History/Great War
Memory engraved in the rock and in the woods
Three major war theaters punctuate the province of Vicenza from west to east, each with its own identity and memorial sites.
Mount Pasubio is the symbol of vertical warfare: the Strada delle Gallerie—52 tunnels dug into the living rock—is still accessible and leads to the Pasubio Ossuary in an atmosphere of silence steeped in history. On the Altopiano dei Sette Comuni, the first Italian cannon shot was fired from Fort Verena on May 24, 1915. The Strafexpedition of 1916 and the Battle of Ortigara of 1917 are commemorated by forts, memorials, and museums: the Leiten Military Memorial in Asiago holds over fifty thousand fallen soldiers, Fort Lisser can be visited at 1,720 meters, and the Historical War Museum in Canove di Roana documents the conflict with multimedia technology.
Monte Grappa closes the eastern front: the Military Shrine dominates the peak with its imposing architecture and holds the remains of over 22,000 fallen Italian and Austro-Hungarian soldiers.
