THE PLACES OF THE FIRST WORLD WAR in Vallagarina
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Comunità della Vallagarina
Text Italian War History Museum Graphic Design Designfabrik Photographs Paolo Aldi - The Peace Bell Foundation Alessandro Andreolli Lucio Angheben - Pasubio100anni Association APT Rovereto and Vallagarina Trekking photo archive, photos by Massimiliano Vassura Rovereto Municipal Archive, photos by Carlo Baroni Giuliana Baldessari Nicola Campostrini Laura Casarotto Romer Municipality of Terragnolo Tommaso Dossi “E. Roner” Caving Group Marco Ischia MART - Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art of Trento and Rovereto Paolo Mondini Trento Science Museum Italian War History Museum Anna Pisetti SAT Rovereto Francesco Silli Department of Cultural Heritage, photos by Studio Rensi Arianna Tamburini Antonio Zandonati Alessandra Zanoni Municipality of Vallagarina Via Tommaseo 5, Rovereto www.comunitadellavallagarina.tn.it
For booking information and further information about the places www.trentinograndeguerra.it www.museodellaguerra.it
Tourist information www.visitrovereto.it 2
One of the many reasons to visit Vallagarina is the large amount of First World War evidence in the area. Often, the sites are easily accessible and suitable for families, appealing to history enthusiasts and hikers alike. Mountain roads and paths wind along picturesque routes that follow the old front line and the Path of Peace. Through enormous effort, the Italian and Austro-Hungarian armies created two opposing defensive systems between 1915 and 1918, consisting of trenches, gun emplacements, tunnels, shelters, cableways and aqueducts. The population was evacuated and tens of thousands of soldiers lived in its place for three and a half years, many of whom died in combat. Rovereto is home to some of the most important Italian institutions dedicated to the memory of the war. Twenty thousand fallen Austrians and Italians rest in the great Shrine of Rovereto. The Peace Bell rings a hundred times every night as a warning against war. The Italian War History Museum, in the halls of Rovereto Castle, documents the history of the conflict. Several cultural events mark the start of the First World War Centenary. The Mart has organised an exhibition entitled “The War That Will Come Is Not the First: the Great War 1914-2014”, there is the exhibition “Dying for Trento/ Sterben für Trient” at the Italian War History Museum, as well as the opening of Fort Pozzacchio, and this year’s Pilgrimage for Peace organised for the summer by the Peace Bell Foundation. Recently restored historical sites will also be opened. It will not, therefore, be an anniversary marked by shortterm events. The Community of Vallagarina invites you to visit the many remnants of that tragic event and to reflect on a shared, national and European history. Stefano Bisoffi President of the Community of Vallagarina
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Val di Gresta
The Austrian connecting point between the Adige and Garda sp 88
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The Italian lines and the war of the “futurists�
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ROVERETO, MORI, ALA, AVIO Places of memory: museums, monuments and trenches
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Valli del Leno
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The battlefield of the 10.000 dead
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The “Trincerone� (large trench) and the Buole Pass raossi
The many interesting sites of the Great War in Vallagarina have been divided into 6 areas. As part of an enjoyable and varied trip, you can visit them using one of the three available maps and choose either a short walk or a longer hike. 3
TRENTINO AND VALLAGARINA DURING THE FIRST WORLD WAR
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Fort Pozzacchio during the months of the Italian occupation
Until the end of the First World War, Trentino was part of the Austrian Empire. After losing Lombardy and Veneto in 1859, the Vienna government planned their defence of the border with the Kingdom of Italy. Over the following fifty years, the Trentino fortification plan implemented the construction of about 80 fortresses. At the beginning of 1900, the Austrians designed a defensive system for Vallagarina based on five major fortresses: on Mount Pasubio, at Pozzacchio, and on the mountains of Zugna, Vignola and Altissimo di Nago. At the outbreak of war in July 1914, the work was interrupted to allow men and equipment to be sent to the Russian and Serbian fronts. The only structure that was built was Fort Pozzacchio (Werk Valmorbia), although it remained unfinished. During the conflict, more than 55,000 Trentino men were called to arms and sent to the Eastern Front in Galicia, a region of the Austro-Hungarian Empire which is now divided between Poland and Ukraine. They fought against the Russian Army there. Many were taken prisoner and more than 11,400 died. The war, however, did not involve only the male population but the whole of Trentino’s society and territory.
