Battleﬁ elds - Forts - Museums - Monuments - Memorials ... · della Scala is well worth a visit, as are the complex array of communication and other trenches leading on from Pozzo

PROVINCIA DI VICENZA

PROVINCIA DI VENEZIA

Battlefi elds - Forts - Museums - Monuments - Memorials - Areas of interest.

Battlefi elds - Forts - Museums - Monuments - Memorials - Areas of interest

This guide’s contents have been improved, and the guide itself has been reorganised. The idea is to provide visitors with the means to explore the area and uncover some of the signs of what was a major historic event worthy of study also by other means.The guide is an invitation to seek out the sites of the Great War in the Veneto region, and an invitation also to learn more about this period of transformation which so dramatically impacted the prospects of the area and of its peoples. Essential information is provided here of the main sites of interest, where testimony of the Great War in the Provinces of Belluno, Treviso, Venezia and Vicenza can be discovered, studied and preserved.The sites are grouped under three large Ecomuseums which are currently being started up so that the many local historic events which are a part of our shared national history can be narrated in a more satisfactory manner. The guide includes a general map and three section maps with the positions, indicated by various colours, of the sites dealt with in this publication.

Remembrance of the Great War, rather than a commemoration, should be seen as a time of refl ection.We must remember and honour those whose life and youth came to an end during those tragic years in the lands of Venetia, along a boundary line which is hazy, nebulous and which appears to our eyes, nowadays, a monstrosity generated by rationality: in today’s Europe in which differing cultures and identities live and work together without divisions.At that time, more than today, certainly, the Europe of governments stood apart from the Europe of peoples. And, in the name of the interests and ideals of others − often neither shared nor understood −, hundreds of thousands of youngsters were shipped to the fronts to fi ght other youngsters. Their duty was to see in others the foe, and to hate the foe to the point of laying down their lives.Today, we remember the blood-soaked earth. We go back to, and conserve, the fi elds on which they fought, in a peaceful Venetia that looks forward toward the development of its communities. We look forward, while also respecting those events and such sacrifi ce.These markedly diverse, and frequently inaccessible, corners of our region deserve to be considered for what they are, in the name of a beauty enhanced by the fact that, here, historical events took place which, if it is our desire that they should never repeat themselves, we must not forget.

The sites of the Great WarThis institutional guide dedicated to the main locations of the Great War in the Veneto region − with its battlefi elds, fortresses, museums, monuments, cemeteries, memorials and areas of historic interest − has been thoroughly revised. The aim shared by our four provinces of the Veneto Region, the Veneto Region itself, and the Ministry of Culture has nothing to do with celebration of a tragic victory which now belongs to our distant past (after millions of deaths, who was the true victor?). The idea, rather, is to acknowledge the suffering of the soldiers of both sides, not to mention the suffering of the civilian populations. Indeed, in this region, World War I was truly a total war. It struck rural villages and cities alike. It ripped through once peaceful valleys. It ripped into the fl esh of the region’s people. And the wounds have never quite healed.While news of the events is transmitted among the people through the writings of authors such as Lussu, Hemingway, Comisso and so forth, here these memories (and an awareness of the dimensions of the tragedy acted out here) are handed down from one generation to the next. Like the carsic rivers of the area, these memories lead an underground existence, in the form of the stories of the people at large, whose sincerity is that much more eloquent in that there is no space here for ideology.Visitors to the Veneto region cannot ignore this page of its history. It is a page taken from the shared history of Italy, since, here, amid suffering and doubt, a national consciousness was forged. It is a page taken also from the history of Europe, because the troops of more than fi fteen nations fought here.

Remembrance − beyond frontiers

President of the Veneto RegionLuca Zaia

Gianpaolo BottacinPresident of the Province of Belluno

Leonardo MuraroPresident of the Province of Treviso

Francesca ZaccariottoPresident of the Province of Venice

Attilio SchneckPresident of the Province of Vicenza

Ecomuseum of the Vicentine Pre-Alps

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MONTE PASUBIO

respectively by the Provinces of Trento and Vicenza is marked by the Pasubio massif. Until 1918, the very same frontier was the political boundary between Italy and Austria-Hungary. This circumstance explains the extraordinary strategic importance of the Pasubio massif during the Great War. The area featured an enormous network of mule tracks and other lines of communication, the most remarkable of which, in terms of imperviousness, was the “Strada delle Gallerie” (the tunnels road), providing access to the peaks, in an area which is so characteristic of the Dolomites region.

1915 - 1918

Municipalities: Valli del PasubioPosinaTrambileno (TN)Vallarsa (TN)Terragnolo (TN)

Battlefi eld

SCHIO

RECOARO TERME VALLI DEL PASUBIO

CIMA ALTA - VACCARESSE

Extending from the Pasubio massif, Monte Novegno forms the southern fl ank of the mid-portion of the Posina valley. Viewed from all sides, the impression we have is of an imposing bulwark or bastion overlooking the Vicentine plains. And this, indeed, was its role during the Strafexpedition of Spring 1916. When the troops of Austria-Hungary withdrew, the Italian detachments began to fortify the zone extensively, above all at the Priaforà strongpoint, the heights of Cima Alta and Vaccaresse, and Forte Rivon.

1915 - 1917

Municipalities:Schio e Posina

Monte Novegno

Battlefi eld

VALLI DEL PASUBIO VICENZA

SCHIO

MONTE MAGGIO

This mighty buttress stretches southward and, as it stretches on, it decreases in size, starting out from Monte Maggio. We have, here, the summits of the Coston dei Laghi, Monte Borcoletta, and Corno del Coston, as well as the dramatic ‘towers’ of Monte Majo, forming a barrier for the upper Val Posina valley.This zone among the foothills of the Alps is noteworthy not only in terms of its history (notably, the fi rst year of the War until the Strafexpedition, which started here), but also in terms of its features of environmental interest, not to mention the marvellous panoramas.

1915 - 1918

Municipalities:Posina e Laghi

Battlefi eld

VALDASTICO

POSINA LAGHI

The monumental area of the Monte Cengio is one of the most strikingly evocative among the itineraries relating to mountain warfare: “La Granatiera” (the grenadier) road was carved out of the Cengio’s rocky walls looking directly down on the Val d’Astico valley. The road was linked to a system of tunnels, battle stations, cave mouth batteries, and mule tracks (lines of communication), all located in an area of extraordinary beauty.

1915 - 1918

Municipality:Cogollo del Cengio

Battlefi eld

MONTE CENGIO

VICENZA ASIAGO

COGOLLO DEL CENGIO TRESCHE’ CONCA

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Today’s border between the areas administered respectively by the Today’s border between the areas administered

Free entry Free entry


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MONTE CHIESA

location in June 1916 with units from Bosnia and Herzegovina, and also from Styria. The Ljubljana regiment organized the lines and areas behind the front. We fi nd important remains here, such as the HQ hutments or the so-called “Dolina degli Sloveni” (dolina, or depression of the ground surface, of the Slovenians), and the complex Thurmau Tunnel system of tunnels and cave emplacements (named after the commander of the regiment, Ventour von Thurmau). Since it was so impervious, the peak was never directly attacked by Italian troops.

1916 - 1917

Municipality: Enego

Monte Ortigara

Battlefi eld

Monte Chiesa became the ‘memorial’ ground of the 17th Slovenian regiment from Ljubljana, which occupied this

ASIAGO VALSUGA

ORTIGARA ENEGO

The Lemerle, Magnaboschi and Zovetto positions were bitterly contended during the Strafexpedition, which ended when Italian detachments (the Forlì and Liguria brigades) repelled the Imperial advance.From April 1918 on, the area was garrisoned by British units, which defeated the Austrian offensive of June 1918. These units were mainly responsible for the complex system of trenches, the armoured emplacements and the refuges which can still be seen here today.

1918

Municipality:Roana

Battlefi eld

VAL MAGNABOSCHI

VICENZA BASSANO

CESUNA ASIAGO

Opening and closing times:Every day, 9:00-18:00 (July and August); Sundays, 9:00-18:00 (April, May, June, September, October, November).

MONTE ZEBIO

Given its central position, Monte Zebio was a key stronghold along the Austrian line of resistance stretching from Val d’Assa to the Ortigara ridge. It was therefore prepared for defence, with a complex system of trenches, tunnels and cave emplacements still largely visible today. During the summer of 1916 and, above all, during the Battle of Ortigara (10-25 June 1917), the Italian detachments repeatedly attacked the Austrian positions, to no avail whatsoever.

1917

Municipality:Asiago

Battlefi eld

VICENZA BASSANO

ASIAGO GALLIO

Given its specifi c position, Monte Forno was prepared for defence by the detachments of the 27th Infrantry Regiment from Styria. It became a major strongpoint: in June 1917, it successfully held out against the infantry assault of the Arno brigade which attempted to reach Val Galmarara. The refuges and the works on the western slopes of Monte Forno are well worth a visit, as is the complex system of tunnels linking the zones immediately behind the lines to the cave emplacements and the main line of resistance.

1917

Municipality:Enego - Lusiana

Battlefi eld

MONTE FORNO

ASIAGO VALSUGANA

ENEGOGALLIO

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or uplands area. One of the bloodiest battles of World War I took place here, known as Action “K”, or, more widely, as the Battle of Ortigara (June 1917). We are moved, even today, at the sight of the remains of imposing defensive works constructed by both sides, not to mention the complex system of roads, mule tracks and logistical centres. These structures are fairly well conserved and can also be reached by the “Sentiero della Pace” (peace footpath) and paths for tourists indicated by CAI (the Italian Alpine Club).

1917

Municipality: Enego

Battlefi eld

MONTE ORTIGARA

This is one of the most historically signifi cant zones of the entire Altopiano,

ASIAGO VALSUGANA

ORTIGARA ENEGO

MELETTE DI FOZA

The complex natural amphitheatre made up of the summits of the mounts Tondarecar, Castelgomberto, Fior, Spil and Miela, surrounding the small stretch of alpine grazing land (malga) known as “malga Lora”, became (between June1916 and November 1917) a theatre for some of the bloodiest battles of World War I to be fought on the Altopiano di Asiago (Asiago uplands). Testimony remains in the form of many memorial stones and monuments, and the vestiges of the military cemetery of “malga Lora”.

1916 - 1917

Municipality:Foza

Battlefi eld

ASIAGO VALSUGANA

GALLIO FOZA

CIMA CALDIERA

Occupied by the Alpine troops during the counteroffensive launched by the Italians, between summer 1916 and autumn 1917, the entire area was strongly fortifi ed. The hutment complex of Pozzo della Scala is well worth a visit, as are the complex array of communication and other trenches leading on from Pozzo della Scala to Monte Campanaro (Mount Campanaro), Cima Caldiera (Caldiera peak), above, and the vestiges of the observation post of Gen. Di Giorgio, commander of the 4th Alpine group (raggruppamento alpino) during the Battle of Ortigara.

1916 - 1917

Municipality:Enego

Monte Ortigara

Battlefi eld

ASIAGO VALSUGANA

ENEGOGALLIO

MONTE LOZZE

A major stronghold along Italy’s line of maximum resistance, Monte Lozze provided an excellent observation point for directing artillery fi re against the Austrian positions on Monte Ortigara and the Campigoletti area. The main communication trenches extended from Monte Lozze, linking the forward lines of the vallone dell’Agnellizza (Agnellizza valley) − and, to the south, the Campiluzzi line − with logistical supply lines behind the front. The entire zone presents clear testimony of the defensive construction works of the Italians, built between summer 1916 and autumn 1917.

1917

Municipality:Enego

Battlefi eld

ASIAGO VALSUGANA

ORTIGARA ENEGO

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Free entry

Free entry

Free entry

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RATTI FORT

Dominating the Conca d’Arsiero valley, near the “case Ratti” (Ratti houses) settlement, we fi nd the fortress of the same name. Located downstream on the torrente Astico (Astico torrent - to the right as one looks downstream), at an altitude of approx. 350 m., the role of Forte Ratti was to control movements from the upper Val d’Astico.Built in the years, 1906-1908, there are a number of clear conceptual differences in the manner in which it was designed, setting it apart from the Italian fortresses constructed later.

1915 - 1918Free entry

Municipality:Valdastico

Fort

LASTEBASSE ARSIERO

PEDESCALA

Although originally armed with six 149 mm guns placed in rotating steel dome turrets, the cannons were transported elsewhere and replaced with tree trunks. The fortifi cation was bombarded in May 1916 at the start of the Strafexpedition, occupied by the Austrian vanguards from the Kliemann group (7:30 p.m., 29 May 1916), and abandoned during the strategic retreat of 24 June 1916.It remained a forward observation post for the Italians.

1916

Entrance fee

Municipality:Roana

Fort

CORBIN FORT

Given its position, well back from the front, Forte Corbin was more or less inactive during the fi rst half of the confl ict.

VICENZA BASSANO

TRESCHE’ CONCA ASIAGO

Opening and closing times:Every day, 9:00-18:00 (July and August); Sundays, 9:00-18:00 (April, May,June, September, October, November).

CAMPOLONGO FORTtwin of Forte Verena, is certainly the best preserved of strongholds after the Punta Corbin stronghold. Near this fort, we now fi nd the point of arrival of one of the two “Sentiero della Pace” (peace path) itineraries. From the nearby Piana di Vezzena (the Vezzena plain, coming under the administration of Trento) the peace path itineraries cross the Altipiano upland in opposing directions.The stronghold was built between 1912 and 1914. It housed four 149 S cannons placed under rotating domes of a thickness of 180 mm.


Municipality:Rotzo

Fort

VAL D’ASTICO ASIAGO

ROTZO ROANA

CAMPOMOLON FORT

On the former boundary line between Italy and Austria, the (incomplete) Campomolon fortress was built on the heights separating the Fiorentini and Tonezza uplands, at an altitude of 1,853 metres. While not completed, it hosted a battery of 280-mm howitzers. We note the imposing rubblework walls providing cover, the enormous excavations required to build the fortress (half under rock cover, and half exposed), and, lastly, the interesting (and, architecturally speaking, pleasingly rounded) form of the tunnel.

1915 - 1918

Free entry

Municipality:Arsiero

Fort

FOLGARIA ARSIERO

VALICO VALBONA TONEZZA

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Forte Campolongo (Campolongo Fort) overhanging the Val d’Astico valley, the

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of this time. Armed with four 149 mm guns, during the fi rst days of the confl ict it caused considerable damage to the Austrian strongpoints on Piana di Vezzena (the Vezzena plain). Nevertheless, on 12 June 1915, it was incapacitated by a bombshell that took the lives of as many as 44 gunners. The attack presumably came from the Austrian positions at Costa Alta. This incident caused a great stir in the national and international press at the time and led the Italian Supreme Command to order (2 July 1915) that Italian fortifi cations within the range of the Austrians be dismantled.

