Top 16 Caves around Terragnolo

Spectacular tunnel from the First World War: endless, steep, humid, and completely dark. A flashlight is essential. Currently (2025), the summit is closed due to a collapse: from below, it is accessed via the Franco Galli Equipped Path; from above, by circumnavigating the Corno bastion and climbing a challenging vertical metal ladder about fifteen meters high. EE. Corno Battisti is a rocky outcrop dominating the Vallarsa Valley. Due to its strategic position, it was fiercely contested during the First World War. At the beginning of the conflict, it was in Italian hands, but with the Strafexpedition of 1916, the Austro-Hungarians occupied it; the Italian army, unable to retake it, dug a mine tunnel from below to pierce the Corno and blow up the summit; the Imperials, in turn, dug a countermine tunnel from above. Everything was ready for the detonation, but a coup by a few brave men allowed the Italians to conquer the summit, which they held until the end of the war!

Corno Battisti, an isolated rocky bastion of the Pasubio Group, overlooking the Vallarsa Valley, offers a spectacular view of the long valley and the surrounding mountains: Pasubio, Sengio Alto, Carega, and Monte Zugna. Precisely because of its strategic position, it was fiercely contested during the First World War: the ability to monitor all troop and supply movements along the valley floor from up there made Corno a crucial point to be occupied and defended at all costs... it was in fact nicknamed "the eye of Pasubio" or "the spy of Vallarsa." At the beginning of the conflict, it was a garrison of the Italian army, but with the Strafexpedition of 1916, it was occupied by the Austro-Hungarians. Unable to recapture it, the Italians dug a mine tunnel from below to pierce the Corno and blow up the summit; the Imperials, in turn, dug a countermine tunnel from above. Everything was ready for the detonation, but a coup by a few brave men allowed the peak to be retaken by the Royal Army, which held it until the end of the war. The Austro-Hungarian observatory still survives at the summit. The bowels of the promontory are instead carved out by a surprising and easily navigable labyrinth of dark, damp tunnels with steep steps (EE). In 1916, near the summit, the Austro-Hungarians captured the irredentists Cesare Battisti and Fabio Filzi. They were immediately taken to Trento and hanged at Buonconsiglio Castle as traitors. For this reason, the peak, known at the time as 'Corno della Vallarsa', was renamed 'Corno Battisti' after the war. https://it.wikipedia.org/wiki/Monte_Corno_Battisti https://www.esercito.difesa.it/storia/pagine/monte-corno.aspx

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.

A foaming and thunderous waterfall cascades from the spring known as 'Gorgo Santo' (which can be visited a little further along, climbing the trail —> see related highlight). The small bridge actually spans two waterfalls, one upstream and one downstream. I recommend descending to the paved road below, on the border between the hamlets of Scalzeri and Longhi, for a spectacular view of the stream cascading through a series of rapid drops before flowing into the Astico River. I also recommend visiting this site after days of rain or when the snow has melted in the mountains, to see the water swollen and rushing!

The Gorgo Santo is a spring that features a very rare phenomenon... Rainwater and snow water are not retained by the Luserna Plateau due to the karst composition of the terrain; instead, it flows down the valley through tortuous underground passages. Under normal conditions, it flows from the lower Gorgo Santo cave; however, in heavy rain or snow, the cave may be unable to handle the full flow, so the water is also released from the upper Gorgo Santo cave... a sort of safety valve. Pope Boniface IV (7th century) happened to pass through these parts during a trip and blessed the whirlpool: hence the name "santo." But there is another, more evocative and legendary, theory behind the name: it is said that here, Saint George defeated the Great Dragon that dwelt in the cave and dominated the valley! The presence or absence of water depends on rainfall or snowfall: to find a good flow of water, you should visit on days after it has rained; otherwise, you'll visit the whirlpool in its "dry" state.

'Tunnel dei Fucilieri' in the signage: Austro-Hungarian defensive tunnel from the Great War, which passes through the grassy hill of Smelzar, at the foot of Forte Dosso delle Somme, with posts at regular intervals aimed at the underlying Val Terragnolo. Upon exiting, you suddenly emerge onto an exposed but extraordinary panoramic balcony between Val Terragnolo and the Altopiano di Lavarone, before arriving with a steep climb to the fortress.

A historic path through 100 years and more to Wolf Canyon.