Between autumn 1914 and spring 1915, the Austro-Hungarian Army reinforced their defences by building the Tiroler Widerstandlinie (Tyrolean line of resistance), a system of trenches and military posts that extended from Tonale to Marmolada. In Vallagarina, the line began from the fortified area of Riva del Garda and the Zures farmstead, climbed along the high southern area of the Gresta valley, descended until the Adige, and passed through Rovereto along the Leno stream before going up to Mount Finonchio. From there, running along the ridge, it connected to the defences of the plateau of Folgaria. In early 1915, when the prospect of war with the Kingdom of Italy became increasingly likely, many in Trentino with Italian sentiment crossed the border. During the war, about 700 of them enlisted as volunteers in the Italian Army.
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The refugee camp in Mitterndorf
Refugees from Trentino in Braunau
When Italy declared war on AustriaHungary in May 1915, Trentino became a battlefield. The first result was the evacuation of the most vulnerable places. More than 100,000 people were moved to the interior regions of Austria and Italy. The inhabitants of Trambileno, Terragnolo, part of Vallarsa, Rovereto, Isera, the Valley of Gresta, Mori and Marco were sent into Austria, Bohemia and Moravia. Large areas of huts called “wooden towns� were built (Mitterndorf, Braunau, Oberhollabrunn), where hunger, epidemics and poor sanitation claimed many victims. Some inhabitants of 6
the Brentonico plateau and Vallarsa, as well as the population of Chizzola, Serravalle and S. Margherita, were expelled by the Italian Army and transferred to different regions of the peninsula. To the south, in Ala and Avio, and to the north, in Villalagarina, Volano, Pomarolo, Nomi and Besenello, the population had to live with thousands of soldiers throughout the war. These places became the commands centres, hospitals and warehouses for the two armies, where trains unloaded men and material for the front lines.
Pasubio. The Dente Italiano (Italian Tooth) seen from the Austrian front lines
In the early months of the war, Italian troops easily occupied Avio, Ala, Baldo, Zugna, Vallarsa and Pasubio, from where the Austrians had withdrawn, and advanced to the gates of Rovereto. In December 1915, some units reached the hill of Casteldante and Loppio. Both armies built roads, paths, trenches, machine gun and artillery emplacements, huts, depots and cableways. Being short of men, the Austrians mobilised many civilians and thousands of Russian and Serb prisoners. Today, there are place names to commemorate them (“the Path of the Serbs”).
In May 1916, the Austro-Hungarian Army launched a major offensive (known as Strafexpedition) and reoccupied almost all of Pasubio. However, their advance was stopped on Mount Zugna at the “Trincerone” and at the Buole Pass. During the operations, three volunteers from Trentino who were enlisted in the Italian Army Damiano Chiesa, Cesare Battisti and Fabio Filzi - were captured by the Austrians. They were taken to Trento, where they were tried, sentenced to death and executed in Buonconsiglio Castle. 7
The Italian trench on Mount Zugna
The Italian artillery fired from Baldo and Zugna; the Austrians responded from Stivo and Biaena, and from Pasubio and Finonchio. Many villages were destroyed. The countryside and woods were devastated. Yet, from autumn 1916 until the end of the war, the two armies’ positions remained largely unchanged. The fighting was especially violent on Pasubio, where uninterrupted warfare 8
was fought until October 1918. In the area of the Denti (Teeth), the armies resorted to using gas and mines. On Zugna, the bloodiest episodes took place in the summers of 1916 and 1918. Thousands of soldiers died from wounds, the cold and avalanches. The high losses led to the construction of several military hospitals. Dozens of cemeteries were built behind the battlefields.