1915 - 1918

Free entry

Municipality:Roana

Fort

VERENA FORT

Forte Verena is surely one of the fortresses of the Great War most frequently cited in the many memoirs

ASIAGOVICENZA

ROTZO ROANA

LISSER FORT

Forte Lisser, dominating the settlement of Enego, made up part of the defences of the Canale del Brenta (Brenta canal).Although featuring the most modern of armoured structures and despite the fact that it was hardly ever directly involved in acts of war, this fortifi cation is clearly in a poor state of repair.Well preserved, instead is the underground powder magazine − a structure which is both historically and architecturally worthy of note.


Municipality:Enego

Fort

ASIAGO VALSUGANA

ENEGO

With its four 75 A mm guns, the building of this redoubt began in 1910. It made up a part of the Brenta – Cismon defences. It consisted in an approx. 300-metre long tunnel entirely excavated in the rock, leading on to fi ve tunnels facing the Valsugana valley. The battery was linked to the HQ building by a covered trench.

1915 - 1918

Free entry

Municipality:Enego

Fort

COLDARCO FORT

ASIAGO VALSUGANA

ENEGO

MONTE INTERROTTO

This former barracks defending Monte Interrotto (which is incorrectly referred to as Forte Interrotto) dates back to before World War I. The structure nevertheless ‘saw action’ and was severely damaged. An entirely stone-built structure dating back to the latter half of the nineteenth century, overlooking the settlement of Camporovere, this barracks structure is most decidedly a remarkable structure, and one of considerable interest.

1915 - 1918

Free entry

Municipality: Asiago

Fort

VICENZA BASSANO

CAMPOROVERE ASIAGO

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THE LIFE OF A SOLDIER IN THE GREAT WAR

The museum, “La vita del soldato nella Grande Guerra” (the life of soldiers during the Great War) was started up in 1999 at Recoaro. We fi nd here an extraordinary collection of materials relating to the day-to-day lives of soldiers and conditions on the Alpine front during World War I. These objects were gathered from battlefi elds (primarily, in the Adamello and Pasubio areas) by Antonio Storti, from Recoaro. The exhibits, now open to the public, document the lives of thousands at the front.


Municipality:Recoaro Terme

Museum

VICENZA VICENZA

VALDAGNO RECOARO TERME SCHIO

Tel. 0445.793380Fax 0445.793389

MUSEUM OF THE FIRST ARMY

1915 - 1918

Free entry

Municipality:Valli del PasubioLocation:Colle Bellavista

Museum

VICENZA

VALLI DEL PASUBIO SCHIO

ROVERETO

MUSEUM REPRESENTATION CENTRE

signifi cance of the Val Posina valley, and its landscape). The aim is to ‘train’ visitors arriving at the theatres of the Great War and to provide them with the means to learn more (also by turning to the literature, familiarising themselves with the facts, and putting the facts to the test).The “Centro di Rappresentazione Museale” at Posina hosts the “Centro Visita dell’Ecomuseo della Grande Guerra nelle Prealpi Vicentine” (visitors’ centre for the Ecomuseum of the Great War in the Vicentine Pre-Alps).

1915 - 1918

Free entry

Municipality: PosinaLocation: Fusine

MuseumThe main characteristic of the various heritage items linked to the Great War, whether mobile or immobile, is their presence throughout this area.The role of the “Centro di Rappresentazione Museale” (centre of museum representation) at Posina is to provide visitors with the means to explore this tragic event through various activities centred on didactic practices and communication, taking us beyond the task of merely providing information. Various meanings attach to this historic event (which deeply modifi ed the cultural

The idea behind a visitors’ centre focussing on the specifi c theme of the Great War on Monte Cimone, with particular attention paid to mine warfare, is that of providing a structure capable of gathering material and documentary testimony of this time, while also fostering dialogue and exchange. This institution is one of the key components of the Ecomuseo della Grande Guerra delle Prealpi Vicentine (Ecomuseum of

ARSIERO

FUSINEPOSINA

Tel. 0445.593011

CIMONE VISITORS’ CENTRE

the Great War in the Vicentine Pre-Alps). Development of the museum’s overview of the area is enhanced by inclusion of dynamic approaches such as we associate with the visitors’ centres of the great open-air museums.


Municipality:Tonezza del Cimone

Museum

VICENZA

TONEZZA ARSIERO

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1,217 m), standing guard over the Sengio Alto (Sengio heights) toward the plain, or Pianura. The museum building stands next to a memorial. The documentary function of the museum is complementary to that of the memorial itself.The cabinets house material of historical interest (arms, military equipment, photographs, memorabilia, maps, uniforms, and a large model of the Pasubio massif). This material has been gathered together thanks to the generosity of the heirs, Pecori Giraldi and Papa, and the keen interest of dedicated scholars and researchers.

The museum dedicated to the soldiers of the First Army is housed in a building on the colle Bellavista (Bellavista hill, alt.

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25 THE BATTLE OF THE THREE MOUNTAINS“Per non dimenticare” (lest we forget). These are the words we fi nd engraved on the truncated column erected at an altitude of 2,105 m, on Monte Ortigara. Remembering the sacrifi ces, the suffering and the lives destroyed by the war, and the “battaglia dei tre monti” (battle of three mountains) serves as a warning to all, and as an exhortation to seek peace. This is the mission of the Museo della Guerra di Sasso di Asiago (the Sasso di Asiago War Museum) − undertaken in the name of all, from all nations, who suffered and fell on our mountainsides.

1915 - 1918

Free entry

Municipality:AsiagoLocation:Sasso

Museum

Museum

VICENZA BASSANO

ASIAGO

Tel. 0424.690018www.sassodiasiago.it

ROVINI COLLECTION

A fi ne collection of objects dating back to World War I is hosted by former primary school premises in the district of Tresche Conca. The collection on display, made available by the Rovini family, was inaugurated in June 1998. It is the result of painstaking research into the materials providing testimony of the Great War. In some of the rooms, visitors will fi nd more than 700 items, such as bombs, rifl es, bayonets, helmets, uniforms, crampons and pots and pans (discovered on the battlefi eld of the Altipiano di Asiago uplands, in the area of the Pasubio massif, along the Brenta, Piave and Isonzo rivers, on the Carso heights, and in Comelico).

1915 - 1918

Free entry

Municipality:RoanaLocation:Tresche Conca

Museum

BASSANOVICENZA

CANOVE ASIAGOTRESCHE’CONCA

HISTORIC MUSEUM OF THE ’15 – ’18 WAR

quantities of exhibits and documents linked to World War I, is one of the largest of its kind. As for all of the upland (Altipiano) and border settlements, Canove suffered the violence of that war. When the war ended, the healing slowly started. These communities were gradually rebuilt, and it was during this period of patient reconstruction that so many of the instruments of the war resurfaced (arms, ammunition and any number of the personal possessions of soldiers on both sides).

1915 - 1918

Entrance fee

Municipality:RoanaLocation: Canove

Museum

This Museum, with its enormous

BASSANOVICENZA

CANOVE ASIAGO

Tel. 0424.692212www.collezionerovini.itOpening and closing times: from 15 June to 15 September, 10:00-12:00 and 15:30-19:00 (booking required for the other months).

Tel. 0424.692212Opening and closing times: from 15 Juneto 15 September,10:00-12:00 and 15:30-19:00 (booking required for the other months).

MUSEUM OF THE RISORGIMENTO AND RESISTANCE

The museum, dedicated to the struggle for Italian unity and the resistance movement, commemorates various events, personages and protagonists of historical signifi cance to Italy and to the city. Room 4 hosts a section dedicated to World War I, with a collection of writings, memorabilia, uniforms, decorations, photographs and maps, as well as letters, anthems and patriotic songs refl ecting sentiments widespread among the people at that time.

1915 - 1918

Entrance fee

Municipality:Vicenza

Opening and closing times:from 02/10 to 14/059:00-12:00 and 14:00-17:00from 15/05 to 01/109:00-12:00 and15:00-18:00.

VICENZA PADOVAVERONA

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tunnels. The crypt holds the remains of 70 holders of decorations for military valour. The crypt was also the site of entombment, in 1952, of the Maresciallo d’Italia, Guglielmo Pecori Giraldi, who commanded the First Army from 9 May 1916 until the victorious conclusion of the war in November 1918. The memorial contains the remains of 5,017 Italian soldiers killed in battle (3,400 of whom unknown) from the war cemeteries of the Pasubio area, and of 60 unknown Austro-Hungarian soldiers.

1915 - 1918

Free entry

Municipality:Valli del Pasubio

Colle Bellavista

Memorial

PASUBIO CHAPEL AND OSSUARY

Building work on this monument and ossuary began in 1920. The inauguration took place on 29 August 1926. The ossuary is made up of two concentric

VICENZA

VALLI DEL PASUBIO SCHIO

ROVERETO

Tel. 0445.593011

CIMONE MEMORIAL

Battalion of the 219th Foot of the Brigata Sele who died on 23 September 1916 following the explosion of an Austrian mine on the summit of Monte Cimone di Arsiero. The monument was designed by the architect, Thom Cevese. It consists in a tower on four arches surmounted by an octagonal pyramid-like spire. The monument is made up of three parts: an ossuary, a small chapel, and the spire. The ossuary is housed in one space, since the identities of the 1,210 corpses are all unknown.

1915 - 1918

Free entry

Municipality: Arsiero

Memorial

This monument was built to duly commemorate, and to provide a resting place for, the infantrymen of the First

VICENZA

ARSIEROTONEZZA

Access: road from Tonezza

THE SCRAPPERS’ MUSEUM

1915 - 1918

Entrance fee

Municipality:San Nazario Location:Carpanè

Museum

Tel. 0424.692212Opening and closing times:from 15 Juneto 15 September,10:00-12:00 and15:30:19:00 (booking required for the other months).CISMON DEL GRAPPA BASSANO

SAN NAZARIO

LEITEN WAR MEMORIALConstructed between 1932 and 1936, on the colle del Leiten (Leiten hill), the war memorial of the same name (designed by the architect, O. Rossato) was inaugurated in the presence of His Majesty, King Vittorio Emanuele III on 17 July 1938. The enormous crypt with its square base contains the remains of 19,999 Austro-Hungarians and 34,286 Italians killed in battle (including 12 holders of gold medal decorations for military valour).

1915 - 1918

Free entry


Memorial

VICENZA BASSANO

ASIAGO

Opening and closing times: from 02/10 to 14/059:00-12:00 and 14:00-17:00;from 15/05 to 01/109:00-12:00 and 15:00-18:00.

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totally destitute, the government issued a decree legally permitting recovery of war materials. As a result, “recuperanti” (scrap collectors) entered the picture, who recovered large quantities of ‘noble’ materials (e.g. lead, brass and copper). These materials, the refuse of war, were stored in temporary deposits and then sold. This museum was set up to commemorate the ‘age’ of the scrapper. An association of upland municipalities, “Comunità Montana del Brenta”, opened the museum following the acquisition of a private collection to which other items were added in the form of donations from many associations and private individuals..

In the 1920’s, in order to aid Italian industry (whose stocks of raw materials were at an all-time low as a result of the war effort), and also to meet the needs of the many people who, following the war, found themselves jobless, homeless and

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During the summer of 1916, on the border of the Empire (a borderline now separating the provinces of Vicenza and Trento), Engineer Corps units under General Graziani, aided by many civilians (including women and children), built an imposing defence structure. To protect the plain of Vicenza, the line stretched along the Catena delle Tre Croci ridge, taking in Campogrosso, to fi nally reach Pian delle Fugazze (the Fugazze plain).

1916 - 1917

Municipality: Recoaro Terme

Area of interest

RECOARO TERME VICENZA

VALDAGNO

CAMPO GALLINA

PEACE FOOTPATH

upper Portule valley, the basin of Campo Gallina (Gallina fi eld) became, after the Strafexpedition (June 1916), one of the main logistical centres of the Sixth Austro-Hungarian Division. The location was organised along the lines of a citadel, with a hospital, shop, cinema, chapel, hutments, refuges and storehouses.In the broad basin dominated by the imposing “monumento agli eroi” (monument for heroes) we see the remains of fi eld hospital no. 1303, the military cemetery and the chapel’s podium.

The uplands “Sentiero della Pace” footpath makes up a part of an itinerary

1915 - 1918

1915 - 1918


Monte Ortigara


Area of interest

Area of interest

VAL D’ASSA VICENZA

ASIAGOGHERTELE

Access from Lariciand from Val GalmararaCAI (the Italian Alpine Club) footpath no. 830

MONTE CIVILLINA

of 350 km along the front of World War I, taking in Monte Stelvio (Mount Stelvio), and the Ortles and Adamello peaks, the heights of the Pasubio massif and the uplands between Trento and Vicenza, where the decisive battles took place.This footpath functions as an open-air museum, since it takes us to historical locations restored and still visitable today. The “Sentiero della Pace” covers about 68 km circa from the basin altitude 1,000 m to 2,105 m (the altitude at the rocky terrain of Monte Ortigara).

THIENE BASSANO

ASIAGO

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Located at the foot of the western slopes of Monte Colombarone in the


Free entry

Ecomuseum of the Belluno Dolomites

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GRUPPO DEL PADON

1915- 1917

Municipalities:Livinallongo del Col di LanaRocca Pietore

the Cordevole valley and the mountain, la Marmolada, was the theatre of tremendous battles. The Austro-Hungarians had gained a fi rm foothold on the line stretching from Pala Mariagn to Pizzac, Pescoi, and Sas de Mezdì, down to the Bamberg refuge in Passo Fedaia (now the Rifugio Castiglioni). The Italians during their attack climbed from Crepe Rosse, Mesola and the Ornella mountain, and the front was consolidated until the great defeat at Caporetto.There are many clear traces of trench warfare (lasting until October 1917) along the ridge (Ferrata delle trincee). The Ornella mountain features masonry work, and many caves are to be found at Ciampei and Col Toront. Visitors may wish to walk along the deep trenches which are still accessible between Pescoi and Pizzac.

