The Trenches of the Dolomites. “ Memoirs” of the First World War
British WW1 cemeteries not far from Vittorio Veneto. Commonwealth fallen soldiers.
In the British cemetery of Tezze di Piave (Vazzola) are buried 356 soldiers who fell during the battle on the northeast side of the river Piave. The British Cemetery of Giavera del Montello (417 graves) contains the graves of those who died in defense of the river Piave from December 1917 to March 1918, and of those who died in the right shore, while crossing the river. The cemetery also contains a memorial dedicated to the soldiers of the Commonwealth who fell in Italy of whom do not know the place of burial.
A moving excursion to the WW1 memorials. There have been numerous fallen allies from Commonwealth, UK, Australia, Canada, India, New Zealand and South Africa.
In Coryton, Devon, UK, this plaque commemorates an English soldier, fallen on the banks of the river Piave, during the Vittorio Veneto Battle
Memorials and shrines of fallen soldiers
The shrines and memorials of the First World War in Italy are monumental architectural complexes designed and built mainly by the Fascist regime to welcome and commemorate the remains of soldiers who died in the war, with particular regard to the fallen in the First World War (or the Great War, WW1) and aimed at celebrate with mass ceremonies the worship and the exaltation of heroism, sacrifice, death in battle, and the sacred character of the victory over the enemy, through an elaborate symbolic and iconographic apparatus and the use of spaces, not only architectural, but also of the natural and "historic" landscape. This is the translation of the relevant and honest description from Wikipedia.
The military shrine of Nervesa della Battaglia
is one of many examples of commemoration of the fallen of the Great War arose during fascism. Like other similar memorials (including the Redipuglia monument, and that of Monte Grappa and Asiago), this is characterized by the large size and by the functional architecture. The memorial hosts in walled niches 6,099 identified soldiers; some great collective tombs host the remains of 3,226 unidentified fallen soldiers
The small temple in honor of Francesco Baracca, fighter pilot, WW1 ace
A short distance from the great shrine of Nervesa there is a small round temple: it’s the shrine the Italian WW1 ace pilot, Francesco Baracca. Italian cavalry officer (Lugo 1888 - Montello 1918), then a fighter pilot. Gold medal for military valor. In First World War brought down 34 enemy airplanes in 63 air battles.
There is no absolute certainty how his plane was shot down. In any case, Francesco Baracca was flying with his biplane Spad at a low altitude over the Austro Hungarian trenches, when he was shot by the enemy musketry. However, there is a different version: in fact, the pilot of an Austrian triplane claimed to have shot him down with his machine gun during a duel.
If you are interested in a tour to the places of the Great War, you can contact us we will accompany you from the apartment or villa you have rented up to the WW1 shrines and / or to the trenches on the banks of the Piave river or the Dolomites
A history of coats of arms, ensigns and trademarks, related with the WW1
Francesco Baracca had painted a personal coat of arms, a prancing horse, on the fuselage of his plane. The most widespread opinion is that he was inspired by the coat of arms drawn on the airplane of an enemy shot down: a German pilot from the city of Stuttgart. And the ensign of Stuttgart is a prancing horse.
But it could be that Francesco Baracca was inspired, however, at the time he was part of the Cavalry, by the coat of arms of the 2° Reggimento Reale, this depicting as well a prancing horse. And it is certain, however, that the carmaker Ferrari has asked the mother of Francesco Baracca for the formal permission to use his arms.
Even the carmaker Porsche uses in the center of his coat of arms a prancing horse. But this is certainly the symbol of Stuttgart, where the headquarters of Porsche.
| Ensign of Stuttgart | Trademark Porsche | Trademark Cavalry | Trademark Ferrari | Prancing horse on Baracca’s fighter airplane |
|---|---|---|---|---|
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Memorial WW1
Main body of the monument of Monte Grappa contains the remains of 10,332 unidentified fallen soldiers and of 2,283 identified. The remains of 2,283 identified fallen are lined in alphabetical order and stored in small vaults covered with bronze plates on which are engraved the names and decorations for military valor of the fallen.
The only French shrine in Italy of the Great War is located in Pederobba, near the Piave River. Inside the wall are niches where lie about a thousand French soldiers, arrived in April 1918 and died in the Battle of the Solstice and the Final Battle of Vittorio Veneto. At the foot of this great wall can be read their names (only 12 bodies were unknown). The complex is completed by the huge group of statues in the foreground: they were represented Mother Italia and Mother France, united in grief united while holding their dead sons on their knees.
This of Redipuglia is the largest and most majestic Italian memorial dedicated to the fallen of the Great War. This monument, also known as the Shrine "of hundred thousand" contains the remains of 100,187 soldiers. For the centenary of the Great War WW1 mass ceremonies will be held here for the celebration of the victory and the memory of fallen soldiers
Near the spectacular Pordoi pass there is a German shrine in memory of the fallen Austro Hungarian German in the WW1. Here lie the remains of 454 fallen German soldiers and 8,128 of the Austro-Hungarian Empire. The site, like the Austro-Hungarian cemeteries managed by the Austrian Black Cross, is organized by Deutsche Volksbund Kriegsgräberfürsorge.
The Shrine of Pocol of Cortina d'Ampezzo. Inside are 9,707 fallen Italian (4,455 unknown) and 37 Austro-Hungarian, all originally buried in various cemeteries arose during the period of the conflict
Instead of being a monumental building visible even from a distance, the Shrine of Pian di Salesei, Livinallongo, is formed by a open masonry which houses the remains of the 704 identified fallen soldiers (including 19 Austro-Hungarian).
At the end of the path there is a chapel, the only evidence of the old cemetery in 1922. Here is the large tomb that holds the remains of 4,700 soldiers remained nameless.This memorial has a beautiful view of the Marmolada, the highest mountain of the Dolomites.