The village of Aste in 1919
Three and a half years after the war began in Vallagarina, the journey towards peace began. On October 29 1918, in Serravalle all’Adige, an Austro-Hungarian delegation requested a ceasefire. Negotiations were concluded at Villa Giusti in Padua, leading to the signing of the armistice on November 3. Italian troops had already entered Rovereto the previous day. From November 1918, refugees and soldiers began to return to the homes they left at the beginning of the war. Mori and its surrounding area; the villages in the valley of Gresta, Rovereto, Lizzana, Marco, Serravalle, Terragnolo, Trambileno and Vallarsa were all largely uninhabitable. Houses, public
buildings, churches, monuments, aqueducts, power lines, bridges, roads, fields and woods all bore the signs of destruction. With the end of the war, the demise of the Austro-Hungarian Empire and the Peace Treaty of Versailles, Trentino became part of the Kingdom of Italy. The difficult work of reconstruction began: the populations of many places lived in villages of shacks for months; it took years before life returned to normal. Poverty drove many people to emigrate. Many returned to the battlefields to “recuperate� materials to sell: the final legacy of the war. 9
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ROVERETO, MORI, ALA, AVIO
Vallagarina was entered from enemy lines in May 1915. It was here that the Austrians asked for an armistice in October 1918. From 1919 onwards, the resumption of civil and economic life erased most traces of the war. However, some remnants are still visible. Rovereto quickly became a place of memory and a destination for visitors. 6
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War History Museum 1 has been one of the most important Italian museums dedicated to the First World War. It displays artefacts, documents and memorabilia; it manages exhibitions and research and is actively involved in education. Housed in the castle of Rovereto, it also displays collections of weapons from the modern age. The temporary exhibition is “Dying for Trento/Sterben für Trient”. The Bell of Peace 2 , designed by Don Antonio Rossaro, was made in 1924 with the bronze of cannons donated by the nations involved in the war. It was inaugurated on October 4 1925. Every evening the bell rings one hundred times to commemorate the fallen of all wars, making it an international symbol of peace. The remains of thousands of dead soldiers from the Vallagarina front have been collected on the hill of Casteldante
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since the 1920s. In the 1930s, a large memorial shrine 3 was built there, which now houses more than 12,000 fallen Italians (including Fabio Filzi and Damiano Chiesa) and about 8,000 fallen Austro-Hungarians. At the foot of the memorial, sections of a trench built by the Italians in the winter of 1915 can be visited. The Road of the Artillerymen 4 is lined with memorials commemorating soldiers who received gold medals for military valour. It was recently the subject of a restoration project by the Department for Cultural Heritage. The road leads to the Cave of Damiano Chiesa 5 , in which there is a 149 mm cannon. In this area the young volunteer from Rovereto was captured by the Austrians in May 1916. Until 20 September 2015 the Mart 6 is hosting the exhibition “The War That Will Come Is Not the First: the Great War 1914-2014”. 11
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Some interesting traces can still be found of the Austrian line that ran downwards from Biaena towards the Adige and then upwards to Finonchio. Near the village of Ravazzone (Mori), recovery work by the Schützenkompanie “Destra Ades” and by the Employment Support and Environmental Development Service has uncovered the Austro-Hungarian entrenched camp of Asmara 7 . Continuing towards Isera, near the area of Cornalè and near the ruins of Castel Pradaglia 12
8 , a well-preserved trench overlooks the River Adige. In Isera you can visit Carmelo Nuvoli’s original Postcard Museum 9 ; within the vast collection there are many postcards from the First World War. On the eastern side of Vallagarina, from the village of Noriglio you can easily reach Mount Ghello 10 , a rocky promontory located near the city of Rovereto. You can still see the gun emplacements and trenches which were dug into the rock by the Austrians.
