The fort was built from 1915 to 1917 in just 17 months and named after the Amalfi cruiser sunk in July 1915. It encompasses a grand total
of 14 buildings including a central structure which was equipped with an armoured turret
which rotated 360° of an armoured naval type with two cannons capable of firing huge 875
kg shells to distances of up to 20 km at one minute intervals.
The main building contained a number of rooms including barracks for the troops and for
officers, ventilation rooms, munition and shell reserves, wash rooms and latrines.
In common with all the other coastal batteries built Amalfi was linked up to a narrow gauge
rail line used for staff movements, military equipment and supplies.
Amalfi was designed to protect Venice but was never used against naval targets. Its rotating
turret, however, enabled it to strike Austro-Hungarian infantry and outposts in the last
battles on the lower Piave in 1918. During World War Two it was occupied by the Germans
and kept in working order until April 1945. After the war it was disarmed and dismantled and
today some of its buildings are being lived in by local people.
