- UNESCO
Photo: K.u.k. Kriegspressequartier, Lichtbildstelle - Wien, Public domain · Wikimedia Commons
Fortress / Tower
Fort Hensel
Imperial Austrian-Hungarian Army Fortification in the Alps
At a glance
- Type
- Fortress / Tower
- Elevation
- 431 m above sea level
- Protection
- Italian national heritage
- Coordinates
- 46°30′31″ N, 13°27′10″ E
- Address
- SS13, 19 - 33010 - Malborghetto Valbruna (UD)
History and description
Fort Hensel is an Austro-Hungarian fortification built in the Canale Valley in Northern Italy. Work started on Apr. 2, 1881, and ended on Sept. 18, 1883. Hensel is not designated a werk because it is named after a person, not more commonly a location. Fort Hensel is named after Capt. Friedrich Hensel, who died there fighting Napoleon's forces in 1809. Hensel's crew was 588 enlisted men and officers.
Battery "A"
Battery A is a 2-story barracks with its guns mounted in casemates. Battery A's armament consisted of 2 12 cm guns, 2 15 cm guns, and 2 15 cm mortars. By World War I, the armament consisted of 2 10 cm howitzers in armored domes, and 4 9 cm guns.
Battery "B"
4 12 cm howitzers mounted in casemates, and 4 12 cm howitzers mounted in rotating cast-iron domes. The armament was unchanged by World War I. Between Batteries "A" and "B" there was an “emergency” battery of 2 10 cm howitzers.
World War I
On June 12, 1915, Italian heavy artillery (30.5 cm and 21 cm) from the town of Dogna began shelling Fort Hensel. By August 4, 1915, over 4000 21 cm shells had been fired at Hensel. The commander of Hensel, Capt. Karl Ebner, died during the shelling when a 28 cm shell passed through all the floors and exploded in the first floor. Hensel was occupied by the Austrians until March 16, 1916, when the last of the guns were removed and the fort was abandoned.
Text from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia, under CC BY-SA 4.0. Full article: «Fort Hensel».
Photos
Getting there
Ugovizza ValbrunaTrain, nearest
3.3 km as the crow flies
Fort HenselSS13, 19 - 33010 - Malborghetto Valbruna (UD)
Distances are as the crow flies, not walking or driving.
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Nearby
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More fortresses and towers in Friuli Venezia Giulia
Frequently asked questions
Where is Fort Hensel?
Fort Hensel is in Malborghetto Valbruna, in the province of Udine (Friuli Venezia Giulia), Italy. Address: SS13, 19 - 33010 - Malborghetto Valbruna (UD). GPS coordinates: 46.50854, 13.45283.
What else is there to see near Fort Hensel?
Nearby you’ll find: Museo etnografico Palazzo Veneziano (1.1 km away), Museo La Foresta (3.5 km away), Antiquarium di Camporosso (6.1 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
- Fort Hensel. Reproduktion aus der L'illustratione Italiano. vom 28. November 1915. (BildID 15465824) — K.u.k. Kriegspressequartier, Lichtbildstelle - Wien, Public domain
- Besichtigung des Fort Hensel durch Sr.Majestät (BildID 15507773) — K.u.k. Kriegspressequartier, Lichtbildstelle - Wien, Public domain
- Fort Hensel 01 — Johann Jaritz, CC BY-SA 3.0 at
- Fort Hensel beflaggt zum Jahrestag der italienischen Kriegserklärung. Aufgenommen am 25. Mai 1916. (BildID 15475902) — K.u.k. Kriegspressequartier, Lichtbildstelle - Wien, Public domain
- Fort Hensel gegen Mittagskofel und Pipper. Aufgenommen am 30. Mai 1916. (BildID 15475909) — K.u.k. Kriegspressequartier, Lichtbildstelle - Wien, Public domain
- Fort Hensel Hof. (BildID 15481849) — K.u.k. Kriegspressequartier, Lichtbildstelle - Wien, Public domain
- Fort Hensel, aufgenommen am 16. Mai 1916 (BildID 15472821) — K.u.k. Kriegspressequartier, Lichtbildstelle - Wien, Public domain
- FORT HENSEL, Batteriegang im Werke "B". Aufgenommen am 27.VI.1916. (BildID 15476609) — K.u.k. Kriegspressequartier, Lichtbildstelle - Wien, Public domain
- FORT HENSEL, Durch einen Treffer zerstörte Panzerkuppel der 12 cm M.8. Kanone, das Geschütz blieb intakt. Aufgenommen am 27. Juni 1916. (BildID 15476574) — K.u.k. Kriegspressequartier, Lichtbildstelle - Wien, Public domain
Updated 28 October 2026. All sources and licences