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To the south of Rovereto, between Serravalle and Avio, there are significant traces of the Italian Army’s three and a half year occupation of the area. In the village of la Villetta 11 , near Chizzola, evidence remains of the Italian line that came down from Mount Baldo and continued towards Zugna. Near Marani 12 , a long covered trench crosses the vineyards and leads up to the mountain; a restoration work restored the two sites. From Ala, where the Italian commands were situated, a system of roads led to high altitude gun emplacements. One example is the embrasure of Busoni 13 at Sega, on the plateau of Lessini. A mil-
itary road leads to the Buole Pass 14 , where units of the Taro and Sicilia brigades halted the Austrian offensive on 29 and 30 May 1916. Along state road 12 near Serravalle 15 , a stone marks the spot where Austrian representatives proposed the cessation of fighting to the Italians on October 29 1918. They were taken to Villa Pellegrini Malfatti in Avio 16 and Villa Guerrieri Gonzaga in Borghetto 17 . They were then transferred to Villa Giusti in Padua, where the armistice was signed on 3 November. The Municipality of Ala is planning the construction of a park dedicated to this event. 13
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THE VALLEYS OF THE LENO
Between 1915 and 1918, the Trentino municipalities of Pasubio - Vallarsa, Terragnolo and Trambileno were destroyed and the population was evacuated. When the refugees and soldiers returned, the work of reconstruction was accompanied by the recovery of war metals from the battlefield. Today, you can find several remains of fortifications and trenches by following the old network of paths and military roads. rovereto
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In the spring of 1915, the Austrians left the valleys of the Leno and deployed to the areas near Rovereto and along Mount Finonchio. The populations of Terragnolo, Trambileno and part of Vallarsa were evacuated. The Italians advanced and occupied Vallarsa, Pasubio and Zugna. In May 1916, the AustroHungarian offensive pushed them back to almost their original position. The still inhabited villages of Vallarsa were evacuated and the population was moved to Italy. The territory underwent new military preparations, and a long war of position began that lasted until the end of the conflict. During the postwar period, reconstruction was difficult and part of the population had to emigrate. In today’s more stable times, the dedicated work of associations has led to the recovery of many historical sites.
The valleys of the Leno are the access point for Pasubio and Mount Zugna. The valley of Terragnolo was primarily the logistical rear for the Austrians, where they built warehouses, huts and commands. From here, roads and cableways left for Pasubio. The local municipal government, the ANA and the Employment Support and Environmental Development Service have together recovered the Austro-Hungarian cemetery of Geroli 18 , one of many found in the valley and among the largest in Vallagarina. The ruins of an Austro-Hungarian headquarters at the Pass of Borcola 19 has undergone restoration work. Cleaning work was completed on the trench that leads to Fort Dosso delle Somme, with its characteristic Forra del lupo (Wolf’s Gorge) 20 , and the trenches of Val delle Calchere. 15
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The most interesting site in the municipality of Trambileno is Fort Pozzacchio 21 (Valmorbia Werk). Last of the Austro-Hungarian fortresses built in Trentino, it is entirely excavated from the rock and was made to control the upper part of Vallarsa. The fort was never completed due to the outbreak of the war. It was the most modern of the forts in Trentino. Inside, emplacements for machine guns, artillery and searchlights were built, in addition to food and ammunition stores, workshops, spaces for an electricity generator, a telephone exchange and dormitories for soldiers and officers. A central shaft gave access to the top, where rotating domes for the artillery had been planned. The Italian Army occupied it in June 1915, 16
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but in May 1916 the fort was retaken by the Austro-Hungarians. The Italians attempted to win it back after a few weeks, but were repelled. Michele Rigillo and Carlo Pastorino wrote intense passages about the fort, while Eugenio Montale, a soldier in the Great War, evoked his stay in Valmorbia in a poem from the “Cuttlefish Bones” collection. The municipal government, the Superintendency of Architectural Heritage and the “Fort” association have collaborated to acquire and restore the structure. The fort is accessible on foot along the two military roads from the villages of Pozzacchio and Valmorbia. The public opening is scheduled for Sunday May 24 2015, and the official opening will take place on Sunday July 5.
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In Vallarsa, the “Pasubio100anni” Association, the ANA and SAT have collaborated to reopen numerous historical sites and paths that lead to the slopes of Zugna and Pasubio from the valley below. In 2014, paths were made that lead to the trench of Edelweiss 22 from Foppiano, from Obra to the mountain of Mezzo and the trenches of Rio Rumini, and from Piano to Parrocchia. An application for smartphones and tablets to enhance trips to these sites is downloadable from the Association’s website (www.pasubio100anni. it) or from a PlayStore. The entrenched camp of Matassone 23 was created
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by the Austro-Hungarian Army in the autumn of 1914. It consisted of two concrete trench systems, an observation post and a post for optical signals with Fort Pozzacchio, which was on the other side of Vallarsa. After May 1915, it was occupied by the Italians, who built further trenches. In May 1916, the Austro-Hungarian Army conquered the area, but the Italians reoccupied it on June 28 and held it until the end of the conflict. Its location allows for a wide view of Vallarsa, Pasubio, Zugna and the Piccole Dolomiti. Further restoration work will take place in the area throughout 2015. 17
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MOUNT pASUBIO
This was one of the most important battlefields of the Italian-Austrian front. Here, the longest war of mines on the European front was fought. At the end of the conflict it was declared a “sacred area� and became a place of pilgrimage, tours and excursions. Today it is still full of tunnels, paths and trenches.