Access: easy, well signposted CAI (Italian Alpine Club) footpaths from Passo Pordoi, from Passo Fedaia, and from Arabba and Ornella. On the other hand, the trenches route called via Ferrata delle Trincee is a much harder route, for fully equipped experts only. The Gruppo del Padon (Padon group), between

Battlefi eld

Municipality: Livinallongo del Col di Lana

COL DI LANA

Start out from Pieve di Livinallongo or Passo Valparola. This is a medium-diffi culty itinerary, and visitors should be adequately equipped. The recommended season is

1915 - 1917

June-September. When war broke out, Col di Lana was an Austrian bastion defending the valleys, Val Badia and Val Pusteria. Its steep, bare slopes presented a great challenge to the Italians: the hill fell to the Italians only after the explosion of a mine during the night (17-18 April 1916). It was then lost again after the great defeat at Caporetto. Col di Lana and nearby Monte Sief (Mount Sief) were burrowed and dug into by both sides for tunnels for mines and protection. The trenches (including the communication trenches) have now been partly restored and opened up to visitors who take the footpath (fi tted out for safety) linking the two summits. In 1935, a chapel in memory the fallen was built on Col di Lana, as a place of pilgrimage and commemoration.

Battlefi eld

ALLEGHE CANAZEI

PASSO FEDAIAROCCA PIETORE

VONBANKSTELLUNG

1915- 1917

Municipality:Cortina d’Ampezzo

a fi ne opportunity to admire the very many vestiges of the Austrian positions which – together with the Selletta Goiginger saddle, opposite – functioned as a fi xed barrier against a possible Italian advance toward Tyrol. This defensive system – named after Heinrich Vonbank, the commander of the 2nd Kaiserjäger Regiment – was therefore designed to withstand a frontal attack (and, indeed, it was more than adequate in this sense). The defensive works were reinforced by six lines of barbed wire fencing. A characteristic of this structure was its fretted, or grecate, layout, with cross-banks providing protection against shrapnel. The recent restoration work highlights the extraordinary importance, and unique characteristics, of this system.

From Forte ‘n Tra i Sass below Passo Falzarego, once the road has been crossed, visitors may follow the footpath for more or less a quarter of an hour to reach the slopes of the Piccolo Lagazuoi to view the recently restored Austrian defence structures. This is an itinerary suitable for all visitors. A visit to the Vonbank emplacement provides us with

Battlefi eld

Municipality:Cortina D’AmpezzoLocation:Passo Falzarego

PICCOLO LAGAZUOI

From Passo Falzarego, visitors can reach the summit of the Piccolo Lagazuoi by a convenient cableway. The downhill route provides a veritable open-air museum itinerary, including tunnelled war structures. Please note that parts of the route are safety equipped. These very short stretches require care and also torches. The recommended season is mid- to late summer. At other times of the year, the route

1915 - 1917

may be dangerous due to the presence of water or ice. The cableway generally operates from early June until the third week of October (every 15’). The Piccolo Lagazuoi was of strategic importance to both armies during the Great War (a fact the Austrians realised immediately). Thus, when the confl ict broke out, the Austrians occupied observations posts there at altitudes “2668” and “2779”. Cengia Martini is a very fi ne location that illustrates the challenges of mountain warfare. It can still be visited today (after a visit to the tunnel started in early 1917). Thanks to reconstructions, one leaves with a vivid impression of what life was like at the front. The tunnels are now open to the public thanks to the restoration work undertaken by the joint efforts of the Italian ‘Alpini’, or Alpine troops, and their Austrian and German counterparts, united by a desire not to let this era fall into oblivion.

Tel. e fax 0436.867301 [email protected]

Battlefi eld

CORTINAD’AMPEZZO

PASSO FALZAREGO

POCOL

ALLEGHE CANAZEI

PASSO FEDAIAROCCA PIETORE

ARABBA PASSO FALZAREGO

ANDRAZPIEVE DI LIVINALLONGO

ARABBA CORTINA

ANDRAZLIVINALLONGO

[email protected]

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Free entryFree entry

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CASTELLETTO DI TOFANA

Access to this key site may be gained from the refuge, Rifugio Angelo Dibona (2,083 m), which can be reached by car. A footpath (trail mark 404) leads to the tunnel entrance (approx. 45 minutes). Please note that this is not the Galleria Elicoidale (helicoidal tunnel) (Galleria di Mina (mine tunnel), 11 July 1916) rising within the Tofana, located opposite, which is not dealt with in this guide, given its high altitude, exposure and inaccessibility

1916


Location: Val Costeana

to all but expert climbers (safety fi xtures have been fi tted). Beyond the steps leading up to the tunnel, a very short level stretch takes us to the entrance of the impressive Galleria dei Cannoni (cannons tunnel). The Galleria del Cannone (cannon tunnel) is a broad horizontal window which was excavated by the Italians after Castelletto was taken. Before this tunnel, the site had hosted only a small cave which served as a shelter for the guard units defending the Cappelli route. The hard work put in by the Alpini (Alpine troops) turned this position into a huge, well-illuminated underground complex with large windows looking out over the Val Costeana (Costeana valley), Monte Lagazuoi (Mount Lagazuoi) and the Alta Val Travenánzes (upper Travenánzes valley). A fi ne plaque bears witness to this titanic effort. We see here the old hobnailed boot footprints left in the wet cement.

Battlefi eld

be rented (Italian, English and German) at the lower chair lift station. Below the rocky Torre Grande (2,361 m) forward outpost, we fi nd the Rifugio Cinque Torri (fi ve towers refuge), dating back to 1904, serving as base for the “Reggio” brigade. A barracks settlement was installed amid the large rocks, with emplacements for Italian gunners. The area also featured shelters, emplacements, caves and communication and other trenches, set up at the very start of the war. This was an extremely important position, from which it was possible to observe the Austrian Col di Lana/Sief/Settsass line. It was a second line, very well protected to prevent the Austrians from re-occupying Cortina and ascending via Val Costeana (the Costeana valley).

The 5 Torri (fi ve towers) can also be reached by chair lift between June and September (also by skiers during the winter). The museum visit commences after a short walk from the upper chair lift station near the refuge, Rifugio Scoiattoli. Audio guides can

CINQUE TORRI

1915 - 1917

Municipality: Cortina d’Ampezzo

Location:Val Costeana (m 2137)

Tel. 0436.4610 Tel. 0436.2863 [email protected]

Battlefi eld

CORTINAD’AMPEZZO

PASSO FALZAREGO

POCOL

MONTE PIANA (2.324 M)

1915 - 1917

Municipality:Auronzo di Cadore

Location: Misurina

Rifugio Bosi (refuge)Tel. [email protected] [email protected]. 338.5282447336.309730AURONZO

MISURINA

CARBONIN

Battlefi eld

SASSO DI STRIA (Hexenfels)

1915 - 1917


Location: Passo Falzarego (m 2105)

Battlefi eld

ANDRAZ CORTINAD’AMPEZZO

PASSO FALZAREGO

POCOL

FALZAREGO CORTINA

Tel. 0436.2863 [email protected]

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A partly restored military track leads from Passo Falzarego to the peak. This climb includes exposed, fairly risky stretches (safety fi xtures have been fi tted) and must be considered an Alpine climb. Duration: approx. 1 hour. This was an Austrian stronghold right from the earliest days of the war. While patrols were sent out

on reconnaissance missions above, the peak on the approach to the main peak (Selletta Goiginger, or Goiginger saddle) and the saddle below were occupied on an ongoing basis. The outcrop was pierced by caves and by a tunnel at the mouth of which stood a small cannon. The Italian offensive against the “Stria” was one of the fi rst actions of the war in the Cadore area and Ampezzo basin. The reinforcement work conducted here is truly awe-inspiring. Visitors interested in these events will be sure to seek out information on the young nineteen year-old hero of the “Stria”, second lieutenant Mario Fusetti, whose body appears never to have been found. Fusetti rests amid the rocks of this contended mountain. The Associazione Nazionale Alpini has now conducted restoration work on the Sasso di Stria open-air museum.

been conducted (including safety measures) in order to provide visitors with a chance to examine the extraordinary defensive and offensive works installed by both sides. These efforts led, however, to a protracted stalemate which saw much bloodshed. The sheer scale of this battlefi eld (the length and width of the outcrop are 2.5 kilometers and 600 metres, respectively) eloquently provides testimony, to this day, of the endless suffering of those 29 tremendous months of war. The refuge is reached from Misurina (1,756 m) by means of a convenient mule track or by a shuttle service (1 June-30 October; 9:00-17:00, daily; departures every approx. 20 minutes; meeting point: Pensione Genzianella). The Bosi refuge is open daily during the summer season (1 June-10 October). It is then only open during the weekends (during the winter, only for limited periods from December to April).

Monte Piana (Mount Piana), placed against the stunning backdrop of the peaks of the Dolomites, has rightly been considered the epitome of the immense and appalling tragedy and suffering. The death toll came to 14,000. This truly spectacular location still evokes the memory of the very many troops who died here. Vast, precise restoration work has



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short tunnel in which we still fi nd graffi ti with the names of men and detachments. Together with the nearby Monte Avanza (Mount Avanza) works, the site fully evokes the determination with which the Italian soldiers held on to these impervious positions. Access is by car from the Cima Sappada settlement (1,298 m) up to car park at 1,815 metres close to the Sorgenti del Piave (springs of the River Piave). A short walk along a formerly military mule track (altitude difference, 350 m, covered in 45 minutes) takes visitors to the refuge. A further ten minutes takes us to the ‘forcella’, or mountain pass, which was of such key importance to the Italians.

Forcella dei Fortini (the pass of fortresses)one of the best-fortifi ed locations on the Sappada heights. Apart from the surroundings, one sure attraction is the

FORCELLA DEI FORTINI – MONTE CHIADÉNIS

1915 - 1917

Municipality:SappadaLocation:Sorgenti del Piave Rifugio P.F.Calvi

Battlefi eld

FALZAREGO CORTINA

Fort

TAGLIATA DI S. MARTINO

At the close of the nineteenth century, the site was systematically laid out with fortifi cations, based on inclusion of a “tagliata” (fortifi cation) at road level, a blockhaus above and a post with hidden casamattas, or enclosures for artillery, on the summit. Leave your car at Case Giovannelli, close to the northern entrance to the Galleria dei Castei tunnel on the State road between Belluno and Agordo. On foot, proceed along the old road toward the former Casa Cantoniera (roadman’s house) at the site of the “tagliata”. A winding military cartroad (C.A.I., Italian Alpine Club, and trail mark no. 874) leads us to a guard emplacement and then three tunnels, followed by the Pianaz emplacements (1,050 m). This excursion (3 h 30 m) is not diffi cult (mainly by mule track with some diversions, occasionally on steep slopes covered with damp grass).

1915 - 1917

Free entry

Municipality:Rivamonte Agordino

Location:Castèi

Tel. 0437/69128Fax: 0437/69143Comunità Montana AgordinaTel.0437.62390 0437.62034 0437.63617 - Fax 0437/62043

Fort

Fort

Passo Falzarego toward Valparola the vestiges of warfare lead us on to the slopes of Sasso di Stria and, just beyond, to the Selletta Goiginger (Goiginger saddle), where we fi nd fi xed defensive works erected by the Austrians (note the fi ne caves, storerooms, kitchens, and remaining insignia and graffi ti). The tunnel (about 500 metres long) should be visited during the summer months since water accumulates here at other times of the year. Bring a torch.Of considerable interest are the site’s armoured emplacements and the traces of life as it was once lived here (an old stove, a washing line, the electric wire, the cave for the generator, and so forth).Itinerary suitable for all visitors.

The galleria Goiginer (Goiginer tunnel) is located within the area of the Sasso di Stria open-air museum (Museo all’aperto del Sasso di Stria). It was named after Field Marshal Ludwig von Goiginger, commander of the Pustertal Division. Just beyond

GALLERIA GOIGINGER AT SASSO DI STRIA

1915 - 1917

Free entry


Location:Passo Falzarego

BATTERIA LISTOLADE (OR FORTE DI PEDEN)

The Batteria Listolade (Listolade battery), in the territory administered by the Comune di Taibon Agordino (municipality of Taibon Agordino), more widely known as “Forte di Pèden”, was constructed toward the close of the nineteenth century at the foot of Monte S. Lucano in order to control the Listolade pass, or narrows, and

1915 - 1917


Municipality:Taibon Agordino

Comune di Taibon AgordinoTel. 0437.660007Fax: 0437.661002Comunità Montana AgordinaTel. 0437.62390 0437.62034 0437.63617Fax 0437.62043

movements from the direction of Val Corpassa (the Corpassa valley). A fi ne military road (with enormous rubblework walls) leads to the location from Coi di Péden (680 m), also within the territory administered by the Comune di Taibon Agordino. Although the vegetation has not been cleared away, this emplacement, given its specifi c architectural and military signifi cance, is well worth a visit. On the approach to the battery, we fi nd a road branching off to the left leading to the Costa Bortolot emplacements (alt. 1,121 m) (landslides are possible): a rise of 100 metres to the fortifi cation, 450 m to the upper emplacements; duration of excursion: a 90-minute climb to visit the remains of the stronghold; 3 hours for a visit to Costa Bortolot, on level ground.

SORGENTI DEL PIAVE CIMA SAPPADA

FORCELLA DEI FORTINI

CENCENIGHE AGORDO

AGORDO BELLUNO

Rifugio Calvi (refuge)Tel. 0435.469232

Already during the Middle Ages, this rocky, isolated stronghold − located toward the foot of Sasso di S. Martino, on the right bank of the Cordevole, and between the Ponte del Cristo and Ponte della Muda bridges − was a very important strategic asset for control over the road between Belluno and Agordo.

Tel. 0436.2863 [email protected]

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13 MONTE RITE FORT

1915 - 1917

Entrance fee

Municipality:Cibiana di Cadore

Location:Cima monte Rite

Tel. 0435.890996Fax. 0435.890997www.monterite.itOpen: June-October; all-dayopening.Access: shuttleservices or footpaths from Passo Cibiana(the Cibiana pass)

This fort serves as the seat of the Messner Mountain Museum Dolomites. It

CIBIANAFORNO DI ZOLDO

MONTE RITE

Fort

PIAN DELL’ANTRO FORT

1915- 1918

Free entry

Municipality:Valle di cadore

Fort Fort

Tel. 0435.505420Fax 0435.519075

Fort

M. RICCO AND BATTERIA CASTELLO FORTS

including partially disabled persons. BATTERIA CASTELLO (953 m) (Castello battery): visitors may take the same route as that for Forte Monte Ricco. However, they must turn left at the fork in the woods just below the defensive works (about 30 minutes from the centre of Pieve). The battery can also be reached from the northwest along an uphill woodland footpath from Roccolo di S. Alipio (about 20-30 minutes). Wooden bridges have been installed around the fortifi cations, also facilitating the descent to Roccolo. However, care should be taken at this point, and the route is not suitable for all visitors. Restoration work at Forte di M. Ricco is currently in progress.

