Day 3: Vallo Alpino

Il Becco Rosso

At the end of the 19th century, the Minister of War Ferrero proposed a new defense plan against France. He had the Chaberton battery (Hautes-Alpes) built, at an altitude of more than 3000 meters in 1914. Then, between 1928 and 1942, Italy built a defensive system equivalent to the Maginot line of the Alps: the Vallo Alpino.

These numerous "shooting centers" installed inside rocky masses accommodated around thirty soldiers housed in narrow underground shelters, often damp and poorly heated.

The dominant position of Becco Rosso and the ridge that descends to the bottom of the Stura was decisive for the choice to place the first row of Vallo Alpino. The site is accessible by an old military mule trail.

Level: Moderate
Duration: 2 hours to reach the top, 1 hour 30 minutes to visit the small works along the way
Location: between Pietraporzio and Pontebernardo
Type: Round trip
Start / Finish: Road to Talarico refuge, Murenz crossroads (1470 m)
Length: 13 km
Difference in height: 850 m
Vigilance: Flashlight.