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Approximately 100,000 Austro-Hungarian and Italian soldiers lived on Pasubio for more than three years. More than ten thousand died in combat, from disease or were crushed by avalanches. During the war, the soldiers of the two armies built roads, paths, cableways, aqueducts, villages of huts and numerous tunnels. Thanks to the intervention of the Provinces of Trento and Vicenza and the work of many volunteers, many of these constructions have been restored and made visitable. Those same roads and military
paths are now access routes for hikers who can access Pasubio from different sides: from Trambileno and Pian del Cheserle, from the valley of Terragnolo, from the pass of Borcola and from Vallarsa. The Way of Heroes goes up from Pian delle Fugazze; the Scarubbi Road and the spectacular Road of the 52 Tunnels goes up from Bocchetta Campiglia. Rest stops for hikers include the shelters of Lancia and Papa and some mountain farmsteads (malga Valli, malga Zocchi, malga Borcola, malga Bisorte). 19
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Crossing Pasubio from the shelter of Lancia to the shelter of Papa takes you to the first Austro-Hungarian and Italian lines, which are littered with tunnels, shelters and emplacements. The Corno di Vallarsa, now known as Corno Battisti 24 , was one of the most contested peaks. The Italians conquered it in 1915, lost it in the spring of 1916 and recaptured it in the summer of 1918 following a spectacular manoeuvre. Its name commemorates the irredentist Cesare Battisti, who was captured there with Fabio Filzi in July 1916. Inside, there are winding tunnels and passages, made visitable by the work of the “E. Roner” Caving Group. Further restoration measures 20
have been proposed by the “Pasubio100anni” Association. Mount Testo 25 fell into Italian hands in 1915 but was recaptured in the Austro-Hungarian offensive of 1916. Recent restoration work by SAT Rovereto and the “E. Roner” Caving Group has opened up the complex of tunnels, trenches and artillery observation posts, which were prepared to control Vallarsa, Zugna and Pasubio. At the foot of Mount Buso 26 , volunteers from SAT Rovereto have recently reopened a long tunnel dug by the Austrians to ensure the movement of troops to the front lines. During the work, fossilised dinosaur footprints were found on the rocky ceiling.
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The top part of Roite formed the rearguard of the Austrian line and is completely covered in trenches. The most advanced point of the line ran along the rocky promontory of the Dente Austriaco 27 , which saw the bloodiest of conflicts in autumn 1916. Opposite, separated by a pass, stands the Dente Italiano, which was the target of mine warfare between 1917 and 1918. Behind the Dente Italiano, long paths and the remains of trenches go down from Cima Palon, which at that time were used by Italian units at the front line. Recent restoration work has focused on the summit trench of the Dente Austriaco, the “Ellison” tunnel, artefacts from the Dente Italiano, Cima
Palon, Cogolo Alto, Selletta Comando 28 , the “Ghersi” path, the mule track and tunnel of “Zamboni”, the Way of Heroes, the remains of a hut in “Milanin”, the cemetery of the Brigata Liguria and the “Roman Arch” 29 . One of the most spectacular entrances to Pasubio is the Road of the 52 Tunnels 30 , which goes up from Bocchetta Campiglia to the shelter of Papa. Built by the Italian Army between February and November 1917, its 6 kilometres (almost half of them in the tunnel) allowed supplies to be taken to combat units. The remains of more than 5,000 Italian soldiers are collected in the Shrine of the Pian delle Fugazze 31 , which was opened in 1926. 21
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MOuNT ZUGNA
Mount Zugna is significant in the history of the Great War for the Italian resistance to the Austrian offensive of May 1916. The mountain is also interesting in other respects. On its slopes there is a large area with dinosaur footprints. The Astronomical Observatory of the Rovereto Civic Museum Foundation operates near the shelter of Mount Zugna.
