentoi di Tenna, in Tenna cenni storici, A.V. , Ed. Associazione “Amici della Storia”,  Pergine, 1993, pp. 375-416.
“Forte unito a miniere e Sicconi” in L’Adige, 28 marzo 2012, p. 39