Sasso da Pigna, Military fortress in Gotthard Pass, Ticino, Switzerland.
Sasso da Pigna is a military fortress embedded deep within the Gotthard Pass mountain, featuring extensive underground tunnel networks and operational chambers. The complex preserves historical defense structures and equipment spanning different periods.
The fortress was built starting in 1943 as a defensive response to military threats from neighboring Italy during World War II. Its construction reflected the strategic importance of the Gotthard Pass corridor during wartime.
The site carries a dual identity as both a museum displaying regional mineral collections and as a window into Gotthard folklore through exhibitions. Visitors experience how local stories and scientific treasures are presented side by side here.
Access to the fortress is available through guided tours that lead visitors through underground chambers and historical defense installations. Summer months offer the best visiting conditions as snow and weather pose fewer obstacles.
Inside the fortress sits the Reduit Image Machine by Tullio Zanovello, a distinctive device displaying animated paintings that tell stories from Gotthard mythology. This unusual art installation creates a rare fusion between military architecture and artistic expression.
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