Dry constructions of the First World War on Lake Garda. Typological and technological analysis

This research on the dry construction techniques of military infrastructures from World War I in the Alto Garda area aims to provide an initial cataloging of these works and to serve as a useful reference for framing the types of constructions adopted by the military in a context that was not conducive to building. These military roads have since become paths for hikers and mountain enthusiasts, offering views of landscapes that are still well-preserved today due to their limited use, resulting from a complex orography. By rediscovering these infrastructures, we aim to highlight their current historical-documentary and ecological-environmental potential. The adopted methodology follows a mapping of the artifacts that have been organized by type, following their measurement and field observation. This contribution will describe some of the numerous dry stone architectures built along the front line that crossed Alto Garda during World War I. The construction of these structures was a consequence of the transformation of the conflict into a war of position, known as the White War, due to pre-existing conditions characterized by the construction of Austrian forts in the Alpine valleys, to which a network of logistical infrastructures was opposed by the Italians at the outbreak of hostilities. Military roadways and various types of architectures (barracks, trenches, firing positions, and hospitals) built with local materials and dry techniques are analyzed. Finally, some historical and geographical characteristics of Alto Garda are described, followed by a discussion of the Mediterranean landscape of Lake Garda, highlighting the cultural identity and valuable heritage of these military infrastructures, between Mediterranean influences and a Central European spirit.