Work of San Michele al Tagliamento
Historical background and composition
The work of San Michele al Tagliamento, located in the municipality by the same name, is the only fortified compound, belonging to the defence system of the plain sector, made in Veneto. The first fortifications on this site started being built in the early Fifties, along with the first fortification momentum in the Friulian plain. In this period, as the conditions of the peace treaty signed in Paris in 1947 forbade the building of fortifications at less than twenty kilometres from the border between Italy and Yugoslavia, all structures were built along the Tagliamento river, from San Michele al Tagliamento to Bordano.
Over time the configuration of the fortified compound underwent a number of transformations. In the end it included:
- an observatory command post connected to a position for machine guns in a metal turret with four slits (this structure can be visited);
- five positions for machine guns in a metal turret with four slits;
- two positions for an anti-tank gun in tank hull in a concrete tank:. these consisted of an entire tank (initially an M4 “Sherman” then replaced by an M26 “Pershing”) with its engine removed but complete with full armament, located inside a tank made of concrete.
Purpose
Its purpose was to oversee the bridge of State Road (S.S.) 14 and the bridge of the Venice-Trieste railway, which could be used to cross the Tagliamento river.
DIRECTIONS
The work is located in the municipality of San Michele al Tagliamento (VE) and the structure that can be visited is in the public park near the bridge of State Road (S.S.) 14.
OPENINGS TO THE PUBLIC
The structure that can be visited is open to the public during the days when the cultural-historical itinerary “The Wars of the 20th Century” takes place, organised by the municipality of San Michele al Tagliamento. It is a free guided tour of four landmarks in the municipality: the Cold War Bunker, Villa Mocenigo-Biaggini-Ivancich, the Wall of History and the Austro-Hungarian War Cemetery. The tour, available in Italian and English, is available from June to September every Thursday at 5 p.m. and from October to May every Sunday at 10:30 a.m. Reservations are mandatory and should be made using the contacts below (the tour takes place if there are at least five participants and can be done either on foot or by bicycle).
CONTACTS
St. Michael al Tagliamento Municipality Tourism Office: St. Michael al Tagliamento, Freedom Square 2 – 0431 516341/130/133 – turismo@comunesanmichele.it.
Bibione Tourist Information and Reception Office (IAT): Bibione, Via Maja 84 – 0431 444846 – iat@comunesanmichele.it.