Starting from the need to provide greater historical keys to understanding the Fortress, the major tourist-cultural hub of the Aosta Valley Autonomous Region, it became necessary to broaden – over time and space – the knowledge of the nineteenth-century fortress within the long history of fortification systems through a reading of the Alps as a boundary, obstacle, natural barrier, shifting frontier, territory and line of political border that is inhabited and lived, crossed and traveled, defended and fortified.
To the ambitious museographic project which already includes the Museum of the Alps, thematic routes The Alps for Kids and the Prisons, alongside spaces dedicated to international temporary exhibitions, the Fortress adds a valuable and unprecedented piece.
Located in the Ferdinando Opera, situated on the first level of the fortified rock of Bard, the museum extends over an area of more than two thousand square meters.
The new fascinating historical path develops in three sections: the “Museum of the Fortress and Fortifications”, “The Fortified Alps (1871-1946)” and “The Alps, a border?”.
The first part, the “Museum of the Fortress and Fortifications”, arranged in the Upper Ferdinando Opera, presents a series of historical settings accompanied by models, films, and authentic weapons, with a narrative itinerary that highlights the evolution of the Western Alps fortresses through the advancement of weapons and military strategies, materials and construction techniques, starting from the Roman era to reach the new architectural and ballistic solutions of the twentieth century. The visit enables quick learning: thanks to the cinematic re-proposal of famous movie clips containing war scenes (The Crusades – Kingdom of Heaven, Ridley Scott, 2005; Masada, Boris Sagal, 1981; The Profession of Arms, Ermanno Olmi, 2001; Alatriste, the destiny of a warrior, Augustin Diaz Yanks, 2006; The Last Valley, James Clavell, 1971; Revolution, Hugh Hudson, 1985; The Last of the Mohicans, Michael Mann, 1992; Glory, Edward Zwick, 1989, Cold Mountain, Anthony Minghella, 2003) and narrative routes, period and contemporary cartography and scenographies recreated with weapons and scale reconstructions of fortified wall sections, the visitor is projected into the era relevant to each room in a journey that makes them the protagonist.
The second part of the museum, “The Fortified Alps (1871-1946)”, located in the Lower Ferdinando Opera rooms, is dedicated to the transformations that occurred between the late 19th and 20th centuries, and situates the Fortress of Bard within the system of nineteenth-century fortresses. Inside are scale models and scenographic reconstructions, intended to highlight not only the most representative features of Alpine fortifications but also to make the Alps themselves the main character, a stage of technological evolution that led them to become “Italy’s frontier.” It is a story of the evolution of fortresses through the advancement of weapons, the changing of materials and building techniques, the gradual thickening of walls, the placement of forts in increasingly commanding locations, the evolution of strategic methodologies and architectural solutions, all constantly related to the offensive capabilities of the enemy. The theme of militarized mountains is touched upon in the sections dedicated to the First and Second World Wars and the Resistance, always emphasizing the evocative impact entrusted to a multimedia approach.
The third and final part of the museum poses the question “The Alps, a border?” aiming to put the visitor in a position to reflect on the journey taken and the meaning to give to the term border: boundary or barrier? Obstacle or connecting link?
Thus, an exhibition path is outlined that conveys a complex and structured vision not only of the Fortress of Bard but also of the historical, social, cultural, and geopolitical context in which it is situated across different historical eras: a journey into the past that concludes with a highly topical reflection on the present.
The visitor is thus the protagonist of a dialogue with the place where they find themselves, in search of an identity, that of the Alps, constantly evolving, becoming a crossroads of the great events of the past and that history of men made of simple memories and actions.
Ferdinando. Museum of Fortifications and Borders
Fortress of Bard. Aosta Valley
Opening Hours: Tuesday to Friday: 10.00 AM – 6.00 PM | Saturday, Sunday and holidays: 10.00 AM – 7.00 PM
Closed on Monday
Prices: Full 9.00 euros | Reduced 7.00 euros | Reduced for children (6-18 years) and schools: 5.00 euros
Adult combined ticket (Museum of the Alps, Ferdinando, Prisons) 15.00 euros
Guided tour (for groups) up to 25 people 80.00 euros + reduced entry ticket
Prices include admission to the exhibition Paolo Pellegrin. Frontiers.
Public Information
Fortress of Bard Association | T. +39 0125 833811 | info@fortedibard.it | www.fortedibard.it
Guided tour bookings | T. +39 0125 833817 | prenotazioni@fortedibard.it
