La batteria Valdilocchi alla Spezia, rilievo digitale e documentazione di un’architettura alla fine di un’epoca

Abstract

[EN] All the fortifications have their time. They respond to specific way of defending and attacking they change in time accordingly to the terrible habits of the weaponry and technology evolution. For a long time, from the age of the great fortifications, to the use of cannons, to the invention of the aerial war, the military built heritage have seen a long transformation made of sudden architectural changes, until the moment when the possibility of bombing and attacking from the sky signed the sunset of the large over ground buildings in favour of mimetic and underground structures. The “Valdilocchi Battery” belong to the last age of the large fortress, capable to resist to ground attack while showing the aspect of an inexpugnable stronghold. Sited on the top of a hill in the eastern part of the La Spezia gulf, this battery had the function of second line defense to control the neighboring valleys. The particular pentagonal plant and the state of excellent preservation, except for a part of collapse on the front of the gorge due to the German bombing, make it an artifact of great value.