A day about war at Forte Larino, where memory becomes a sensory experience.
“A Day of War at the Fort”At Forte Larino, in Valle del Chiese (Lardaro, municipality of Sella Giudicarie), history is not observed behind a display case. It is breathed, listened to, and sensed in the air. This is the heart of “A Day of War at the Fort”, the multisensory installation inaugurated on August 2nd in one of the most stunning fortifications in all of Trentino. It is an immersive journey through the everyday life of the soldiers of World War I made of sound, light, images and smells to engage all the senses.
an emotional and personal journeyThe itinerary is divided into four rooms, each dedicated to a symbolic moment of life at the front. From the metallic smell of the military at the entrance, the second room brings sounds of waiting that immerse the visitor in a deeply suspenseful atmosphere. In the third room, a film reconstructs the war with the intensity of sight and sound, while the scents of nature and peaceful atmosphere of the final room evokes rebirth and hope. This is not a traditional historical reconstruction, but rather an emotional, personal journey in which collective memory takes shape through intense sensory stimuli. Accessibility is a central theme of the initiative. It has been designed to be accessible to people with sensory disabilities, offering a multilevel experience in which the absence of a sense is not a limitation, but opens up new modes of perception. The spaces are free of architectural barriers, allowing for an unguided visit in a safe, welcoming setting.
listen, touch, feel, and breath“The idea of PiMuSe (‘Piccoli Musei Sensoriali’, or Small Sensory Museums),” explains Maura Gasperi of Natourism, a Trentino company active in the promotion of accessible tourism and coordinator of the project in Lardaro, “stems from a deep desire to make museums, especially smaller ones, inclusive places capable of truly welcoming everyone. We want them to be not just exhibits to be observed in silence, but experiences for all the senses: listening, touching, feeling, and even breathing. Creation of the sensory path inside Forte Larino meant giving voice to the senses to relive a soldier’s day of war – the waiting and the fear – a punch in the gut that stuns and makes you reflect. But the journey ends with a final room, featuring colors and sounds that open up to the light, to remind us that, despite it all, we still hold on to the hope of living.”
“The olfactory aspect invites us to discover beauty in new ways, while creating an intimate, emotional bond with history.” - Maura Gasperi
Promotion of the historical heritageThe selection of Forte Larino as the site for the project underscores the link between territory, memory, and innovation. Built between 1860 and 1861, the construction was part of the Austro-Hungarian defense system in Valle del Chiese to control the border with the Kingdom of Italy. Today, it is a place of contemporary culture capable of restoring meaning to the past through new languages.
