Forte Belvedere was a haunting glimpse into what life was really like for soldiers during World War One. This fort was built and occupied by the Austrians during the war, and soldiers would serve within the fort’s walls for one year at a time. Because the outside was an active battleground, they would be stuck within the fort for essentially that entire time, a fact which I think we all found shocking. I can only imagine the psychological damage that would do to someone, having to sit within a damp, dark, concrete building with no windows, constantly fearing that you would be attacked by the enemy at any given moment. Walking up and down the stone stairs, hearing the sound of gunfire within the old concrete turret in which cannons were housed, and seeing the small rooms in which hundreds of men slept, ate, and lived their lives was truly moving. This was especially fascinating after having visited an Italian fort the day before, although that one was inactive during the war, and hearing the different perspectives each side had on the conflict. Our guide here was a very passionate Austrian who, although he was extremely knowledgeable and entertaining during our tour, was definitely still upset about the result of the war (a slightly concerning position to hold). Our guides at the Italian fort, however, I felt gave a more historic and personal account of the war and the experiences of the local people during it. Nevertheless, I thought it was amazing as a history major to get to experience a piece of living history like this fort.

The hallway through which the cannons can be accessed, Grace walking through them

The image to the left is one displayed in the fort. I found it really striking because the man in it is on the side of a mountain aiming a gun at something. It’s incredible to think that that’s what combat actually looked like in the Dolomites during WWI, people fighting on the side of mountains with handheld weapons.

The winter outfits worn by soldiers here, including a dense fur coat, sleeping bag, and snow shoes

A selection of weapons held at the fort during the war, showing a mix of classic and modern warfare, characteristic of WWI

<- The view from one of the downstairs gun posts. Although the opening through which this view would have been observed would have been much much smaller during the war, it shows the incredible size of the conflict and just how far the forts had to be able to reach in order to accomplish anything.

<- The view from outside the fort looking towards Lavarone, farms visible below