Observation point
Bard, Aosta Valley
Fort Bard, also known as Bard Fort, is a fortified complex built in the 19th century by the House of Savoy on a rocky prominence above Bard, a town and comune in the Aosta Valley region of northwestern Italy. It seats at the entrance to the Aosta Valley, and is located in a narrow gorge above the Dora Baltea river. It has been used for millennia to control the historic route between Italy and France. The castle was under the control of the powerful local lords of Bard until the middle of the 13th century when ownership passed to the House of Savoy. Under their control, the defences were strengthened and improved. On May 14, 1800, a 40,000-strong French army was stopped by 400 Austro-Piedmontese soldiers at Fort Bard. They held the pass for two weeks, completely ruining Napoleon Bonaparte's plan of making a surprise attack on the Po Valley and Turin.