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At the beginning of 1900, the Austrians planned a fort on the summit of Zugna: they built the access road, barracks and a drainage basin for the collection of rainwater. When entry into the war seemed likely, the lines were set back to Rovereto. Consequently, in May-June 1915 Zugna was occupied by the Italian Army, who built their own trenches, roads, huts, cableways and aqueducts. In Spring 1916, the Austro-Hungarians launched an offensive in the direction of the Veneto region and attempted
to seize Vallarsa. The Italians stopped them on Zugna, which makes up one of its sides. In spite of repeated and bloody assaults, the Austro-Hungarians failed to overcome Italian resistance at the Buole Pass and at the “Trincerone�, the barrier created at the narrowest point of the ridge. From that moment until the end of the conflict, the two armies wore each other down in a long war of position. This is testified by the numerous cemeteries and lines of trenches. 23
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The road from Albaredo climbs to the top of Zugna through an area which is unique along the whole front as it contains both the Austrian and Italian military networks. The area was developed as part of a recovery project organised by the Municipality of Rovereto in collaboration with the War Museum and the Civic Museum Foundation. The project restored the remains of several military structures: artillery emplacements, aqueducts, trenches, tunnels and military cemeteries. Detailed signs are placed all along the area’s 11 km hiking route. This winding trail starts at 900 metres, just below Malga Tof. It first takes you to the area behind the Austro-Hungarian front-line, passes through the no man’s land, the Italian lines and rear and then reaches the summit. Along the way, it intertwines with the Path of Peace, where you walk along military communication trenches from the mountain shelter at the curve of the “Tre Aquile” (Three Eagles). The 24
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communication trenches on the Path of Peace were restored as part of the work undertaken by the Employment Support and Environmental Development Service. The “Path of the Trenches” starts on a bend just above Malga Tof. The path was recovered by the District of Marco following the advice of the War Museum, the Alta Vallagarina Woodland Guard, the Forestry Service and the Social Activities Service of the Municipality of Rovereto. Along the trail you will find the Redentore Italian military cemetery 32 (formerly known as S. Costanzo), which was cleaned up by the Memores Association. Back on the road, at the beginning of the path of the “Trincerone”, a mule track leads to Foraora 33 , the site of an important battle in in May 1918. Along the route, the military structures of the Italian “Trincerone” and the Austrian front line area known as “Kopfstellung” 34 have been cleaned up following a project by
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the Cengio Alto Botanical Park Foundation with the Municipality of Rovereto, the War Museum and the Civic Museum Foundation (winner of the Building Trentino 2009-2012 architectural project). The project restored the front line and its impressive surroundings. The Italian “Trincerone”, almost erased by bombing, was partially reinstated to demonstrate its original function. Some military cemeteries have been saved following restoration work. Beyond the “Trincerone”, you can visit the remains of the San Matteo cemetery and the grounds of the S. Barbara cemetery. Along the forest road (which corresponds with the Path of Peace), you can visit the cemetery of San Giorgio 35 ,
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where gravestones are gathered from the area’s once numerous war cemeteries. Near the Monte Zugna mountain shelter, you can see the “Sass dei usei” 36 – a rock pierced by tunnels leading to loopholes for machine guns. You can visit it today thanks to restoration work. The trail to the summit leads to the “Peace Park” 37 , where there are Austro-Hungarian structures (a basin for collecting rainwater, the ruins of a barracks), but also evidence of the Italian presence: trenches, shelters in the rock, artillery emplacements and the “Coni Zugna” military cemetery. From the “Peace Park” a trail leads to the summit (where there are some artillery emplacements, an observation post and other structures), while the Buole Pass 38 can be reached following the “Path of Peace”. Here, the Italians stopped the enemy offensive in May 1916. Along the route, the Municipality of Ala has planned the identification and recovery of various structures and historical sites, including the stronghold of “Loner”. At the Buole Pass, a chapel and some cemeteries commemorate the fallen. There are also important structures which were used for the provision of supplies on Zugna, as well as structures built to fortify the peaks. The Buole Pass is reached by a steep path from Riva di Vallarsa or by a convenient road from Marani di Ala. 25
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MOuNT BALDO
Mount Baldo straddles Garda and the Adige valley to form a spectacular platform overlooking the lake. The area was modified to meet the military needs of the Italian Army, who controlled it throughout the war. Recently converted to a Local Nature Park for its rich flora, it contains many remnants of the Great War.
