The ducal wall defending the Alpine passes
Along the mountain road to Alpe Devero, between the hamlets of Croveo and Goglio, in the locality of 'al Passo' are the remains of a barricade or 'antemurale' with a gate with a three-storey square tower and guard room. The portal could be barred with wooden portcullises to block the passage and collect tolls.
Starting from the tower, a curtain wall, no longer preserved, was built up the ridge to a sheer rock face.
The structures were set up by the Duchy of Milan from 1434 onwards to control access from the north, both as a defence against the frequent incursions of the Swiss from the Valais, and as a toll collection point for the caravans of merchants about to cross the Bocchetta d'Arbola to reach the rich markets of central Switzerland.
The barrier was reinforced by Ludovico il Moro after 1487, when with the Battle of Crevola, yet another invasion from Switzerland was repelled.
The fortification is visible along the carriage road connecting the hamlets of Croveo and Goglio, which leads to Alpe Devero (a nature reserve protected by the Ossola Protected Areas Management Authority).
We recommend access through hiking routes such as the Devero Valley loop Osso - Esigo - Al Passo - Osso
