FORT CENTRALE

 

 

The road coming from Finale crosses Fort Centrale through two main doors, crossing the moat which completely surrounds the fortification of a polygonal shape. This was the most imposing of the three, completely taking up the saddle of the mountain pass. The main barracks, which face the Pass, are on two floors with windows that are finished in brick and still have their original metallic locks. The Settepani side is defended by the moat.

The main entrance to the barracks is to be found between the two main access points, which originally had a drawbridge with artillery on the sides. On the ground flooor there is a long corridor. This corridor is interrupted by a few small courtyards, protected by rails; from these courtyards the numerous store rooms (which still have their original wooden doors with their destination still written on them) can be accessed. These store rooms are located near the rear  of the barracks. The corridor also leads to numerous rooms used as offices near the front), and to the staircase leading to the top floor. Here we can find other rooms, with traces of the original wooden flooring. The rooms of the first floor are in a very bad state of conservation. From here a staircase descends to the caponier. All the internal rooms are barrel vaulted and often have original whitewalling and wooden flooring.

In the underground of the Southern part of the barracks, defending the moat is an articulated tunnel   named “di scarpa”  (the scarp), which also refers to some caponiers used for the same reasons. We can also find some slits in the tunnel of counterscarp.

The heavy artillery, positioned under the open sky and pointed towards the Riviera, was set on a small hill seperate from the complex, on the side of Settepani. The artillery emplacements present the characteristics of an end of the 1800s battery, meaning, some pits (on which the pieces were placed) interspersed with underground constructions and small munitions deposits. This area, which has now been invaded by weeds, was originally reached from the outside by a now-gone anchored drawbridge; or, alternatively, it was possible to use a walkway (now very dangerous) which came from the barracks. Currently, accessing the pits is only possible through as dark underground tunnel, which goes under the moat of the central barracks, and accross a dangerous drawbridge which opens from the main barracks.

The building, up to a short while ago, was still considered a “military zone”, and was therefore closed to the public. For this reason there are still many original elements, like, for example, the handrails of the staircases, the cobblestones and the bricks of the flooring, traces of the old electrical system  with lamps, a cistern which is still full of water, the metallic locks and the window grates, the wooden doors, often destroyed. The dismissal from the State property is under way, and it seems like it has been put up for sale. It is still under Law No. 1089  of June 1, 1939, which protects historical sites.

 

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