FORTIFIED HILLTOPS: CIMA TIGNALGA

A hike to discover the underground defensive complexes of Natone, Cima Tignalga and Puria di Tignale.
Park your car in the hamlet of Ca di Natone, by the capital and the wooden memorial. The memorial indicates the area along Strada Provinciale 38 which was guarded by the First Army during the First World War. Take trail 257, go through the Tignalga valley, up to the Scarpapè pass, and then follow trail 261. You will reach Passo della Puria. Deviate from the path and follow trail 254 to Cima Tignalga, where you will find a beautiful vantage point. Go down trail 254 and then past the summit of Mount Casarole, up to Campiglio. In Campiglio you will cross Strada Provinciale 38. Stay to the right on Strada Provinciale 38 and, after about 1,5 kilometres, you will get back to the starting point.
 

1-THE TIGNALGA ROAD
During the First World War, the Italian army made the Gardola-Prabione-Vesio road truckable. This enabled supplies from the front to reach the Ledro Valley (at that time, the valley was in Austro-Hungarian territory). The Italian army command chose Cà di Natone and the area around it to build a barrier line. The line served as a defence against Austro-Hungarian attacks, that could come through the mountain passes Passo Tremalzo and Passo Nota. Here, an underground defence system with cannons was built in an armoured cave. Nearby were also a control post and an artillery position.

2-THE CONSTRUCTION OF THE SECOND FENCE LINE
The area on the northern border of the Alto Garda Bresciano Park was heavily fortified during the First World War. A dense network of roads was built. Among them, mule tracks, trenches, dugouts and military posts. Today, many of them are part of Tignale's "hiking heritage". Among them are trails 254 and 257, as well as the cart track to Cima Piemp. The cart track stretches as far as Passo d'Ere and branches off in the direction of Passo Puria or Bocca Paolone. From the shrine in Montecastello, it then leads to Monte Cas.
The first line of defence against feared enemy incursions begins at what is now the border with Trentino. It ran through Passo Tremalzo up to Passo Nota and Passo Rocchetta.
Numerous defence complexes were built in the area around Tignale. They were all part of the second rear line of defence and were used to guard the valley of San Michele and the Tignalga valley. These structures were hardly used for military purposes. Today, they bear witness to the great effort that was necessary to protect our territories from a possible advance by the Austro-Hungarian army.
 

TECHNICAL DETAILS

• Length: 15,2 km
  Difference in height: 900 m
  Duration: 5 hours
  Difficulty: difficult
   
• Landscape: