The Vattaro Alpini Group recovered the remains of a cableway pier belonging to the wide net of cableways the Austrian army designed over the years prior the first World War for the Italian-Austrian front.
That was than built in this area during 1916 and 1917 by the 11 Army in order to contrast the Italian attacks.
Historical background
Historical background
During the First World War (1914-1918) the Italian-Austrian front developed over a manly mountainous territory, characterized by the difficulty of building new roads due to the hard land. Many spots were open to the enemy attacks and over the winter season, various ways were blocked by high snow. For all these reasons, it was mandatory to find a mechanical way, rapid and safe, easy to install, which had to be independent from the standard communication ways.
This way was offered by cableways, which were built to implement standard railways and common transportation on animal backs and enabled to reach out for the highest mountain spots.
A heavy-duty cableway (n.1a) connected the railway station in Calliano (in the Adige Valley) with Folgaria. From there, light duty cableways distributed supplies and munitions to the first front line reaching even the Pasubio massif.
A second heavy-duty cableway, the n. 10a from the Mattarello station reached out for Carbonare, passing through Valsorda, Bosentino (picture 1) and the Centa Valley. In this case, as well, light duty cableways continued towards the Lavarone Plateau.
Again from Mattarello started three different light duty cableways: one for the Bondone Mont and other two, built parallel, (n. 6a) for the Lavarone area, passing thourgh Valsorda, Vigolo Vattaro, Vattaro, Frisanchi and Sadleri.
The remains of the pier belong right to one of these parallel cableways.Strategic was also a heavy-duty cableway, which connected Caldonazzo to Montereovere, site of a barrack, which hosted one of the most important spots for the shunt of troops and supplies all over the Austrian section of this area.
The double cableway 6a Mattarello - Casara
From Mattarello (189 a.s.l.) the double cableway 6a reached Valsorda (527 a.s.l.) where we can still find two piers, continued on to the Vigolo Vattaro area (691 a.s.l.) and straight afterwards Vattaro.Right in our village there was a station, 733 a.s.l., located were today the state street, past the village, and turns left, before Maso Rosta.
The second cableway, the southern, used to turn right at 816 a.s.l. reaching in a parallel way Frisanchi at 1.100 a.s.l.With a following step, the cableway used to arrive close to Sadleri (866 a.s.l.) on the left of the Centa torrent, where there was the last intermediate station and then reached Casara (1147 a.s.l.), right before where we have now Lavarone Chiesa and where the final station was located.
Technical data
Type: Double cableway (Zweiseilbahn)Technical data
Model: Heckel 100
Power: Petrol-powered engine
Length: ml 13880
Height gap: m 958
Capacity: 140 tons in 20 hours
