Mount Calisio, with a summit of 1,096 m, closes the Adige Valley northeast of the city and is also called Argentario for its ancient silver mines. Its slopes were fortified as early as 1869–1872 with the Civezzano Barrier, which consisted of two road cuttings and the main fort. In the 1880s, the Martignano and Casara Batteries were constructed.
By 1915, the summit of Calisio, which already hosted batteries and an observation post, was fully fortified. The military engineers of Trento built an underground fort—one of the most modern and largest structures of the Fortress. Walking toward the summit, visitors can still find caves, remains of trenches, machine gun casemates, infantry outposts, and field artillery positions. The traces of this extensive defense system are still easily recognizable.
Although modest in height, the summit offers panoramic views of the Adige Valley, the surrounding mountains of Trento, the upper Valsugana, and the Lagorai range.
Suggested itineraries:
- From Montevaccino to the summit of Calisio
- From Campel to the summit of Calisio
The Fortifications
Fort Civezzano
Construction period: 1869–1872
Type: fort
Ownership: private
Open to the public: no
Condition: remains
Demolished in 1915
Upper Civezzano Road Cutting
Construction period: 1869–1872
Type: road cutting
Ownership: public
Open to the public: visitable
Condition: restored
Lower Civezzano Road Cutting
Construction period: 1869–1872
Type: road cutting
Ownership: public
Open to the public: no
Condition: remains
Demolished postwar
Casara Battery
Construction period: 1882–1884
Type: battery
Ownership: public
Open to the public: no
Condition: remains
Demolished in 1915
