Fortini di Napoleone

Low grassy earthworks near Mezzolago preserve two military phases: trenches dug in August 1703 during the War of the Spanish Succession and later works raised between 1796 and 1801 against Napoleon's armies.

Why it matters

Molveno's earthworks preserve two historical phases: a War of the Spanish Succession episode in 1703 and a Napoleonic-era phase between 1796 and 1801, which gave the site its name.

What to notice

The remains are earthworks rather than masonry walls. Molveno's official page describes trenches opened in August 1703 against the French during the War of the Spanish Succession, followed by fortifications built between 1796 and 1801 to counter Napoleon's armies. Their position on a shoulder of ground near Mezzolago reflects the strategic importance of observing movement along the shore. A nearby mountain hut also takes its name from the site.

Context and history

The name is the irony at the heart of the site. The oldest work here predates Napoleon by almost a century: in August 1703, with the War of the Spanish Succession running through the Alpine regions, trenches were cut on this flank against the French. The position took its present name from the later phase — between 1796 and 1801 the ground was fortified again as the armies of Napoleon advanced, and the label outlived the soldiers. Molveno's official portal documents both phases of the fortifications and the nearby bridge. The rock walls rising behind the site belong to the Brenta group, a component of the Dolomites World Heritage property inscribed in 2009 — a reminder of how much scenery history has been asked to share here. The remains are an outdoor archaeological landscape of earth, water and slope.