SHARRYLAND
Where is
What it is and where it is
As you pass by the state road that runs along the lake, you catch a glimpse of a turret perched on the mountain. Those who know a little about the place or who had noticed the signposts would say it is the Rocca di Anfo, and they would be mistaken. That tall, isolated, seemingly unreachable turret is the Lunetta, and it is only one of the 34 or so artifacts that, linked together by paths, ladders and passages, make up the Rocca di Anfo. To enjoy a clearer view of the complex, for example admiring the Venetian Walls, one must move further afield.
Why it is special
The Rocca di Anfo is a kind of microcosm, a small world unto itself composed of many entities and, even, different souls. Well, yes, the great variety of structures of the Rocca is not only due to the many eras it has passed through, but also to two somewhat opposite functions that coexist here: openness and barricade, dialogue and conflict. We would not expect it today, but this was once a state border. So here was the need for a customs that would allow people and goods to other pour it safely, but there was also a need to be able to defend oneself in case of need.
Not to be missed
The Lunetta is the most choreographic building of the fortress. It is the famous turret that stands isolated from the other buildings, tall, almost unreachable except after a good walk. It was commissioned by Napoleon and could control territory while remaining out of reach of enemy cannons. In fact, at the time, no one would have been able to hit it. Circular in plan, with many openings in the walls, it is certainly an impressive place from which to observe, through the loopholes, the entire valley and lake. Only, arm yourself with patience, such a beautiful sight, you will have to earn it by climbing many steps!
A bit of history
The first fortification seems to date back to the Visconti family, in the 14th century. It was then the Venetians who took over, expanded and renovated it a century later. Venetian walls, a guardhouse, and a powder magazine from the period can still be admired today. It was Napoleon who wanted Anfo to be the most powerful fortress in the territory, but the project remained unfinished due to lack of funds. The ups and downs of the late 1800s and 1900s caused it to lose importance. Despite this, it remained militarized until 1975, and bound to military secrecy until 1992, when it passed to state ownership.
Trivia
If you wander among the buildings and see a bell tower, don't go looking for the Church of the Rock, because it doesn't exist. What you are seeing is the Venice Battery disguised as a church. The bell tower, in fact, is but a ruse, a fiction built during World War II in the hope of fooling the enemy air force and avoiding bombing.
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