ROCCA LIVERNA' BATTERY

 

 

Rocca Livernà Battery can be reached by taking State Road N° 582: Colle di San Bernardo. Coming from Albenga, and once we reach the town of Martinetto, we turn left onto a bridge that crosses the Neva River and the road to Nasino. After about 700 metres, we pass a gate on the left. This gate accesses the military road to Rocca Livernà. The road is fairly disconnected, even though it can be driven down with a regular car. This road still has its original protecting walls facing the valley. After about 6400 metres, the road ends near the entrance to the edifice. This is fan-shaped and is surrounded by a moat and is completely camoflagued with the surrounding area. It could host ten pieces of artillery.

Before the real entrance, on the right and along a trench slope, we can find the ruins of what were probably the rooms for the troops. In front of these we can find traces of the sentry box. once we go inside the edifice through the main access, we can start scouting.This part has 5 barbetteposts, interspersed by the ready lockers. Behind the emplacements, there is a corridor at a lower level, where the areas for the loading of the projectiles open up. Some of these rooms communicate with the ready lockers. Two bridges cross the hallway in order to connect the square of the fortification with the artillery emplacements. Continuing down the corridor, we can find traces of the fountain. Right after that, a staircase leads to the outside of the fortification, where, going through a tight path, we can see the powder magazine. This, is completely dug into the rock, and is probably a later addition. At the back of the room, a low tunnel which ends dangerously and sharply in the valley underneath, allowed for the right ventilation of the room.

The inside of the edifice presents some interesting elements like the numbers for some of the rooms or the writing left by the sentinels. The original powder magazinewas located beside the entrance slope, and still has its original wooden and metallic roofing. Some of the collapsed rooms, bring us to hypothesize that this was caused by explosions done in order to destroy the artillery.

From the Battery we have a wide view of the Neva Valley, the valley which leads to Pieve di Teco and the one to Nasino, and to the Albenga Plains. The complex was used as an outlook and from here communication with the Monte Arena Battery and with Fort Poggio Grande was possible, probably by telegraph. 

 

 

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