1915 - 1918

Free entry

Municipality:Pieve di cadore

Forte Monte Ricco (953) m. This fortress may be reached after a pleasant walk in the woods and along a route practically entirely closed off from road traffi c. The walk is suitable for all (until the entrance of the fortifi cation),

Comune di Pieve di CadoreTel. 0435-789177Fax 0437-789101

COL VIDAL FORT AND ANELLO DEI COLLI

This fort is located on the Pian dei Buoi plain, on the itinerary known as “L’anello dei colli” (ring of hills) (trail mark no. 33, colours white-green). The site can be reached from Lozzo along the uphill military road. Parking at Ciareido (250 parking spaces), Pellegrini (6 spaces) or Casera delle Armente (30 spaces). During July and August, traffi c is subject to a municipal ruling, with

1915 - 1918

Free entry

Municipality:Lozzo di cadore

Comune di Lozzo di Cadore Tel. 0435.76393 Fax 0435.76383www.antichisentieri.org

specifi c times for the uphill and downhill journeys. This itinerary takes visitors to the Col Vidal armoured fortress and to an interesting group of complementary military bases known as the “Linea Gialla” (yellow line) above Lozzo di Cadore, at an altitude of 1800 m, bordering the splendid upland plain of Pian dei Buoi and lying at the foot of Monte Ciarido. The installation was built between 1908 and 1915 in order to block Austrian penetration from the Val Ansiei and Val Comelico valleys. This upland area, with its centuries of shepherding traditions, features subsidiary works, and forms a part of the historic “Anello dei Colli” itinerary along which information signposts have been provided by the municipal authority, Comune di Lozzo di Cadore (also thanks to European funding).

CIBIANA VENAS DI CADORELOZZOAURONZO PIEVE DI CADORE

PIEVE DI CADORETAI DI CADORE CALALZO

is located on the summit of Monte Rite, in Cadore, at an altitude of more than 2,100 metres. With its stunning 360° panoramic views of the Dolomites, this location was found to be of extraordinary strategic signifi cance during the Great War. Hence its complex structure of military fortifi cations (battery, barracks, powder magazine, observation post). The structures, which had fallen into a state of disrepair, have now been fully restored; the project was drawn up by Venice’s architectural university − Università di Architettura di Venezia (Iuav).

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(BL) (BL)m on a splendid balcony looking over the Pelmo and Antelao mountains. It was constructed by the Italian Military Engineer Corps between 1911 and 1914 to prevent movements of enemy forces from the valle del Boite (Boite valley) and the Forcella Cibiana (Cibiana pass). The fortress is made up of the “opera bassa” (lower works), functioning in tandem with the “opera alta” (upper works) on Monte Rite (Mount Rite) and with the “tagliata” (fortifi cation) at the ‘chiusa di Venas’ structure, built on the carriage road below. This (adequately signposted) site is made up of a complex of constructions built according to set criteria, linked by a network of tunnels, posterns and protected communication trenches.

The Pian dell’Antro (Antro plain) fortress can be easily reached on foot from Venas di Cadore: a 150-m climb, with the barracks of S. Anna reached after a climb of about 450 m (duration 90 min). The armoured installation stands at an altitude of 1,050

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M. TUDAIO FORT

The M. Tudaio fortress can be reached via the military road from Rio Soandre (897 m), of a length of 8.2 km, with a 1,217-metre climb (duration: 8-9 h) (Alpine excursion). This structure was constructed between 1911 and 1915 on the top of Monte Tudaio (Mount Tudaio) at an altitude of 2,114 metres. The aim was to supplement the

1915 - 1918

Free entry

Municipality:Vigo di Cadore

function of the “opera bassa” (lower works) of Col Piccolo. This truly fascinating site may be reached via a truly excellent route the slopes of which were gouged out of the rock sides with explosives. The view from the top is truly spectacular, taking in the Val Ansiei (Ansiei valley) and the Tre Cime (three peaks) of Lavaredo. The armoured battery, which was originally fi tted with four Armstrong gun domes (149 A) was destroyed by an Austrian mine. However, the ground and fi rst fl oors were practically untouched (with their corridors, powder magazine and storerooms carved out of the rock). The entire complex of fortifi cations makes up part of a signposted historical itinerary organised by the Comune di Vigo (municipality of Vigo) (also thanks to European funding).

Comune Vigo di CadoreTel. 0435.77002Fax 0435.77002

CANAZEI ROCCAPIETORE

PASSO FEDAIA MALGA CIAPELA

MUSEUM OF THE GREAT WAR AT MARMOLADA

The museum is located at the Serauta cableway station at an altitude of 2,950 metres, at the edge of a glacier. This is the highest altitude museum in Europe. The large

1915 - 1917

Free entry

Municipality: Rocca Pietore

Location:Serauta - Marmolada

Museum

Tel. 0437.522984Fax 0437.722972Opening and closing: themuseum can be reached by cableway from MalgaCiapela (open when cableway is operating; opening and closing times: 9:30-15:30).

windows look over a considerable portion of the chains of the Dolomites and, beyond the Dolomites, toward the Swiss and Austrian Alps. The view is so imposing that one tends to forget the suffering of the Italians and Austrians who served at the emplacement at ‘Serauta forcella V’ (alt. 3,065 m). The pharmacist of the Marche region, Mario Bartoli, began to collect material for the museum in 1988, and his work led to inauguration on 9 June 1990. The aim of the museum is to commemorate and honour all who (in the icy weather conditions of this location and in the darkness of the tunnels) fought courageously, suffered and died for their homeland.

place between 1897 and 1901. This was the last stronghold of the Habsburg Empire prior to the descent into the Val Badia valley. This is a ‘Second Generation’ fortifi cation built according to approaches to military strategies and to fortifi cation which were soon to change in the light of the introduction of modern gunnery and new explosives. It was devastated by Italian shellfi re during the early months of the war. Major restoration work here has received the support and funding of the European Community. The rooms host exhibits gathered from nearby zones of the front, as well as testimony from illustrious servicemen such as the renowned author, Curzio Malaparte.

The question of the name of this fortress, serving as a museum of the “G.G.” (Grande Guerra, or Great War) is the object of debate and disagreement among historians and topographers. The construction work took

MUSEUM OF THE 1914-18 GREAT WAR AT TRE SASSI

1914- 1918

Entrance fee


Location: Valparola

Open: 15 June-30 September, and throughout the year for groups (min.15 persons) (booking required).Tel: 347.4970781340.3586791www.cortinamuseoguerra.itinfo@cortinamuseoguerra.it

Museum

VIGO DI CADOREAURONZO LORENZAGO ARABBA FALZAREGO CORTINA

MUSEUM OF THE SEVENTH REGIMENT OF ALPINE TROOPS

1915 -1918

Entrance fee

Municipality:Sedico Location:Villa Patt

The museum is currently closed for renovation work. Opening is planned for 2010 (Sundays, entrance fee charged). The many exhibits at the Museo del 7° Alpini (museum of the seventh regiment of Alpine troops) record the history of this formation from its origins (in

1887) to our own era. The exhibits therefore include documents, arms and memorabilia from the various zones of action of the Regiment both in times of war and peace. However, the museum is mainly given over to the Great War. Most of the collections date back to this period, providing a record of the various actions of the companies and battalions of the 7th Regiment on the Dolomites, Lagorai, Altopiano and Massiccio del Grappa front. The recently founded museum includes the collections of the historic memorial museum once located in the Salsa barracks in Belluno. The museum is managed by the provincial local government authority, Provincia di Belluno, in collaboration with chapters of the ANA (Associazione nazionale alpini) of the Belluno area.

Tel.0437.83075959162 (offi ce hours)[email protected] entrance fee charged for children up to the age of six; reductions for groups and for the disabled.

Museum

BELLUNOFELTRE

S.GIUSTINA SEDICO

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THE GREAT WAR ‘15 – ‘18

Thanks to the research so diligently and patiently conducted by Ottavio Molin both in Italy and abroad, we have a rare and, historically speaking, extremely valuable collection of photographs of the ‘Grande Guerra’ (Great War). Alongside the photographs, the museum exhibits include many other historic items, including the arms and equipment of these armies, discovered after painstaking research in the neighbourhood, which saw bitter fi ghting. The museum occupies the third fl oor of Palazzo Corte Metto, a property of the municipality, Comune di Auronzo di Cadore.

1915 - 1918

Free entry


Museum

AURONZO

PIEVE DICADORE

MISURINA

THE SMALL BOSI REFUGE MUSEUM

This small but signifi cant museum occupies a room at the Rifugio Bosi (Bosi refuge: alt. 2,325 m). The collection includes objects, pictures, documents and photographs, with special attention paid to the Monte Piana (Mount Piana) emplacements, which formed an integral part of the Tre Cime – Misurina sector (one of the major strategic centres of wartime operations in the Dolomites).

1915 - 1917

Entrance fee


Location:Monte Piana

Museum

Tel. 0435.39034 cell. 338.4328242Open mid-June tomid-October, 26/12-6/01 and weekends until Easter:8.00 – 22.00 [email protected] service:[email protected]. 338.5282447336.309730

AURONZO

MISURINA

CARBONIN

Tel. 0435.9321 Opening and closing times: from 1 July to 30 September, 16:00-19:00(booking required forvisits during all other months)


Museum

Tel. 0435.469131Seasonal opening (summer)www.ilpiccolomuseodel-lagrandeguerra.it

AURONZO COLLINA

CIMA SAPPADASAPPADA

THE SMALL MUSEUM OF THE GREAT WAR

maintain their positions, whatever the cost, while, from time to time, engaging the enemy in order to relieve other fronts. This was the situation from the time of the outbreak of hostilities in the spring of 1915 until the defeat at Caporetto, when the front receded in the autumn of 1917. Material testimony of these events (excavations, tunnels and fortifi cations) is to be found here in abundance. The living conditions of the servicemen were extremely harsh even in the absence of hostilities.

The task of the opposing sides on the Comelico and Sappada front was to

Municipality:Sappada

Location:Cascatelle

ANGEL OF THE FALLEN (2.300 m)

1916

Municipality: Auronzo di cadore

Location:Misurina

This monument can be reached by car from the Rifugio Auronzo refuge on the toll road from Misurina, and along the mule track for the Rifugio Lavaredo (with a brief walk of about 1 hour). At the Piani di Lavaredo (Lavaredo plains), just below the “Madonna

della Croda” chapel we fi nd the “Angelo dei Caduti” (angel of the fallen), a forgotten work by the sculptor from Ancona, Vittorio Monelli. Monelli produced this work in 1916 while serving on this front with the Eighth Regiment of the Rifl e Corps (8° Reggimento del Corpo dei Bersaglieri), the regiment to which the sculpture is dedicated. We see, here, a winged “Genio” or spirit brandishing a great sword and a crown of laurels. At the foot of this imposing fi gure is a nest of serpents, representing the adversities of warfare. Also featured is the insignia of the “8° Bersaglieri” and the devices of the various regiments serving on this stretch of the front. An inscription dedicated to all those killed in battle was placed on the rocky base of the statue.

Monument

MISURINA RIFUGIO AURONZO RIFUGIO LAVAREDO

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25 VALFONDA MEMORIAL TABLET (1.500 m)

1916

Municipality:Auronzo di cadore

Location:Valfonda

Monument

itself, on the “strada delle Dolomiti” (Dolomites road). There is a convenient lane by means of which visitors can reach the memorial on foot in a matter of minutes. This memorial complex includes an octagonal tower and a large two-tier circular base. The central crypt holds the remains of 454 German servicemen killed in battle and 8,128 Austro-Hungarians from various war cemeteries. Under the external tiers lie 842 fallen Wehrmacht soldiers of World War II, from various cemeteries of the province of Belluno.

The Sacrario Germanico (German memorial) at the Passo Pordoi (Pordoi pass) stands at an altitude of 2,239 metres, slightly to the east of the pass

PORDOI PASS GERMAN MEMORIAL

1917 - 1918

Municipality:Livinallongo del Col di Lana

Memorial

Open: summer season

VAL DI FASSA ALLEGHE

ARABBAPASSO PORDOICANAZEI

unknown victims. This memorial (by architect Giovanni Greppi and sculptor Giannino Castiglioni) was built in 1938 to replace the old war cemetery in this area, below Col di Lana. The form of the memorial seen from above, along the “strada delle Dolomiti” (Dolomites road) is that of a great white cross at the head of which stands an old alpine chapel, which was at the old cemetery. This construction (Latin cross plan) consists in the intersection of parallel masonry-work embrasures holding the layers of burial niches closed with slabs of green marble, with the names and ranks of the fallen.

Here lie the remains of 704 men killed in battle whose identity is known (including 19 Austro-Hungarians) and of 4,705

1917 - 1918

Municipality:Livinallongo del Col di Lana

Memorial

Open: summer season

ARABBA PASSO FALZAREGO

ANDRAZPIEVE DI LIVINALLONGO

SALESEI OSSUARY

CARBONIN AURONZOMISURINA

THE POCOL OSSUARY

1915 - 1917

Municipality: Cortina d’Ampezzo

Memorial

This memorial, designed by engineer Giovanni Raimondi, was built in 1935. It consists in an imposing tower of a height of 48 metres resting on a

two-tier base. Here lie 9,707 Italians killed in battle (4,455 unknown) and 37 Austro-Hungarians. The crypt at the centre of the tower hosts a monument to the “Fante morto” (dead infantryman) and the tombs of Gen. Antonio Cantore (decorated with gold metal for military valour) and Capt. Francesco Barbieri. They died in the Tofane area and at Costabella, respectively. To the right of the monumental area is a chapel built in 1916 by the Alpine soldiers of the 5° gruppo (fi fth group), as chapel to the old war cemetery.

CORTINA D’AMPEZZOPASSO FALZAREGO

POCOL

Tel. 0436.866251Opening and closing times: Wed.-Sun.,morning: 9:00-12:30afternoon:summer, 14:30-18:00winter, 13:30-17:00

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of the war, we fi nd this memorial tablet (uncovered by the Lancedelli family from Cortina). It bears the date, 31 August 1916. This was a summer lost to trench warfare and crushing monotony. The plaque was once surrounded by a village of huts. Of the numerous names listed, many are also to be found at the Sacrario di Pocol (Pocol memorial). The dedication is to an entire company belonging to the “Brigata Umbria” commanded by Major Pio Ivrea of the 53rd “Vercelli” regiment. The work, by Giuseppe Pullini, Francesco da Rold and Attilio Murer, was made possible by the efforts of Capt. Domenico Grato Civetta (Piedmontese, born in 1881).

