Monte Burot Fort: An Italian Army Defensive Position
Site at a Glance
- Rating
- 4.5
- Popularity
- Very Low
- Country
- Italy
- Primary era
- Modern
- Eras represented
- Modern
- Civilizations
- Italian
- Site type
- Military
- Remains
- Fort
History
Monte Burot Fort is a military fortification on Monte Burot near Altare, in the Province of Savona, Italy. Built for the Royal Italian Army between 1885 and 1890, it formed part of the Altare defensive position, designed to protect lower Piedmont and the Ligurian Apennines against possible land attacks. The defensive works were constructed along the road through Cadibona Pass.
The wider position included the forts of Tagliata di Altare, Tecci, and Cascinotto, as well as a supporting battery on Monte Baraccone. The Kingdom of Italy, the Italian state from 1861 to 1946, was the fort’s first owner, and the Royal Italian Army used it. Its strategic function ended during the twentieth century.
Remains
The fort occupies part of Monte Burot’s summit, at about 745 metres above sea level; the mountain itself reaches 746 metres. It lies south of Altare’s modern settlement, near Cadibona Pass on the Alpine watershed. Monte Burot is the first mountain of the Alpine chain west of Bocchetta di Altare. The fort has a polygonal plan and is enclosed by a moat.
Two caponiers, defensive structures designed to fire along a moat, protect the moat and connect to the interior through galleries. The barracks stood at moat level, while the artillery was placed above them. It comprised four 12 GRC Ret guns and four 15 GRC Ret guns, with the latter mounted on external platforms.
A military dirt road connected the fort to the battery on Monte Baraccone. The fort is now abandoned and overgrown with invasive vegetation.
