THE CAMP FORTIFICATIONS OF 1747
In 1745 the antique and decadent genoese Reppublic found itself involved in the war of Succession of Austria; it's allies were France and Spain, with whom it had allied itself for protection against the Savoys, which wanted the territory of Finale. With this union the Reppublic had to give ten thousand men, artillary, and free transit on its territory to the allies. On the opposite side there were the Piemontese (the Savoy Reign), Austria and England. After a first bellic phase in favour of the Republic, the winds changed: Genoa was soon abandoned by its allies. On December 5th, the enemy entered the city, with the intent of getting at the Genoese artillary, but they were stopped and forced out of the city by the citizen's revolt (that of Balilla). A few days later the Austrian troops, not only for fear of being blocked in by snow, but also by a need for men, decided to retreat past the Bocchetta Pass, with intentions of presenting themselves in Spring, along with reinforcements.
During the treaty the Genoese began to dig, those trenches which we can still in part admire today, which were dug far from the Nuova Mura to make sure that the enemy didn't get too close. The trenches were often dug into the solid rock, with various depths, following a zig zag pattern: this was done in order to permit a more accurate defense and in order to hit the enemy in a crossfire. Behind the moats there was the parapet, formed by earthbanks, behind which the garrison took shelter; sometimes whicker cages fixed to the ground with pickaxes and filled with earth were used.
In the first months of 1747 the Genoese dug trenches between the Sperone and the Due Fratelli. Along this defensive line, there were also many redoubts. This was also the starting point for a relevant double wall, marked in all of the maps of the time and today used as the border between the Community of genoa and that of Sant'Olcese.
The Austrians, near the end of the winter, dug trenches near - Quezzi and around today's Diamante (forcefully recruiting the farmers of the nearby area); the summit of this mountain was already occupied by a star-shaped redoubt which had been built by the Genoese, which they lost immediately. The most important work (and most conserved) of the Austro-piemontese is found around the peak of this mountain, this work had the scope of covering the Quartiere Generale, the site of Torazza, and to protect the transit of the troops between the Polcevera Valley and the Bisagno Valley.
At the end of July, after the enemy retreat, from the heights of the Fratello maggiore the Genoese dug another trench that went down to the base of the Diamante, with the scope of closing the passage between these two mountains. For a more accurate defense they also dug a trench around the mountain which can still be seeen at the base of Mount Diamante, and which attached itself to the abandoned Austrian trenches which were already existent in the area.
On the western side of the city the Austrians prepared provisional fortifications around Mount Ratti and on the spurs which went up to Mount Fasce.
The barrier built on Mount Ratti had to be impregnable, not only because of the number and size of the construction, but also because of the steep sides of the mountain. In Serralunga confusing traces of a an extensive redoubt of Genoese origine which was important, still exist.
In June 1747, a battery to counteract the Genoese artillary was built near Camaldoli. Another imposing encampment was placed in the Quezzi Valley, where nine regiments were placed. A defense trench was dug on the mountain of the same name along the side facing the Bisagno Valley in order to form an uninterruppted barrier two kilometers long from today's "Biscione" to Leamara.
After the peace of Aquisgrana on October 18, 1748, all of the postations were abandoned.
During the assault of 1800 the French partly reused the camp fortifications from fifty years earlier. At the end of the hostilities, the trenches were levelled in order to create space to allow animals to graze.
(Thank you to Prof. Arch. Renato Fenoglio for the use of the background designs and some of the links)