The “Statale Misurina – Carbonin” (Misurina – Carbonin State road) leads to the Ponte della Marogna (Marogna bridge). Following the stony banks of the torrent, on the right we fi nd the old boundary stone. A footpath leads into the wood where, amid material testimony

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Municipality:Santo Stefano di Cadore

Visitors can reach this (unattended) memorial by car. It is located at Santo Stefano di Cadore, next to the non-military cemetery, and is permanently open. The “Campo dell’Onore” (fi eld of honour) dates back to

1915 - 1917

1923. Here lie the bodies (common grave) of about 1,000 of the fallen during the clashes on the Dorsale Carnica Occidentale (western Carnic ridge). The site is dedicated to the memory of the infantry second lieutenant Adriano Lobetti Bodoni, a very young university student (22) who died on 4 August 1915 during one of the tremendous battles at the Roteck, the Monte Piana (Mount Piana) of the Tyrolean front. His family made a donation after the war for the construction of this memorial, to provide a place of rest also for these former foes whose bodies were carried down here (at the insistence and through the piety of Don Angelo Arnoldo, chaplain of the Seventh Regiment of the ‘Alpini’). This is the resting place also of the ‘Alpino sconosciuto’ (unknown alpine soldier) of Popera.

Memorial

FORCELLA MOSCHESIN ROAD AND BARRACKS

1915- 1917

Municipalites:La Valle Agordinae Forno di Zoldo

Comune di La Valle AgordinaTel. 0437.62298 - 0437.63896Fax 0437.62027Comunità Montana dell’AgordinoTel. 0437.62390 - 0437.62034 0437.63617 - Fax 0437.62043Comune di Forno di ZoldoTel. 0437.78144 - 78103Fax 0437.78341

SPIZ ZUEL EMPLACEMENTS AND TUNNELSis the system of tunnels (totalling 340 metres), the entrances to which can be reached easily (at altitudes 1,981 m and 1,977 m).A leisurely visit to the works here, taking in all the sights, will require 5/6 hours (be careful, and bring a torch if you wish to visit the tunnels). The site can be reached on foot after leaving your car at the settlement of Chiesa at Malga Grava (the Grava shepherds’ refuge or pasture land) (1,627 m, C.A.I., Italian Alpine Club, trail mark no. 557). A fi ne military mule track (laid in 1916 and 1917) winds up from here in a fairly leisurely manner (C.A.I. trail mark no. 584) to Spiz Zuel (2,033 m) or Agnelessa.

1915 - 1917

Municipality:Zoldo Alto

The Spiz Zuel summit provides a commanding view of the entire Zoldo valley and the mountains, Civetta and Pelmo. The ridge features various defensive works including artillery emplacements, communication trenches and blockhaus units. A particularly noteworthy feature

Comune di Zoldo Alto Tel. 0437-789177Fax 0437-789101

Area of interest

Area of interest

PASSO DURAN CHIESA FORNO DI ZOLDO

AGORDO LA VALLE PASSO DURAN

COMELICO CADORES.STEFANO

MONTE PUNTA AND COL DE SALERA

A relaxing walk along a woodland footpath takes us to M. Punta (Mount Punta) in about 3-4 hours, to visit a number of interesting cave artillery emplacements (visitors should bring a torch) constructed

1915 - 1917

Municipalites: Zoldo Alto, Forno di Zoldo e Zoppe’ di Cadore

Comune di Zoldo Alto Tel. 0437.789177 Fax 0437.789101Comune di Forno di ZoldoTel. 0437.78144.78103Fax 0437.78341Comune di Zoppe’ di CadoreTel. 0437-791000Fax 0437-791900

by the architect, Alberto Alpago Novello. The military road is equally interesting, with its imposing rubblework and various trenched lines of defence. On the summit, we fi nd an observatory, and splendid views, taking in the surrounding peaks of the Dolomites and the entire Zoldo valley. From Casal (a district of Zoldo at an altitude of 1,050 m) proceed westward along the road until C.A.I. (Italian Alpine Club) footpath no. 492 for the climb to Col de Salera (1,629 m). Here, follow the no. 499 trail mark toward Monte Punta (1,952 m) for the descent to Forzela (1,723 m) and, from there, to Costa and Brusadaz.

Area of interest

FORNO DI ZOLDO ZOPPE’ DI CADORE

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outfl ank our Cordevole, Maè and Boite defensive works. The itinerary can be prolonged toward Forcella Pongol, Forcella Folega (the Pongol and Folega passes) and the crest of Monte Valaraz (the site also of cave mouth artillery emplacements). Forcella Moschesin (1,961 m) can be reached from Conaggia (a district of La Valle Agordina), following C.A.I., Italian Alpine Club, trail mark no. 542 in the direction of Malga Foca (the Foca shepherds’ refuge or pasture land), from the ruins of Malga Caleda Vecchia (the Caleda Vecchia shepherds’ refuge) on the Passo Duran (Duran pass) road (C.A.I. trail mark no. 543), or from Malga di Pramper (Pramper shepherds’ refuge or pasture land) (trail mark no. 540). These climbs are fairly tough and unrelenting, and will require at least 4 hours.

An audaciously conceived military road led from Conaggia to the Forcella Moschesin (Moschesin pass) barracks (1,961 m) and then on to Val Balanzola (Balanzola valley), and to Forno di Zoldo. The road takes us to works indicating the preparations for a war planned for over a considerable period of time, with solutions provided for the strategic problem of how to


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cave storeroom (and, originally, protection and extensive barbed wire fencing) were designed and constructed between 1916 and 1917 by the architect from Belluno, Lieutenant Alberto Alpago Novello. The recommended itinerary starts out from the Forcella Ciandolada (Ciandolada pass) road (trail marks no. 478 and no. 456). Leave your car in the vicinity of the Rifugio Talamini (Talamini refuge) (1,582 m) and take, fi rst, the road up to Forcella Cucei (Cucei pass) (1,693 m) and then the footpath along the Becco di Cuzze ridge (approx. 1,750 m). A walk along the entire ridge will take about 4 hours. An easy walk at fi rst, it then becomes more demanding − with many ups and downs − until the summit of Becco di Cuzze.

The Ciandolada road, an old route linking the Boite and Maè valleys, was vital for construction of the so-called ‘Linea Gialla’ (yellow line) which, proceeding from the Agordino region to the Carnia region, was planned to enable our army to put up all-out resistance if the front receded. Most of the trenched complexes with

FORCELLA CIANDOLADA AND BECCO DI CUZZE

1915 - 1917

Municipality: Vodo di Cadore

Forcella Ciandolada

Tel. 0435/489019Fax 0435/489446

Area of interest

Municipality: Auronzo di Cadore

Location: Misurina

CRODA DELL’ARGHENA (KATZENLEITNERKOPF, 2.252 m)

From Misurina, Croda dell’Arghena is reached starting out from the toll booth for the road to the Tre Cime (three peaks). After a brief stretch of asphalt road from Malga di Rinbianco (the Rinbianco shepherds’ refuge or pasture land) (1,841 m) visitors will fi nd the signposts, provided along the entire itinerary, by the progetto Interreg (Inter-regional project) III. This relaxing walk of about 90 minutes is noteworthy for its

1915 - 1917

VALLE DELL’ACQUA

The Valle dell’Acqua (valley of water) is reached via a footpath branching off after the fi fth bend in the Tre Cime di Lavaredo (three peaks of Lavaredo) road after Malga di Rinbianco (the Rinbianco shepherds’ refuge or pasture land).

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Location: Misurina

The start of the footpath is indicated by a red sign placed there in accordance with the provisions of progetto Interreg (Inter-regional project) III. The climb on foot takes about one hour. Valle dell’Acqua was the site of the GHQ for the entire war sector of Col di Mezzo and the Piani di Lavaredo (Lavaredo plains) above, linked to the valley by well-built, clearly routed mule tracks. The village is quite unusual. The barracks, the livestock housing, a warehouse, the water pool, and a “calchera” (for heating lime) provide clear indications as to what went on behind the front. The various structures making up the complex were used by the “Truppe Alpine” until about thirty years ago for military exercises. The buildings were therefore maintained in the good state of repair. They have been restored after a period of neglect.

splendid panoramic views and for its war works. The history of this mountain is inextricably linked to controversies surrounding the old boundaries between Austria and Italy. War memories are therefore linked to much older, fascinating adventures, one trace of which is the old, well-preserved boundary stone dated 1753. At the ‘forcella’ (pass) of the same name we fi nd some of the most remarkable trench works of the area, supported by rubblework walls (evident remains of the protection works are also to be found here). We also fi nd caves for the artillery, with fi ne insignia, small suspension bridges, shelters and a short tunnel leading into the mountain via a wooden stairway still intact after nearly one hundred years of wind, rain and snow. Here is a world in which, in the shadows of Tre Cime di Lavaredo, memories of the past − great and small − vividly present themselves to the eye.

Area of interest

Area of interest

MISURINADOBBIACO AURONZO

ZOPPE’ DI CADORE VODO DI CADORE MISURINADOBBIACO AURONZO

imposing Angelo dei Caduti (angel of the fallen) monument and of the vestiges of the nearby war cemetery wall. The Piani di Lavaredo (Lavaredo plains) present a salient at “Quota di guerra 2385” (war altitude 2,385), a modest summit behind the Rifugio Lavaredo refuge (this was a wartime observatory for the Italian artillery). Alpine Troops under Capt. Mazzini were stationed here (75th Company and 58th Mountain Battery) also before hostilities were declared. The site of the barracks, destroyed by Austrian shellfi re on the fi rst day of the War, is worth also visiting for the remarkable view of the Tre Cime di Lavaredo (three peaks of Lavaredo). We fi nd emplacements, communication and other trenches and an impressively engineered stairway (with safety features) gouged out of the rock face, leading up to the observatory.

This site can be reached on foot in about one hour from the Rifugio Auronzo (2,330 m). The walk takes visitors to an area occupied by a chapel originally dedicated to Our Lady Help of Christians. Immediately after the church we fi nd details signposted by progetto Interreg (Inter-regional project) III for a visit to the museum, below, in the direction of the

PIANI DI LAVAREDO (2.300 m)

1915 - 1917


Location: Misurina

Area of interest

MISURINADOBBIACO AURONZO

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Free entry

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Location:Val Marzon

VAL MARZON (1.000 m)

Val Marzon (the Marzon valley) is located not far after the start of the route from Auronzo to Misurina. Just after entering the valley, on the state road, on the other side of a large pile of gravel forming the riverbank, we fi nd the remains of the “Fontana degli uffi ciali” (offi cers’ fountain), in the location called “Ospedaletti” (small hospitals). The Val Marzon was a key logistical base for the various Infantry Regiments of the Brigata “Marche”. It was also a storage area

1915 - 1917

and an area from which troops were deployed to the various zones of the front. One could rest here prior to action. Roads and cableways linked the locality to the three lofty peaks, Tre Cime di Lavaredo. So, although not noted for this function, this valley hosted one of the most important military locations. Indeed, still today, along the lower carriage road leading up, we fi nd emplacements and machine and small gun nests which indicate that there was, here, a line of defence to protect the newly constructed citadel. Cason de La Croséra (1,207 m): in ten minutes or so, visitors may reach a modest and quite remarkable war cemetery where, it is said, the fi rst of the soldiers killed in battle on the Tre Cime di Lavaredo front were buried on 24 May 1915. Here, we also fi nd a fi ne washing trough with dates and graffi ti. The site also hosted a “fi eld hospital” (Ospedaletto nr. 42).

Area of interest

Municipality:Comune di Vigo di Cadore

COL CIAMPON BASE

1915 - 1917

The site is located at an easily walkable distance from Laggio di Cadore, along the fi ne military route. This emplacement was a part of the defences erected immediately after 1866 on all the surrounding hills in order to ensure control of the Tre Ponti (three bridges) pass. During the Great War this “punto di appoggio” (base) was strengthened with covered “blockhaus” emplacements, gun enclosures, artillery observation points and hutments for the 120-man garrison. Thanks to the progetto Interreg (Inter-regional project), all the structures have been conserved and the area has been fully signposted.

Comune Vigo di CadoreTel. 0435.77002Fax 0435.77002

Area of interest

Comune di Lorenzago di CadoreTel. 0435.75001Fax 0435.75329

MONTE MIARON EMPLACEMENT

1915- 1917

Municipality:Lorenzago di Cadore

of Passo della Mauria, for eastward defence of the Cadore redoubt by contrasting enemy movements from Carnia. From Passo della Mauria (Mauria pass), the fi ne, winding military road takes us upward for 4 km to the enclosure for the medium-calibre guns. Round a further bend we fi nd the “Monte Miaron” barracks. The panorama is breathtakingly beautiful (the Marmarole, Tre Cime di Lavaredo, Tudaio, Terze, Carnia mountains). The function of the area during the Great War was that of “appuntamento” (to provide information on the shellfi re from the other batteries of the fortress, Fortezza Cadore-Maè), hence the telephone link with the Col Piccolo fortress and the main installations to the other side of the Piave river.

The enclosure for medium calibre artillery with shelters nearby was created between 1911 and 1912 by the Italian Engineer Corps at an altitude of 1,700 m, to the southwest

Area of interest

AURONZO LORENZAGOLAGGIO

LORENZAGO FORNI DI SOPRA

PASSO MAURIA

MISURINA AURONZO

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Free entry

Ecomuseum of Piave, Grappa and Montello

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VAL DELLE MURE

This valley was one of the most devastated of the areas of the Grappa district in 1918. Even today, we see clear traces of the links to the front line from behind, along which, within range of Austro-Hungarian shellfi re, Italian supplies and the wounded were transported at considerable risk. Make sure you pay a visit to the “Sentiero delle Meatte” (Meatte footpath). This military route was excavated in the rock and takes in a number of natural bulwarks.

1918

Municipality:Crespano del Grappa

Battlefi eld

CIMA GRAPPA

BASSANO

PEDEROBBA

TREVISO

MONTE TOMBA

If we are to unravel the key events of the Great War, the developments at Monte Tomba (Mount Tomba) must be understood. As you admire the landscape, if you look carefully you will notice many bomb craters and the signs of trench works. These are the traces of the developments of 1917, when the Italians were engaged in a tremendous battle against the Austrians and Germans. A key historical fi gure, German lieutenant, Erwin Rommel, took the Tomba ridge in November 1917. However, a month later, the summit was taken back by the “Chasseurs des Alpes”.

