Cities
Exilles (TO)
Thanks to its geographic position in the middle of the Val Susa, the small town of Exilles has always been considered strategically located from a military point of view. It is also situated in the middle of important communication routes. This explains the important role the massive Fort of Exilles always had. Built on top of a rocky summit, it dominates not only the town itself, but the whole Susa Valley. The fort’s ancient origins date back to the 12th century. Destroyed by the French in 1796, it was rebuilt between 1820 and 1829, and modified structurally in 1874. Today the Fort has the same formal and defensive appearance it had in the 18th century with changes made to adapt to the military technology used in the 19th century. The fort was finally completely abandoned after September 8th 1943 and left untouched until 1978 when it was purchased by the Piedmont Region. Restoration work was planned to convert it into museum space and to allow guided visits. The monumental building, already a museum by itself, now offers the visitor a complete visit, starting from the Royal Ramp that leads to the Knights Courtyard, the central nucleus of the structure. Part of the military collection from the Museo Nazionale della Montagna has been set up in the Cannoniere. The collection includes the uniforms of the Alpine troops, from their conception until today. In the Bastione del Diamante there is a three-dimensional model that represents the organization of the fortifications in the western Alps.
Info
Piazza Vittorio Emanuele II, 2 - 10050 Exilles (To)
Tel.: +39.0122 58301
E-mail: info@comune.exilles.to.it
www.comune.exilles.to.it
