Valchiavenna
Silence often speaks louder than words, and the mountains preserve the memories of people and distant times. In Verceia, at the entrance to Valchiavenna, the Mine Gallery tells the story of the First World War through an underground structure built between 1916 and 1917 by the Italian military to defend the area against potential invasions.
Walking through the 200-metre main tunnel, visitors enter an atmosphere suspended in time. The echo of footsteps recalls those of the soldiers once responsible for maintaining the gallery. It is easy to imagine the vast quantities of explosives stored in the flooded shafts, ready to sever road and railway connections if necessary. The underground labyrinth includes four branches, eighteen secondary passages, sixteen mine shafts, six chambers, three ventilation ducts and four cisterns, all remarkably well preserved.
Once a secret and strategic military site, the gallery has become a cultural and tourist attraction open to the public through guided tours. Its entrance overlooks Lake Mezzola and faces the Pian di Spagna Nature Reserve, connecting to the historic Strada dei Cavalli route.
The Mine Gallery is more than a military relic. It stands out for the quality of its construction, the precision of its engineering and its extraordinary state of preservation.
23020 Verceia (SO) - Italia
0341 940322
info@fortemontecchionord.it
Go to the website
Opening Dates
20, 21 and 25 April
1 May
2 June
15 August and every Sunday in August
Admission
Full ticket: €4.00
Reduced ticket: €3.00 (up to 17 years old)
Piazza Caduti per la Libertà, 4
23022 Chiavenna (SO)
0343 37485
consorzioturistico@valchiavenna.com
Valchiavenna
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