Forte Braschi: A Military Fortification and Intelligence Complex in Rome
Site at a Glance
- Rating
- 4.2
- Popularity
- Very Low
- Country
- Italy
- Primary era
- Modern
- Eras represented
- Modern
- Civilizations
- Italian
- Site type
- Military
- Remains
- Fort
On this page4 sections
History
Forte Braschi is a military fortification in Rome, Italy, built in the Prussian style between 1877 and 1881 as part of the Entrenched Field of Rome. This network of forts was constructed after Rome became the capital of the Kingdom of Italy to strengthen the city’s land defenses. Forte Braschi was one of 15 forts created between 1877 and 1891 for protection against a possible attack.
Construction and military use
Construction began in 1877 and was completed in 1881. Victor Emmanuel II, the first king of unified Italy, is named as its builder. The fort was erected on land belonging to Cardinal Romoaldo Braschi-Onesti, whose name it carries. Its complex included the Casal Forte Braschi barracks and facilities for military units.
Forte Braschi’s strategic role ended in 1919. From 1925, the former defensive installation was used by Italian military intelligence services, beginning with the Servizio Informazioni Militare, or SIM. On 29 May 1931, it was the site of the execution by firing squad of Michele Schirru, an anarchist convicted of planning an attempt against Benito Mussolini, Italy’s Fascist dictator from 1922 until 1943.
Intelligence services and continuing use
After the Second World War, the fort housed the Servizio Informazioni Forze Armate, known as SIFAR, and later the Servizio Informazioni Difesa, or SID. Between 1977 and 2007, it accommodated the operational center of the Servizio per le Informazioni e la Sicurezza Militare, or SISMI.
The complex remains in use. It currently houses the Agenzia Informazioni e Sicurezza Esterna, Italy’s external intelligence agency, and the Raggruppamento Unità Difesa, a defense-related military organization. The site is named for Nicola Calipari, and the Ministry of Defence is identified as its occupant.
Remains
Forte Braschi occupies approximately 8.2 hectares along Via della Pineta Sacchetti in Rome’s Q. XIV Trionfale quarter, within Municipio XIV. It is a military fortification in the Prussian style and forms part of Rome’s wider entrenched defensive system. The complex remains an active installation rather than a wholly disused ruin.