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The Austro-Hungarian Army had planned to build two forts on Vignola and Altissimo for the fortified belt of Vallagarina, which was due to stretch from Baldo to Pasubio. Work began in the spring of 1914 but was suspended after a few months because of the need to send men to the Serbian and Russian front lines. The Austro-Hungarian defensive line was moved to the north, to the Valley of Gresta. At the outbreak of the war, the Italian Army was able to
rapidly occupy the Vignola ridge, Postemone, San Valentino, Corna Piana and Altissimo; in these places they placed a large quantity of artillery. In 1916, the population of Brentonico was evacuated under the threat of Austrian bombardment. Renowned for centuries for the richness and uniqueness of its flora, Mount Baldo became a Local Natural Park in 2013. Its variety of habitats, plants and animals combine to make it an area of great interest. 27
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Numerous Italian military structures remain on the summit of Mount Altissimo di Nago 39 : trenches, roads, the foundations of barracks and artillery positions. For a short time at the beginning of the war, the Battalion of Volunteer Cyclists and Motorists operated there, involving some of the most well-known Futurist artists: Marinetti, Boccioni, Sironi, Russolo and Bucci. In the last months of the war, units of Czech and Slovak volunteers distinguished themselves by fighting alongside the Italians on Doss Alto for the independence of their nation. Near the summit, where you can enjoy a spectacular view of Lake Garda, is the shelter of Damiano Chiesa. It is accessible from either the Italian military road from the Graziani shelter, from San Gi28
acomo on a path that climbs the east ridge, or from Nago along the northern slope of the mountain. On Vignola 40 , traces of the Italian Army mingle with the older constructions of the Habsburg Army: there is evidence of the former in the tunnels and anti-aircraft artillery on the summit. The drainage basin for collecting rainwater and the barracks (now in ruins) were built by the Austro-Hungarians. The Corno della Paura 41 is reachable by following the Path of Peace in the direction of San Valentino. The sheer road winds its way down into the valley of the Adige and goes through two impressive tunnels dug by Italian soldiers. Nearby, you can see the foundations of the cable car going up the valley, the ruins of huts and anti-aircraft artillery.
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On the dosso di Talpina 42 , at the foot of Mount Baldo, the Austrians made an entrenched garrison facing south on the eve of the war. Abandoned in 1915, it was then occupied by the Italians. The previously forgotten defence complex has recently undergone recovery work and can be reached from Tierno (Mori) along a trail through the woods or along a road leading out of the town. The work was overseen by the “One Land, Two Fronts” association (www.unterritorioduefronti.com). The group was formed to coordinate the activities, associations and voluntary groups aiming to preserve the remaining Great War structures in Mori, NagoTorbole, Brentonico and Ronzo-Chienis. The project is already largely completed and connects the historic sites of the two sides of the front with a 36 km ring of military roads, trenches and trails. The route was recently recognised as a branch of the Path of Peace. Mount Giovo 43 , near the locality of Castione, is part of the circuit and has been made
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visitable thanks to the work of volunteers from the ANA and SAT groups of Brentonico, with the collaboration of teachers and pupils from the Istituto Fontana di Rovereto. The Employment Support and Environmental Development Service also worked to make the site safe. There are gun emplacements, observation posts, trenches and shelters overlooking the valley of Loppio and the opposing slopes of Nagià. From Giovo, following the foothills of Mount Baldo, the ring continues towards the positions on Doss Morzenti, Doss Alto di Nago 44 , the Zures shelter and Doss Casina. These sites were recovered by the Alpini of Nago along with the SAT of Riva del Garda, the Carnival Committee, AGESCI Riva del Garda 1, the Nago-Torbole Cultural Group and Bicinago. On the island of Sant’Andrea 45 in Lake Loppio there are the remains of Italian military constructions, in addition to an archaeological site curated by the Rovereto Civic Museum Foundation. 29
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VAL DI GRESTA
During the Great War, the Austrians used the Gresta valley in the same way that the Italians used Mount Baldo: it was the area where their artillery was distributed, from the lower valley up to higher altitudes. In May 1915, the population was evacuated from the area. Today, you can visit many remnants of Austrian field fortifications, thanks to the work of volunteers.