1917

Municipality:Cavaso del Tomba

Battlefi eld

CIMA GRAPPA

TREVISOBASSANO

PEDEROBBA

LEONE FORT

1915- 1917

Free entry

Municipality: Arsié

Fort

Tel. 0439.59093 0439.59115 Fax 0439.750000

www.forteleone.it

its defensive function, during the war this fortifi cation was dismantled (artillery and machine guns removed). In 1917, during the retreat following the defeat at Caporetto, a battle (which delayed the Austro-Hungarian advance) took place in the environs of these twin fortifi cations. The fortress fell into Austrian hands on 12 November after a bitter struggle. While the Cima Lan fortress was more or less totally destroyed by the fl eeing Italians, Forte Leone suffered considerable damage prior to the Austrian retreat the following year. Restoration work has taken place over the last few years, including the application of safety measures, and the site is now suitable for visits.

Forte Leone (Leone fort) at Cima Campo and the Cima Lan fortress were built between 1906 and 1912. Forte Leone was part of the “Fortezza Brenta-Cismon” fortifi cation works along the border between the Kingdom of Italy and the Austro-Hungarian Empire. Having lost

VITTORIO EMANUELE III TUNNEL

This “galleria”, or tunnel, of a length of more than 5,000 metres, running under the peak of Monte Grappa (Mount Grappa), was completed by the Gavotti sappers in a matter of months. This was a formidable fortifi cation which, with its artillery and machine guns, was invincible in all theatres of confl ict. Considerable logistics organisation work saw to the provision of victuals, water and ammunition to the 1,500 troops serving at all times in the tunnel, with their 35 cannons and 50 machine guns (cave mouth emplacements).

1917 - 1918

Free entry


Location: Cima Grappa

BASSANO PEDEROBBA

CIMA DEL GRAPPA

Fort

Tel. e Fax 0423.544840Open all year.

FONZASO

ARSIE’

CISMON

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Free entry

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Built between 1886 and 1890, this is the oldest of the fortresses of the fi rst barrier for the defence of the “Campo Trincerato di Mestre” (Mestre entrenched fi eld). While basically resembling the Tron and Carpenedo fortifi cations, this work is closer to the original “Tunkler” model projects. Inside, we fi nd fi ne vaults linking the various parts of the fortress, enabling troop mobility under cover at all times. The spaces were very narrow, and the long narrow corridors vaguely bring to mind the interior of a medieval manor house.

1915 - 1918

Free entry

Municipality:Venezia

Fort

MESTRE NOALE

GAZZERA ASSEGGIANO

The location of this fortress is of interest in its own right. The fortress stands between the mainland and the lagoon on an area of about thirty hectares. It was built on two concentric islands. Work was started by the Austrians in 1805, to be completed by the French between 1809 and 1814. This is the oldest and largest of the 11 fortresses making up the “Campo Trincerato di Mestre” (Mestre entrenched fi eld). Between 1848 and 1849, it became the advanced defence position for the newly constituted Republic of Venice, holding out for nearly a year against the Austrian forces. It now hosts a fi ne arms museum.

1915 - 1918

Free entry


Fort

MARGHERA FORT

MESTRE VENEZIA

SAN GIULIANO

CARPENEDO FORT

Gazzera and Tron fortresses, makes up the innermost defensive ring of the “Campo Trincerato di Mestre” (Mestre entrenched fi eld), surrounding Forte Marghera and contributing to the land defences of the “Piazza di Difesa Marittima di Venezia” (Venice marine defence stronghold). Completely surrounded by an artifi cial pond, the area of the fortress comes to a total of 15 hectares. After conversion to deposit use at the time of the actions of World War I, plant growth has gradually reclaimed the entire area. It is now a thriving nature reserve.

1915 - 1918

Free entry


Fort

Built during the 1890’s according to the model termed “Tunkler” or “Prussiano”, this structure, with the contemporary

MESTRE TERRAGLIO

CARPENEDO

BAZZERA FORT

fi eld) was provided with a second, outer, ring of fortresses. The new fortresses were no longer to include their respective powder magazines, which were to be placed in areas at a distance (and barycentrically, if possible) to serve a number of fortifi cations. One was located at Tessera, and in 1910 the “Polveriera Bazzera” (Bazzera powder magazine) was constructed. It is made up of two imposing reinforced concrete bunkers on an artifi cial island protected by earthworks, hiding it from view from the mainland.

1915 - 1918

Free entry


Fort

Between 1907 and 1910 the “Campo Trincerato di Mestre” (Mestre entrenched

MESTRE TRIESTE

CAMPALTO TESSERA

For group bookings, every day.Info: Sig. Graziano Fusati tel. e fax 041.910021, cell. [email protected]

Opening and closing times:Apr-Sept 09:00-20:00;Oct-March 09:00-18:00.

Info: Tel. 338.3422724 393.0401358.www.fortebazzera.it www.ccrt.it

Opening and closing times:Apr-Oct: Tues-Sun 9:00-13:00; 15:30-sunsetMon closed.Nov-Feb:Wed-Sun9:00-13:00; 15:00-sunsetMon and Tues closed.

Info: tel. e fax 041.5352041fax [email protected]

Opening and closing times:Feb-Apr, Fridays and Saturdays 14:00-18:00;Sundays 10:00-18:00.Apr-Oct, 10:00-18:00

Info: tel. 041.5319706fax [email protected]

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MILAN BARRACKS MUSEUM

Milano” (Milan barracks) now hosts an interesting, well-organised museum with a large collection of items recovered from the Grappa massif. Material of interest has also been donated by private persons. A series of panels gives a clear account of the main wartime events involving the Grappa massif and offshoots, on the basis of which visitors will have the information they need for a profi table visit to the nearby “Galleria Vittorio Emanuele III” (Vittorio Emanuele III tunnel) and the monumental Ossario del Grappa (Grappa ossuary).

1918

Free entry


Location: Cima Grappa

Museum

BASSANO PEDEROBBA

CIMA DEL GRAPPA

Tel. and fax 0423.544840Open year round.

1915 - 1918

Free entry

Municipality: Cavallino Treporti

Fort

AMALFI BATTERY

was one of the most innovative artillery emplacements. It featured a naval-type double-cannon turret (360° range) with tremendous 381-mm cannons capable of heavy (875-kg) shellfi re over a distance of nearly 20 kilometers. When its big guns played a signifi cant part in weakening the last Austro-Hungarian offensive on the Piave front during the days of the Battaglia del Solstizio (solstice battle) (June 1918), even Italy’s foes were impressed by the new Amalfi battery’s precision and effi ciency.

Construction work on the “Amalfi ” battery began in May 1915. Work continued until spring 1917. The Batteria Amalfi

VENEZIAJESOLO

CAVALLINO TREPORTI

MUSEUM OF THE ITALIAN ALPINE TROOPS

collection of exhibits relating to the history of the “Alpini” alpine troops. Various objects are on display: memorabilia, newspapers of that period, fl ags, uniforms and other items, kindly donated by members and many other citizens. The museum fi rst opened in 1948, on the occasion of the fi rst gathering of Alpini after World War II. Over the years, the museum has been constantly looked after and reorganised. It has recently been refurbished. A particularly important exhibit is the reconstruction of a trench with original materials from Grappa, the Tofane heights and the heights of the Dolomites, where military actions took place.

1915 - 1918

Free entry

Municipality: Bassano del Grappa

Museum

On the western side of the bridge, Ponte Vecchio, the Taverna degli Alpini hosts the local chapter of the association of Italian alpine troops, A.N.A. On the lower fl oor we fi nd a museum with a small but signifi cant

MONTEBELLUNAMAROSTICA

BASSANO DEL GRAPPA

Tel. 0424.503662Opening and closing times:Daily (closed Mondays), 9:00-20:00

MUSEUM AT SAN GIOVANNI AI COLLI ALTI

The hotel, Albergo San Giovanni, hosts a small war museum dedicated to the war history researcher, Roberto Favero.The museum houses many relics of the fi nal decisive local confl icts. The relics still regularly, and in considerable quantities, emerge from the earth.Exhibits include uniforms, military and medical items, personal possessions (e.g. mess-tins, canteens, inkpots, pens, cigarette lighters, cigarette cases, small medals, combs, brushes and shaving brushes) and considerable quantities of ammunition.

1918

Free entry

Municipality:SolagnaLocation:San Giovanni ai Colli AltiAlbergo San Giovanni

Museum

Tel. 0424.556008Opening and closing times: 8.00 a.m. until bar closes.Closed Tuesdays exceptduring summer season.www.collialti.it

CIMA GRAPPABASSANO

SAN GIOVANNIAI COLLI ALTI

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The main block of the structure that, during the war, was the “Caserma

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Comune Seren del Grappa Tel. 0439.44013 0439.394301Fax 0439.394147

Municipality:Seren del Grappa

1915 - 1918

Free entry

The museum displays photographic testimony (held by the State archives and War Museum in Vienna) relating to the municipalities of the Grappa district, gathered by the photographers of the Austro-Hungarian forces during the year of the invasion (1917-1918). Also on display are various items such as shells (Italian and Austro-Hungarian), propaganda leafl ets, offi cial maps, passports and other offi cial documents, fuses and primers, and personal possessions found in the trenches. The arrangement is ‘theme’ based: the invasion, Feltre and the district of Feltre, war works, the war, people and places, and health care during the war.

Museum

MUSEUM OF THE RIVER PIAVE

1915 - 1918

Entrance fee

Municipality: Vas

Location: Caorera

Museum

CAORERA FELTRETREVISO

ALANO QUERO

directly or indirectly involved in the event, and it depends also on the efforts of others who have a particular interest in this particular moment in history. It was decided to ‘liven up’ the exhibits by reconstructing scenes − platforms conveying the experiences of various moments in the lives of soldiers, from the trench to the fi eld infi rmary. The visitor will feel she/she really is in the front line, a part of events of the year 1917, between the River Piave and Monte Grappa (Mount Grappa). Five multimedia simulated fl ight stations have recently been installed.

This is an ‘open-ended’, constantly expanding museum. It is provided with the testimony and objects of people

Tel. [email protected] www.museodelpiave.itOpening and closing times:Saturday:15:00-18:00Sunday:9:00 -12:00and 15:00-18:00

MUSEUM OF THE GREAT WAR ON THE GRAPPA MASSIF

1915 - 1917

Free entry

Municipality: Crespano del Grappa

Museum

PEDEROBBABASSANO

CRESPANOBORSO POSSAGNO

Bruno Xamin to the municipality, Comune di Crespano) in showcases placed in three rooms. The three rooms present various ‘themes’ (“il rancio”, or meal, or mess, “l’ospedale da campo”, or fi eld hospital, “tempo libero”, free time, and “la trincea”, the trench). Each theme is illustrated and dealt with in depth with panels and photographs reproducing signifi cant moments in the Great War relating to the Massiccio del Grappa (Grappa massif).

The museum is situated on the second fl oor of the Palazzo Reale at Crespano del Grappa. It hosts more than a thousand duly catalogued exhibits (donated by Mr Tel. 0423.538516

Biblioteca Comunale (municipal library)Opening and closing times: Thursdays and Fridays,16:00-19:00;booking required for other days.

CIVIC HISTORICAL AND TERRITORIAL MUSEUM

municipality, Comune di Alano di Piave, in 2000. There are fi ve exhibition halls providing a historical account of a number of events of World War I. The spaces are ‘theme’ based. We fi nd a large scale model of the area in which the fi ghting took place between the slopes of Monte Grappa (Mount Grappa) and the areas neighbouring the River Piave. We also fi nd a number of instruments which were essential for opening up the communication routes and which were used for territorial defence systems. A considerable amount of exhibition space has been given over to devices used in trenches.

1915 - 1918

Entrance fee

Municipality: Alano di Piave

Location: Campo

Museum

The museum was founded in 1983 by a veterans’ association, “Associazione ex Combattenti”. It was acquired by the

TREVISOFELTRE

ALANOQUERO

Tel. 0439.779748For visit with guide:0423.862320439.779997Groups half-priceOpening and closing times: Sundays, 15:00-19:00

FONZASO FELTRE

SEREN DEL GRAPPA

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17 THE FONTIGO MIDDLE PIAVE MUSEUM

(middle Piave environmental education centre) − provides interesting documentation on the Great War, with particular reference to the Piave area. It was made possible by the contributions of former “recuperanti” (scrap collectors, or ‘scrappers’, who recovered ‘noble’ materials such as lead, brass and copper from the battlefi elds after the war) and by constant observation of, and searches along, the banks of the Piave river. These fi ndings provide an account of the major phases of fi ghting along the river.

1915 - 1918

Free entry

Municipality: Sernaglia della Battaglia

Location: Fontigo

Museum

PIEVEDI SOLIGO

VIDOR

MORIAGO

FONTIGO

SERNAGLIADELLA BATTAGLIA

Tel. 0438.966356

MUSEUM OF THE BATTLE OF VITTORIO VENETOcommemorating the Battle of Vittorio Veneto. The museum’s numerous exhibits include arms, memorabilia, maps, scale models and photographs (belonging to the large collection donated by Luigi Marson, a veteran grenadier from Vittorio Veneto).Visitors to the museum will feel they have entered a time loop, landing up on the date 24 October 1918, at the start of the fi nal offensive against the Austro-Hungarian forces, or 31 October, when the VIII Corpo d’Armata (VIII Corps) liberated Vittorio Veneto within days of the armistice.

1918

Entrance fee

Municipality: Vittorio Veneto

Museum

Since 1938, the Loggia del Cenedese, by the architect, Sansovino (sixteenth century), has hosted the museum

VITTORIO VENETO CONEGLIANO

TREVISOBELLUNO

Tel. 0438.57695Opening and closing times (summer):10:00-12:3015:30-19:00.(winter):9:30-12:3014:00-17:00.Closed Mondays.

19 HISTORICAL MUSEUM OF THE GREAT WAR

1915 - 1918

Free entry

Municipality:Maserada sul Piave

Museum

TREVISOCONEGLIANO

MASERADASPRESIANO VARAGO

River Piave. The British Expeditionary Force played a decisive part in actions during the crucial stages of the fi nal battle, known as “Battaglia di Vittorio Veneto” (battle of Vittorio Veneto). The museum at Maserada houses an interesting collection of fi ndings that turned up in the river. The collection focuses on the history of, and material relating to, the taking of the river positions by the British troops of the Seventh Division. We also fi nd Austro-Hungarian and Italian military material of considerable interest.

