Dorsale Agno - Leogra

From the Priabona Pass to the entrenched field of Vicenza, the southern portion of the Ortogonale 1 / Agno – Leogra strategic line was characterized by a series of strongholds overlooking the Vicenza Plain. The main strongholds were Mt. Piano, Castellaro, Guizza and Mt. Del Vento.

This solution was adopted following the directive published in April 1917 by General Cadorna, Chief of Staff of the Italian army, and exploited the heights overlooking the countryside between Vicenza and Malo, and controlling the Priabona, Torreselle and Ignago passes. According to the Italian commanders, these passes were directly on the route of an enemy attack intending to bypass the entrenched field of Vicenza towards Verona. And, as a matter of fact, in Ignago the Ortogonale 1 line met the external line of the entrenched field.

The fortification works were designed by the Military Engineer Corps command of the 1st Army, and built by thousands of military and civil workers.

The stronghold presents all the military protection works, such as walkways, machine-guns and shooter stations, floodlight platforms, and cave shelters, protected by thick barbed-wire entanglements. In addition, it was equipped with artillery positions for small- and medium-caliber cannons, which could also protect the strongholds on the sides. Between Torreselle and Ignago there were five 149mm howitzers and six 105mm cannons. A capillary network of roads, mule tracks and paths was built along the line to enable the movement of troops and artillery pieces, and the delivery of supplies to the strongholds. The main communication road came down from Priabona and continued along the protected slope, passing through Contrada Carlini and Valdilonte, all the way to Torreselle and Ignago. From here, it went down along the crest towards Creazzo, to serve the strongholds. More roads departed from the Onte valley and the upper Valdiezza valley, all of them equipped with cave shelters.