Memories of War: Fort Enna

Fort Enna, built between 1910 and 1912 on the summit of Mount Enna at 970 meters above sea level, was the most modern and powerful among the forts of the Agno-Posina barrage (I Sector, Schio). The fort was built in a strategic location (in the center of the Leogra Valley and of the semicircle of mountains that marked the boundary between the Vicenza Province of the Kingdom of Italy and the Austro-Hungarian Empire), with a field of fire that covered the ridge that joined Colletto di Posina to Monte Novegno, as well as the Leogra Valley. Fort Enna's task was to bar the way of any enemy who, advancing in a north-south direction from the Pasubio or the Borcola Bass, intended to reach the Vicenza plain. Its guns could keep under fire the Borcola, Fugazze and Campogrosso passes, in addition to the road in the Leogra Valley that led to Schio, Ressalto and the Santa Caterina Pass.

Not very far, but in a lower position, there was the older and outdated Fort Maso.

Fort Enna had the same armament of other modern forts built by the Kingdom of Italy in the years before the war: four steel 149 mm guns inside Schneider armored cupolas, 16-18 cm thick. There were also four 75 mm steel guns.

At the beginning of the war, in May 1915, Fort Enna was found to be too far from the front line, thereby unable to take part in military operations. Part of the guns were removed and transferred in field positions.

This changed a year later, with the Spring Offensive launched by the Austro-Hungarians ( "Strafexpedition" or "battle of Asiago"): with the Austro-Hungarian advance towards the Vicenza plain, just as in pre-war predictions that had led to the decision to build the fort, Enna was able to open fire on enemy troops, intervening in support of the Italian troops in the ongoing fighting in Campedello Pass and Mount Giove: precisely fulfilling, in other words, the role for which it was designed. It was June 13, 1916.

Unfortunately, the outcome of the fire was catastrophic, because the shells, instead of Austro-Hungarian troops, hit the Italian troops defending nearby Mount Novegno. The commander of the fort was immediately removed from command, and later subjected to an enquiry.

So ended Fort Enna's operational life. Once the battle of Asiago ended, the fortifications built on mounts Novegno and Priaforà made the fort superfluous, and it was merely used as a munitions depot. This use continued until 1927, when the fort was finally abandoned.

Fort Enna is now freely accessible. It can be reached by car from Schio, along a bumpy dirt road.