Military units from nations allied with Italy were also in operation along the

Tel. 0422.878415Open: Tuesdaysand Thursdays,15:00-18:30.For other specialopening times tel. 0422778760 - 3401486936

E-mail: mongolfi [email protected]

MUSEUM OF RECLAMATION - SAN DONA’

1915 - 1918

Entrance fee

Municipality:San Donà di Piave

Museumto land reclamation, “Museo della Bonifi ca”, hosts various relics of the war gathered during campaigns conducted from time to time in the area of San Donà. The showcases contain arms and various objects which were part of the day-to-day lives of the troops in the trenches. One section of the hall is dedicated to the heroes of San Donà, and in particular to Giannino Ancillotto. We also fi nd many photographs of the period, detailing the destruction of the city by bombing.A room has recently been added, dedicated to World War II and to the struggle for liberation (Lotta di Liberazione).

TREVISO CAORLE

SAN DONA’NOVENTA

Opening and closing times:Tuesday to Friday 8:00-12:30 (for school parties); for general public, 15:00-18:00 (16:00-19:00 in July and August). Saturday 9:00-12:00 (for school parties); for general public, 15:00-18:00 (16:00-19:00 in July and August). Sunday, national holidays etc.: 9:00-12:00 Closed: Mondays, Christmas, Easter, 1 May, 1-15 August.Tel. 0421-42047 - Fax. 0421-41334www.museobonifi ca.sandonadipiave.net

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The museum − hosted by the “Centro di Educazione Ambientale “Media Piave””

The war section of the museum dedicated

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Monument

the “Arditi” (shock troops), who, in October 1918, successfully broke through the Austrian lines along the River Piave. This site (named, clearly, after the vast number of corpses found here) is now also known as “Isola Verde” (green island), since we fi nd here a fi ne, thriving park. A cool, tree-shaded walk takes us to an open space called “Ragazzi del ’99” (boys of ’99), where the main monuments and memorials are to be found. Among these are the Piramide (pyramid) and the Tempio Votivo “Madonnina del Piave” (chapel to Our Lady of the Piave), commemorating the sacrifi ce of the Caduti sul Piave (fallen at the Piave).

1917 - 1918

Municipality:Moriago dellaBattaglia

ISLAND OF THE DEAD

The “Isola dei Morti” (island of the dead) is the main place of commemoration of

PIEVEDI SOLIGO

VIDOR

MORIAGOSERNAGLIADELLA BATTAGLIA

BOYS OF ’99 PARK

1918

Municipality:Bassano del Grappa

Location:Prato Santa Caterina

Monument

To the north of the city, in the Conca d’Oro (golden basin) of Prato Santa Caterina (St Catherine’s fi eld), we fi nd a park dedicated to the memory of the “Ragazzi del ’99” (boys of ’99) − the last class of conscripts

1918

Municipality: Solagna

Location:Col Moschin

Monument

ROMAN COLUMN AT COL MOSCHIN

of the Great War: 300,000 eighteen year-olds sent to the front to fi ght and to die together. The monument is by the sculptors, Alberto Sparapani and Danilo Andreose. The work features a statue more than 3 metres tall on the stone base, and a votive sacellum. The statue is of an infantryman facing Grappa. The bas-reliefs reproduce the most important events of 1918. A bronze map indicates the main sites involved in the war. The crypt holds the banners of the chapters of the national “Ragazzi del ’99” association, which − as time goes by − close one after the other.

tenacity, as a strongpoint for the defence of the southern slopes of the massif and all the areas behind the front, greatly threatened by the Austrians.During the summer of 1918, under General Scheuschenstuel, the Austro-Hungarians tried to break the Italian resistance at Grappa in order to penetrate the Brenta and Piave valleys.The summits to the west (Col Moschin, Col del Miglio, Col Fenilon and Col Fagheron) fell into Austrian hands, and the Austrians would have been able to enter the plains of Venetia had it not been for the Italian counteroffensive (as a result of which the positions were taken back very soon after their loss).


BASSANO DEL GRAPPA

CIMA GRAPPABASSANO

COL MOSCHIN

This sector of the Grappa massif was extremely important, during the Great War. The Italians defended the sector with great

HISTORICAL NAVAL MUSEUM

The Museo Storico Navale (historical naval museum) is housed in one of the old sixteenth-century “Granai”, or grain storehouses, at the Arsenale.

1915 - 1918

Entrance fee

Municipality: Venezia

Museum

Tel. 041 5200276Opening and closing times:Mon.-Fri.8:45-15:30Sat.8:45-13:00Closed:Sundays, feast days and national holidays etc.SAN MARCO GIARDINI

MUSEO NAVALE

The museum hosts memorabilia taking us back to the times of the Republic of Venice. These extraordinary items include adornments for the lights of galleys, perfect reproductions of Venetian ships, nautical instruments, portolans, standards, uniforms, paintings and the gunnery of the “Serenissima”, or Most Serene Republic of Venice. Of the thirty rooms, a number are dedicated to the actions, personages, ships and equipment of the Italian naval forces (Marina Militare italiana) from 1961 to the present day.The Arsenale hosts old boats (including lagoon boats and a World War II motor torpedo boat).

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Free entry


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25 HEMINGWAY MONUMENT

dedicated to the wounding of Ernest Hemingway. The great American writer was struck by shrapnel on 8 July 1918. At the time, he was a volunteer for the ARC (American Red Cross) providing aid to the Italian medical corps on the front between Fagarè and San Donà di Piave. The writer’s name is associated with many locations, frequently referred to in his books and accounts of wartime developments, seen from the military viewpoint and according to his own personal experiences.

1918

Municipality:Fossalta di Piave

Monument

On the banks of the Piave, near a still functioning pontoon bridge, a tablet is

TREVISO SAN DONA’ DI PIAVE

MUSILEFOSSALTAZENSON DI PIAVE

PONTOON

This historic relic, a pontoon, provides us with a clear idea of how bridges were installed for wartime use. Given the urgent need to construct passages across the Piave, while bearing in mind the vulnerability of the structures in question (since they were constantly under fi re), the solutions provided had to be promptly and rapidly implemented. This anchored load-bearing fl oating pontoon for solely military use was adopted by the Genio Pontieri (pontonier, or bridge-building, corps).

1918

Municipality:Nervesa della Battaglia

Monument

NERVESA DELLA BATTAGLIA

MONTEBELLUNA PONTE DELLA PRIULA

TEMPLE AND OSSUARY AT BASSANO

and a façade adorned with pinnacles. The design for this place of worship dates back to 1908, and indeed this was to be Bassano del Grappa’s new cathedral. It was modifi ed after World War I to accommodate the remains of the soldiers killed in battle provisionally assigned to the cemeteries at the foot of Monte Grappa. Entombed within the church are 6,000 men (236 decorated). The funeral of General Gaetano Giardino was celebrated here in August 1936, after which the general was entombed at the Grappa memorial, “among his soldiers”, as was his desire.

1915 - 1918

Municipality:Bassano del Grappa

Memorial

Overlooking the square (dedicated to General Luigi Cadorna) is an imposing neo-Gothic red-brick structure with two bell towers of a height of sixty metres


BASSANO DEL GRAPPA

FRANCESCO BARACCA CHAPEL

indicates the place where the aeroplane of the heroic Cavalry Major, Francesco Baracca, was shot down (during the afternoon of 19 June 1918) while swooping down to spray the enemy with machine-gun fi re and thus provide support to the infantry, during the closing stage of the Battaglia del Solstizio (battle of the solstice). Baracca, a fl ying ace of what would become the Italian air force (Aeronautica Militare Italiana) is considered by all, nowadays, the most notable Italian fi ghter pilot of World War I.

1918

Municipality: Nervesa della Battaglia

Monument

On the southern slope of Montello, a funereal niche surrounded by cypresses


GIAVERA DEL MONTELLO

OSSARIO

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Free entry


Free entry

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BASSANO PEDEROBBA

CIMA DEL GRAPPA

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29 WAR CEMETERIES IN THE FELTRE DISTRICT

Municipalities:Feltre e Quero

The district of Feltre hosts four war cemeteries (three at Feltre and one at Quero). At Feltre we fi nd: an Italian ossuary, maintained by Onorcaduti (honour the fallen), an Austro-Hungarian ossuary also maintained by Onorcaduti (in collaboration, here, with the Austrian Schwarzes Kreuz), and a mixed cemetery at San Paolo (together with the Quero mausoleum, supervised by the German Volksbund Deutsche Kriegsgräberfürsorge). In detail, we have: – the “deutschen Soldatenfriedhof” (German war cemetery) at San Paolo, with its 271 crosses marking the presence of each of the Bavarian Alpenkorps soldiers killed between November 1917 and the fi rst fi fteen days of 1918. The cemetery was inaugurated,

1917 - 1918

in the form we see today, on 25 May 1939; – the Austro-Hungarian ossuary in Feltre’s city cemetery, with its 3,550 fallen; – the Italian ossuary, with its 1,072 identifi ed fallen and 370 unknown fallen; – the war cemetery at Quero, inaugurated on the same day as the San Paolo cemetery at Feltre, with its 229 German fallen and 3,232 Austro-Hungarian fallen. The work was designed by architect Robert Tischler, commissioned by the Volksbund. It was built between 1936 and 1939. This work by Tischler is of fundamental historical importance as an architectural project because it embodies the concept of the Totenburg (fortress, or castle, of the dead). As a solution, the Totenburg became the model adopted for war cemetery designs during the nazi era.

Memorial

of Italy and France, as emblematically expressed in the monument before it: two imposing personifi cations of the two nations with, lying on their knees, one of the French soldiers killed in battle. Between 1917 and 1918, the support of the French contingent (totalling about 130,000 men) was decisive for the Italian forces and for the fi nal outcome of the struggle. Today, this imposing memorial − so similar in appearance to a surreal rock face − contains the remains of more than 1,000 soldiers killed in battle.

FRENCH WAR MEMORIAL

This memorial was built to celebrate the fraternal bonds between the armed forces

TREVISO

PEDEROBBA

FELTRE

1917 - 1918

Municipality: Pederobba

Memorial

GERMAN CEMETERY AT QUERO

1917 - 1918

Municipality:Quero

Memorial

Opening and closing:Summer season

Col Maor, above the valle del Piave (Piave valley). Over a period of three years, following the bilateral agreement reached between Germany and Italy on 2 June 1936, the Volksbund constructed the war cemetery at Quero, which was inaugurated on 25 May 1939.The Quero cemetery houses 3,465 of the fallen in World War I from the German and Austrian armies.The hall commemorating the fallen is located in a tower.The hall is, relatively speaking, well lit and is dominated by a block of black rock (an adorned Swedish granite pulpit).

The Quero memorial site, which can also be seen from a fair distance, is located at

TREVISO FELTRE

QUEROALANO DI PIAVE

TREVISO FELTRE BELLUNO

CIMA GRAPPA WAR MEMORIAL

Grappa). Among the many tombs, we may note in particular that of the Maresciallo d’Italia General Giardino, commander of the Armata del Grappa (Grappa army). A wing of the memorial houses the remains of more than 10,000 Austro-Hungarian soldiers (mainly unknown). Among these fallen we also fi nd, curiously enough, a Czech soldier whose name was Peter Pan. Broad steps lead away from the Italian memorial to the chapel in honour of Our Lady of Grappa. Departing from the chapel is the “Via Eroica” (heroes’ way) leading to the “Portale di Roma” (Roman portal), which is the fi rst monumental entrance to the memorial.

1917 - 1918


Memorial

This memorial hosts the mortal remains of more than 12,500 Italians killed in battle. The loculi were placed in the walls of a construction that resembles a gigantic fortress (the material used is stone from

Tel. 0423.544840.Opening and closing times:9:00-12:00;13:30-16:00from 1/10 to 15/5;9:00-12:00;13:30-18:00from 16/5 to 30/9.

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33 WAR MEMORIAL AT FAGARE’

were decorated with a gold medal.Also entombed here is Lieut. Edward McKey, an American Red Cross offi cer and personal friend of the writer, Ernest Hemingway. Hemingway wrote a poem in memory of McKey, which visitors will fi nd in the monument’s central chapel. The memorial garden hosts fragments of a wall on which, during the Battaglia del Solstizio (battle of the solstice) (15-24 June 1918), persons unknown wrote two well-known sayings: “E’ meglio vivere un giorno da leone che cent’anni da pecora” (better to live one day as a lion than one hundred years as a sheep) and “Tutti eroi. O il Piave o tutti accoppati” (We are heroes all. Either the Piave or death to us all).

1917 - 1918

Municipality:San Biagio diCallalta

Memorial

This monument contains the remains of 5,191 known and 5,350 unknown soldiers.Among the fallen, here, we fi nd Lieut. Col. E. Paselli and Major F. Mignone, both of whom

TREVISO ODERZO

PONTE DI PIAVESAN BIAGIO DI CALLALTA

Tel. 0422.790395Opening and closing times:9:00-12:00;14:00-16:00;Every day, Mondays excluded.

entire north-eastern side of Montello.This square-plan structure, with its symmetrically arranged sides, is derived from Roman architectural models. The belvedere of the front faces what was once the theatre of the tremendous Battaglia del Solstizio (battle of the solstice). The interior of this building (which currently houses the remains of more than 9,000 soldiers killed in battle) is markedly monumental and imposing in style.

1917 - 1918

Municipality:Nervesa della Battaglia

Memorial

WAR MEMORIAL AT NERVESA

With its gigantic ‘keep’ open to the skies, this Italian war memorial dominates the

NERVESADELLA BATTAGLIA

GIAVERA

BAVARIA SOVILLA

Tel. 0422.779996 Opening and closing times:9:00-17:00 (from 1/5 to 30/9)9:00-18:00 (from 1/10 to 30/4)

TRENCH AT COLLI ALTI

machine gun nests or for small mortars. The trenches were wide enough for only one fully armed soldier to pass at a time. However, every 20 to 30 metres, we fi nd ‘niches’ which soldiers would back into when others carried the wounded away. Barbed wire barriers were placed a few dozen yards away from the trenches. The trench at San Giovanni ai Colli Alti was dug out of “biancone” (white) limestone. Surrounded by woodland, it has been restored. The signposts with their panels provide information on the function of the trench and the conditions of life of the soldiers who served here.

1917 - 1918

Municipality:Solagna

Location:Finestron

The trenches were not at all neatly laid out since they followed the features of the terrain. Outcrops served as positions for

Tel. 0424.556008www.collialti.it

CIMA GRAPPABASSANO

SAN GIOVANNIAI COLLI ALTI

BRITISH CEMETERY AT GIAVERA

This is a typically British war cemetery. Movingly, each gravestone bears a name and tender words provided by family members or relatives. The British, with their XIV Corps, made up of the 23rd and 41st Divisions, joined the Italians on 4 December 1917. They were active on the Montello front and provided decisive support to the Italians’ ability to resist, and to the fi nal Italian victory.

