Top 19 Caves ラステバッセでの

the sinkhole is quite impressive and quite intimidating

Grandiose work of the engineers of the Great War. It is a daring helical gallery inside a large spire with the aim of rising in altitude. Requires a torch.

The Campiglia gunboat, built in 1917, is an interesting example of a fortification dating back to the First World War. Located in a cave along the Scarubbi road, which leads to Malga Campiglia, this military structure was part of the Italian Alpine defenses during the conflict. The site, hidden in the rock, offers a panoramic view of the surrounding valleys and represents an important historical testimony of those years. The strategic position of the gunboat, protected by the natural cavity of the mountain, allowed it to effectively control the area and respond to any enemy attacks.

Austro-Hungarian artillery emplacement from World War I, dug into the rock. With the great Spring Offensive of 1916—nicknamed the 'Strafexpedition,' or Punitive Expedition—the Imperial Army aimed to break through the Italian barrier and invade the Po Valley through the valleys of the Vicenza Prealps. Obviously, the first prerequisite for this plan to be feasible was to dominate the surrounding peaks that controlled the access routes below, driving out the enemy. On May 21, 1916, Austro-Hungarian troops passed through an empty and desolate Tonezza: the inhabitants, faced with imminent danger, had quickly abandoned the town and its surrounding countryside to take refuge in the plains, facing exile lasting only a few weeks, but which lasted until the end of the conflict due to the escalation of hostilities. The Italian army, in disadvantaged and indefensible positions, had retreated, barricading itself on Mount Cimone, the last and indispensable bastion of resistance. To defend and maintain the positions they had conquered on the Tonezza Plateau, the Austro-Hungarian units built trenches, walkways, cave shelters, and artillery emplacements everywhere, like this fort: dug into a natural rock formation, it housed a 105 mm gun to dominate the Rio Freddo Valley below. The trees, now dense, were gone over a hundred years ago, having been felled by soldiers who needed a clear line of sight. Not far away, continuing along the steep path that descends to the valley toward the climbing wall, there is a second fort, dug into a cave, which housed another 105 mm gun.

The diameter and depth of the chasm are impressive. It's scary. I advise caution in the cold months (and not only) as there is ice everywhere and the area becomes a skating rink, although there are protective barriers. I speak from lived experience....

Natural chasm that nature is now recovering, worth seeing if you pass through the area

An Italian frontline stronghold during the Great War, with an impressive tunnel that spiraled up the rock tower, allowing soldiers to negotiate the height difference, protected from enemy fire and sight, and approach the foot of Mount Cimone to recapture it. This bastion, which has no place name on war maps, was called "Quota Neutra" by the Italians because it was located in "no man's land" between the lines of the two opposing forces: the Austro-Hungarians on Mount Cimone and the Italians on Mount Caviojo. It's pitch black and has a steep staircase, with steps often made slippery by the damp, but a rope helps: a flashlight is essential.

Impressive and spectacular sinkhole of karst origin, which descends as a well for 46 meters, then continues with a lateral corridor and falls with another well, reaching the overall depth of -96 meters! The dark and mysterious mouth is illuminated by a natural skylight dug into the karst ceiling. At the bottom of the cave the ice remains throughout the year. It is called indiscriminately Caverna or Voragine (del) Siesòn or Sciasòn.