Photo: CC BY-SA 3.0 · Wikimedia Commons
Fortress / Tower, 1860
Forte Bus de Vela
Building in Trento, Italy
Trento (TN), Trentino-South Tyrol
At a glance
- Type
- Fortress / Tower
- Period
- Modern era, 1860
- Coordinates
- 46°04′60″ N, 11°04′21″ E
History and description
Fort Buco di Vela (Italian: Forte Buco di Vela, German: Strassensperre Buco di Vela Ladin: Forte Bus De Vela), also known as Fort Cadine, is a mid 19th century roadblock built to guard the city of Trento in Northern Italy. The fort is situated 4km (2.5mi) west of Trento, in a gorge called the Bus de Vela, which is where the fort gets its name. The roadblock was built between 1860 and 1862, with the intention of blocking the road between Trento and Cadine. The fort was impossible to bypass and the only way through is by destroying the fort itself. The fort was part of the first fortifications built to protect Trento. The roadblock was also built to protect the newly-built road from Lake Garda. The fort mounted 3 9cm M75/4 cannons all facing towards Cadine, in addition it had 2 8cm barbette cannons and many rifle embrasures covering almost every direction, especially the road. The fort has an armoured door on the west side of the fort, facing towards Cadine.
World War I
Most of the forts built around Trento were built by the 19th century standards of war, and were obsolete by World War I. Fort Cadine itself was too exposed and would have been vulnerable to the modern siege artillery of the day. This led to the fort being disarmed and its cannons moved into caves or relocated to frontline fighting. It was likely the cannons from Fort Cadine were moved to frontline positions since they were semi-modern field pieces.
World War II
During the German occupation of Italy following Italy's capitulation in World War II, Nazi forces occupied the fort as a storage facility alongside a checkpoint to guard the vital Brenner Pass. In April 1945, the fort was the site of a failed resistance attack.
Postwar-today
After the war ended the fort was discharged from the military on Mar. 29, 1949. Cadine fell into disrepair during the following years. The fort was restored in 2008, and now is a museum. In the fort’s “poterna” (a concealed part of a fort) the shadows of soldiers are projected onto the walls, in addition to a model dedicated to the World War I forts in the area.
Text from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia, under CC BY-SA 4.0. Full article: «Forte Bus de Vela».
Timeline
- 1860Built
Events and people from Wikidata (CC0).
Photos
Getting there
Trento Nord - Zona CommercialeTrain, nearest
3.2 km as the crow flies
Forte Bus de Vela
Distances are as the crow flies, not walking or driving.
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Nearby
See on the mapMore fortresses and towers in Trentino-South Tyrol
Frequently asked questions
Where is Forte Bus de Vela?
Forte Bus de Vela is in Trento, in the province of Trento (Trentino-South Tyrol), Italy. GPS coordinates: 46.08333, 11.07250.
How old is Forte Bus de Vela?
Wikidata dates it to 1860.
What else is there to see near Forte Bus de Vela?
Nearby you’ll find: Fort Doss di Sponde (300 m away), Villa Salvotti (2.5 km away), TtrAM (2.7 km away).
Sources and licences
Text. Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Data. Wikidata (CC0); opening hours and contacts OpenStreetMap (ODbL).
Photos. Wikimedia Commons, author and licence on every image.
Credits for the 9 photos
- Bus de Vela2 — CC BY-SA 3.0
- Forte Bus de la Vela (foto 360) — ArcheoTrentino, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Forte Bus de Vela (deviazione del torrente per il fossato) — ArcheoTrentino, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Forte Bus de Vela (filo spinato) — ArcheoTrentino, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Forte bus de vela — The original uploader was Llorenzi at Italian Wikipedia., CC BY-SA 3.0
- Trento-Forte Bus de Vela-northwest — Matteo Ianeselli, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Trento-forte-bus-de-vela-b — Franco Visintainer, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Trento-forte-bus-de-vela — Franco Visintainer, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Vista dal Forte Bus de Vela — Marco Scoz, CC BY-SA 4.0
Updated 28 October 2026. All sources and licences