Fort de Ronce at the Lac du Mont-Cenis

From 1861, the priorities of the Kingdom of Italy were unity and territorial defense. It therefore equipped Mont-Cenis with several forts, including the Ronce fort at 2286 m altitude, a breathtaking vantage point overlooking Lake Mont-Cenis.

At the end of the 19th century, the young Italy wanted to secure control over Mont-Cenis, the ancient transalpine route. Against a backdrop of diplomatic tensions with France, Italy fortified Mont-Cenis with several forts.
Fort de Ronce, which dominates the entire pass, was built between 1877 and 1880 on a circular plan with two stages of fire adapted to the new capabilities of rifled artillery.