History - Via Dei Forti

HISTORY OF THE VETTOR PISANI BATTERY MUSEUM

The Vettor Pisani Battery owes its name to the Supreme Commander of the Venetian fleet who in January 1380 won a resounding victory against Pietro Doria’s Genoese fleet during the war of Chioggia.

INFO AND TICKETS

THE DEFENSIVE SYSTEM OF VENICE

The construction of the Pisani Battery dates back to the 1909-1912 period (inside the building, in front of the main entrance, you can still see the marble construction plaque), when an important coastal defense system was set up in the Cavallino area to protect Venice from the threat of naval attacks. The battery is built a few meters from the sea and – like the other coastal batteries – at that time was protected on the side of the beach and on the flanks by a huge dune of sand and clay, with the dual function of hiding it from the sight of enemy ships and protecting it from possible cannon shots.

FORTIFICATION CHARACTERISTICS

The building, made of reinforced concrete, consists of a central tunnel 80 meters long with a barrel vault, two side wings of 30 meters each and two telemetric towers that reach a height of 11 meters. The central body, developed on a single level, is crossed by two parallel corridors connected to each other. The telemetric towers, which had the function of observation posts, rise from the two lateral bodies of the building. Along the walls, for the close defense on the north side, 138 rifle loopholes are aligned while at the two ends are visible the two embrasures (or caponieres). These were equipped with Colt Browning machine guns, nicknamed “potato diggers” for their particular lever mechanism. The uncovered area also contains an artesian well with tanks that were used as a washhouse and drinking trough.

BATTERY ARMAMENT

The Pisani Battery was armed with six howitzers 280 L/9, installed in barbette (defensive structures of artillery) on semicircular emplacements arranged on the fortress square. The barrels faced the sea and the maximum range was 10,500 meters. Already in the Great War the howitzers of the Pisani Battery, unsuitable for breaking through the armored decks of modern Austro-Hungarian warships, were replaced with four 76/40 anti-aircraft guns. At the Pisani Battery, which was part of the “Pordelio Artillery Group”, the 5th Company of the Permanent Army, 1st Fortress Artillery Regiment, was stationed; however, the operational soldiers were housed partly at the “Mandracio” Barracks (Ca’ Vio) and partly in the current logistic base of Ca’ Vio. During the Second World War the Pisani Battery was garrisoned by a German command and the armament was again replaced with modern 90/53 caliber 1941 model cannons for anti-aircraft defense. The Battery was occupied by civilians until the last decades of the 20th century.

In September 2004 the Pisani Battery underwent a first cleaning and reorganization intervention by Civil Protection volunteers. In 2006 a reclamation of the area, carried out by volunteers of the cultural-historical association “Il Piave 1915-1918”, brought to light various objects related to the two world wars. Some of these finds are visible inside the Museum.

Following the initial operations of recovery and redevelopment of the property, after the concession of the Pisani and Amalfi Batteries to the Municipality of Cavallino-Treporti (2014/2015), the restoration procedures were started, with the opening of the site to works on 24 May 2016. The “conservative” restoration applied to the fortifications was made possible thanks to the double contribution of the Municipality and the Region. In fact, on the occasion of the Centenary of the Great War, the Veneto Region has allocated a large sum of money aimed at protecting the historical and cultural heritage of the First World War.

The Pisani Battery thus opens its gates to the public in the summer of 2017 as the Museum of the Great War.

RESTORATION OF THE MILITARY BUILDING