1917 - 1918

Municipality:Giavera del Montello

Memorial

NERVESADELLA BATTAGLIA

MONTEBELLUNA

GIAVERA BAVARIA SOVILLA

Area of interest

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would become vitally important. He had, in fact, ordered fortifi cations to be built on the Massiccio (massif). The tactical plan for, in the eventuality, defence of the Grappa massif at all costs, foresaw a ring of mule tracks around the northern portion of Grappa: Cima Grappa – M. Pertica – Forcelletto – Bocchette – Tasson – Cima Grappa. Along the ring route we fi nd many entrances to tunnels and shelters, with artillery emplacements and cisterns for water distribution (many of these cisterns have been cleaned up). The Grappa nature itinerary largely retraces this mule track ‘ring’. Also well worth a visit are the nearby trench works between Croce dei Lebi and M. Casonét.

In September 1916, Cadorna, on a visit to the Altipiani (uplands) front, while admiring the view toward Grappa, declared that, in his opinion “if the worst comes to the worst”, Grappa, Tomba, Monfenera and Montello

CADORNA MULE TRACK

1917 - 1918

Municipality:Seren del Grappa

Location: Forcelletto Bocchette Cima Grappa

BASSANO SEREN DEL GRAPPACIMA GRAPPA

Comune Seren del Grappa Tel. 0439.44013 0439.394301Fax 0439.394147

Area of interest

THE BOCCAOR CABLEWAYDuring the war, cableways constituted a vital means of transport for victuals, arms, ammunition and persons. Given the fact that cableway transport was still a new concept in 1914, this installation represented an enormous technological innovation. At the site, we see the remains of a driving motor for the way between the valle di San Liberale (San Liberale valley), below, and Grappa.

1918


CIMA GRAPPA

BASSANO

PEDEROBBA

TREVISO

VAL DI MURE

Area of interest

Monte Palon (Mount Palon) hosted many Italian batteries, placed between it and Bocca di Forca. The idea was to defend the entire eastern wing of the “Settore del Grappa” (Grappa sector). The remains of hutments and caves are still to be found here today, alongside, more importantly, trench works constructed by the infantry (mainly farming people). On the open space surmounting Monte Palon we fi nd a large wooden cross commemorating the sacrifi ces and the valour of all who fought here.

1918

Municipality:Possagno

MONTE PALON

CIMA GRAPPA

BASSANO

PEDEROBBAM.TE TOMBA

TREVISO

Area of interest

BASSANO REFUGE

Reconstructed in 1935, the refuge was originally located where the memorial stands today. The refuge provides an outstanding viewpoint, with a magnifi cent view, that allows us to reconstruct the military operations and battles of Grappa.To the west, at a slightly lower altitude, we fi nd the “Caserma Milano” (Milan barracks, now a museum) and the “Galleria Vittorio Emanuele III” tunnel, a veritable underground fortress (not yet open to the public). The refuge provides a number of services nowadays and also hosts a display of photographs that evoke wartime developments at Grappa.

1918


BASSANO PEDEROBBA

CIMA DEL GRAPPA

Area of interest

Tel. 0423.53101Open year round.Closed Tuesdaysduring winter season.Please telephoneif planning a visit.

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FORCELLA MOSTACIN

From these locations, the Italians could monitor and study the positions of the Austro-Hungarians along the Piave river between the Fener bridge and Nervesa della Battaglia. The French artillery was also able to shell Monte Tomba (Mount Tomba), Quartier del Piave and Montello. A walk through the Forcella Mostacin (Mostacin pass) is enough for us to appreciate, even today, the strategic importance of this route, which was the only one available for transiting guns and ammunition.

1918

Municipality:Maser

The highest points of the hills of the area of Asolo provided ideal observation posts.

CORNUDAASOLO

MONFUMO MASER

Area of interest

ROCCA DI CORNUDA

such as churches and sanctuaries. The “Chiesa della Rocca” (castle church), known as the “Santuario della Madonna della Rocca” (Sanctuary of Our Lady of the Castle) because it was built upon the remains of the medieval castle, was repeatedly shelled by the Austro-Hungarians during the Great War. This was due to the strategic signifi cance of this location, since it was used by the Italians as a military observation point. The Austro-Hungarians shelled it constantly between November 1917 and the Piave offensive, damaging it in various parts.

1917

Municipality:Cornuda

The brutality of World War I meant no locations whatsoever were safe from harm, including places of worship,

Tel. 0423.83462

CORNUDA

TREVISOFELTRE

Area of interest

SANTA BONA ABBEY

This Benedictine abbey was founded during the early years of the twelfth century to house the relics of St Bonne (Santa Bona). The abbey complex, with its church, cloister, housing and large garden, is surrounded by a wall.The site was shelled by the Italians and allies during the Great War, as was the entire Quartiere del Piave area. Since they stood so close to one of the historic bridges over the Piave, the abbey and the Vidor settlement as a whole came in for particularly severe punishment.

1918(abbey interior not open to the public)

Municipality:Vidor

VALDOBBIADENE

VIDOR

PIEVEDI SOLIGO

Area of interest

GALLERY OF PLASTER CASTS OF THE WORKS OF CANOVA

1917 - 1918

Entrance fee

Municipality:Cavaso del Tomba

surely a highly noteworthy instance of the devastation of the Great War. Here, we now fi nd a splendid permanent exhibition called ‘Arte Ferita’ (wounded art), which evokes the tragedy of the bombing and shelling of Possagno. The action started slowly, but was unceasing and precise. While one of the major explosions was just before the “Tempio” (temple), the structure was, miraculously, unharmed. The collection of plaster casts was not so lucky, as we see in this detailed record of events.

The destruction of the gallery of plaster casts of the works of Canova is most

BASSANO TREVISO

PEDEROBBAPOSSAGNOCRESPANO

Area of interest

Tel. 0423.544323

(TV) (TV)

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Free entry

Free entry

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Piave river at Colfosco.Given its strategic position, the castle (which was also shelled from the Italian front) was an observation point for the Austro-Hungarians who, in part, built fortifi cations here. Pieces of ordnance were placed in the caves excavated on the eastern side of the complex. While partly restored, the castle still bears evident scars dating back to the war. Guided visits are available (book ahead).

1918(booking required for visits)

Municipality:Susegana

The role of the citadel of San Salvatore was that of monitoring crossings of the

Tel. 0438.738241Opening and closing times:9:30-11:00.

CONEGLIANOPONTE DELLA PRIULA

SUSEGANA

Area of interest

SANT’EUSTACHIO ABBEY

the events emotionally, wish to arrive at a better understanding of the tragic developments of the Great War. Indeed, the scars of the war evident at a number of sites provide stimuli to move in this direction, as is so dramatically the case when we view the strikingly beautiful, bare walls of the Abbazia di Sant’Eustachio (Abbey of St Eustace) emerging from the green vegetation. The strategic importance of its location sealed the abbey’s fate: it was to be shelled and razed by both German and Italian gunnery.

1918

Municipality: Nervesa della Battaglia

Silence and imagination may come to the aid of visitors who, while perceiving

Tel. 0422.773360Biblioteca Comunale(municipal library)


GIAVERA DEL MONTELLO

OSSARIO

Area of interest

ROAD OF THE HUNDRED DAYS

“Strada dei 100 giorni” (road of the hundred days) because the Austrian sappers laid it between 1 February and 1 June 1918, in time for use as a route for troops and large gunnery during the “battaglia del solstizio” (battle of the solstice). Not only was it enormously important, strategically speaking (providing a rapid, safe link between the Grappa and Piave fronts); it was also, from the engineering angle, an extremely ambitious project. The manner in which the tunnels have been arranged, which is such a characteristic feature of this road, is fascinating since they seem to have been piled up one upon the other as they climb the precipitous slope.

1918

Municipality:Cison di Valmarino

Location:Passo di San Boldo

The road leading from the Treviso piedmont area to the val Belluna valley was baptised

VITTORIOVENETO

FOLLINA

CISON DI VALMARINO

TOVENA

REVINE LAGO

Area of interest

THE KING’S OBSERVATION POINTOne of the main observation points at Montello that must be considered was the king’s observation point, so named because Vittorio Emanuele III, unobserved, would follow developments through the long slits or embrasures of this installation (as indicated by a plaque placed on the wall). Below the country house standing on the site today, we fi nd a narrow cement underground passage (perfectly conserved) which leads to what was considered the ideal observation point covering the entire fi eld of action.

1918

Municipality: Ciano del Montello


CROCETTA DEL MONTELLO

PRESA XV

Area of interest

(TV) (TV)

(TV) (TV)

Free entry


8180

50

49

COL CAMPEGGIA

Col Campeggia hosted the tactical HQ of the IX Corpo d’Armata (IX Corps), at an altitude of 1,100 metres on the last south-westerly offshoots of the massif. This location thus became a major logistical site. Work on improvement and recovery of the site began in 1922. A number of hutments and trenches, and the “observation” gallery were renovated. Signposts have also been installed with information on conditions of life and work for the soldiers here.

1918

Municipality: Romano d’Ezzelino

Location: Camposolagna

CIMA GRAPPA BASSANO

CAMPOSOLAGNA

TRENTO BASSANO

PRIMOLANO

Area of interest

VALSUGANA AREA FORTRESSES AND BRENTA CANAL

This multi-site museum is known as “Museo del covolo di Buttistone e altri sistemi difensivi della valle” (museum of the Buttistone stronghold and other valley defence systems) consists in the museum as such, Covolo di Buttistone, certain fortifi cations dating back to before the

1915 - 1918

Municipality:Cismon del Grappa

Area of interest

(VI)

(VI)

Great War, Tagliata di Primolano and Forte Tombion. The Covolo is very old, dating back to the early eleventh century. It defended, also as a natural barrier, the road between Bassano and Trento. It was used last during World War I. At Forte Tombion − as we visit the corridors and rooms of the stronghold, and walk along the trenches placed along the steep slope − we gain an idea of what life was like at the frontier, and also of the heroic exploits of World War I. Work was then completed on the Tagliata di Primolano, a complex work of remarkable interest made up of two main structures: Tagliata Fontanella and Tagliata della Scala, one blocking advances toward the Brenta and the other blocking advances in the opposite direction.

Interprovincial coordination groupProject “I luoghi e le memorie della Grande Guerra nel Veneto” (locations and memories of the Great War in the Veneto Region)

Veneto RegionMarino Zorzato – Councillor in charge of cultural servicesMarino Finozzi – Councillor in charge of tourism policiesAngelo Tabaro – Regional secretary for cultureFausta Bressani –Regional director of cultural heritage directoratePaolo Rosso – Regional director of tourism directorateGiulio Bodon – Head of organisational position for cataloguing, monitoring and enhancement of cultural heritage

Province of BellunoDaniela Templari – Councillor in charge of cultural servicesAlberto Vettoretto – Councillor in charge of tourism servicesGabriella Faoro – Director of the economic and cultural development sectorAlessandra Cinti – Head of cultural servicesCristina Busatta – Curator, museum of the seventh regiment of Alpine troops

Province of Treviso - responsible for realizationMarzio Favero - Councillors in charge of cultural heritage (Coordinator)Floriano Zambon – Councillor in charge of tourism servicesUberto Di Remigio – Director of the territorial promotion sectorFrancesca Susanna – Head of cultural heritage operational unitElena Bisiol – Head of tourism promotion operational unitGloria Toffolo – Head of cultural heritage management

Province of VeniceRaffaele Speranzon – Councillor in charge of cultural activitiesGiorgia Andreuzza – Councillor in charge of tourism servicesGloria Vidali – Director of the cultural sectorRoberto Favarato – Director of the tourism sector

Province of VicenzaDino Secco - Councillor in charge of tourism servicesMartino Bonotto – Councillor in charge of cultural heritageMaria Pia Ferretti – Director of the cultural sectorSandra Brentan – Director of the tourism sector

General Commission for Honouring the FallenGeneral Vittorio BarbatoColonel Carmelo Cannistraro

MiBAC (Ministry of Cultural Heritage and Activities) - Cultural heritage and landscape directorate of Veneto Region Ugo Soragni –Regional director

Historic, artistic and ethno-anthropological heritage offi ce for the Provinces of Venice, Belluno, Padua and TrevisoAnna Maria Spiazzi – Head of offi ce

Architectural and landscape heritage offi ce for the Provinces of Venice, Belluno, Padua and TrevisoSabina Ferrari – Head of offi ce

Initiative realized with the fi nancial support of the regional government authority, Regione del Veneto, as part of the “Programma di valorizzazione del patrimonio culturale del Veneto” (programme for enhancement of value of the cultural heritage of the Veneto region), in accordance with the provisions of legge regionale (regional law) no. 1/2008, art. 102Project: “I luoghi e le memorie della Grande Guerra nel Veneto” (locations and memories of the Great War in the Veneto Region)

Free entry

Free entry

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INFORMATION

PROVINCE OF BELLUNOVia Sant’Andrea 5 – 32100 Bellunotel 0437/959162 - [email protected] 0437/940084 - www.provincia.belluno.itwww.infodolomiti.itIAT Offi ce (tourism and accommodation bureau)Piazza Duomo 2 – 32100 Belluno Tel 0437/940083 e.mail: [email protected]

PROVINCE OF TREVISOVia Cal di Breda 116 – 31100 Trevisotel 0422/656000 www.provincia.treviso.itwww.turismo.provincia.treviso.itIAT Offi ce (tourism and accommodation bureau)Via S.Andrea 3 – 31100 TrevisoTel 0422/547632 e.mail: [email protected]

PROVINCE OF VENICECà Corner, San Marco 2662 – 30124 Venezia Tel. 041 2501511www.provincia.venezia.itservizio culturaservizio turismoAPT della Provincia di Venezia(provincial tourism offi ce of the Province of Venice)Castello 5050 – 30124 Venezia Tel 041/5298711 e.mail: [email protected]

PROVINCE OF VICENZAContrà Gazzolle 1 – 36100 VicenzaTel 0444/908111www.provincia.vicenza.itIAT Offi ce (tourism and accommodation bureau)Piazza Matteotti 12 – 36100 VicenzaTel 0444/320854 e.mail: [email protected] - [email protected]

www.ecomuseograndeguerra.it

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Documents

Battleﬁ elds - Forts - Museums - Monuments - Memorials ... · della Scala is well worth a visit, as are the complex array of communication and other trenches leading on from Pozzo