monte stivo
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Arco
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passo s. barbara
monte creino
ronzochienis
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monte biaena
pannone
nago manzano
valle s. felice 45 s. andrea
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monte nagia grom
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The valley of Gresta consists of three tiers, separated by steep cliffs. The work of generations has covered these with dry stone walls and terraces for cultivating vegetables. In 1914, the Austrians prepared a line of defence on the southern slopes of the Gresta valley because they expected it would be necessary to abandon Mount Baldo in the event of a war with Italy. They prepared trenches and emplacements for rifles and artillery. Hundreds of soldiers, militarised civilians and Serb prisoners were employed in the construction work. From the valley floor to Mount Stivo roads and paths were made to connect Vallagarina to the Sarca valley. The valley
of Gresta remained in Austrian hands until the end of the conflict. At the end of the war, the Italian bombing and the Austrian occupation had destroyed everything: the forests were cut down, the fields overgrown, the pastures rendered unusable by the remnants of war, and the roads impassable. Here, as elsewhere, people went back to work by reclaiming the countryside, rebuilding the villages and clearing the ground of projectiles. Then, the ruins of the fortifications were forgotten. However, in the last decade various associations coordinated by “One Land, Two Fronts� have restored numerous sites and sections of trenches. 31
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Mount Nagià Grom 46 , near the town of Manzano, was the subject of a long restoration and cleaning project by the Mori section of the ANA. The structures revealed there show the complexity of the settlement. A long, circular trench runs along raised ground. Protected from enemy artillery, there were spacious kitchens, a cistern for collecting water, deposits excavated in the rock, the concrete foundations of electricity generators for powering searchlights, telephone systems and demolition hammers for digging tunnels. The soldiers lived in huts or shelters dug into the rock; inside there were gun emplacements, stations and artillery observation posts. The land is still scarred by craters from the Italian bombardment of the area. Some small monuments commemorate the fallen soldiers, as well as the civilians who died in the post-war period from recovering war materials. 32
The site is easily accessible from Manzano or Valle San Felice. A scenic but more challenging equipped trail goes from Mori Vecchio right to the top of Nagià. The Mori Alpini and SAT, the local MASCI section, the “Friends of Manzano” and “We, Oratory” all collaborated towards its recent restoration. The emplacements of the artillery batteries in Pannone 47 can be recognised thanks to the intervention of the “CRS Pannone and Varano”. Mount Faè 48 was itself a stronghold and a connecting hub between Mount Biaena and Vallagarina. The position was defended by systems of trenches, mostly in the rock. Important examples of these have been retrieved through the work of the “Castel Frassem” association. Along the way you can see the remains of artillery guns and howitzers in a cave, placed for firing on Zugna, Mount Altissimo and the valley below.
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On Mount Biaena there are many traces of the Austro-Hungarian presence. In the locality of Poia 49 , above the village of Ronzo-Chienis, a long trench climbs the slopes of Biaena through the woods. The trench was recently cleared by the Gresta Valley SAT and the Ronzo Hunters’ Association. Near the cabin on Monte Biaena, a large reservoir for collecting rainwater remains. On the rocky cliffs that plunge into Vallagarina you can see the embrasures in three tunnels. Trenches equipped with armoured shelters run along the summit, which were connected to huts built on the opposite side during the war. Near the Pass of Santa Barbara 50 , where there was a military village during the war, a chapel can be seen with the unusual shape of a giant grenade, which was built in December 1915 by the AustroHungarians. Going up Mount Stivo 51 , you can find gun emplacements as high
as 2,000 metres. Lower down, across fields of vegetables, you can reach the top of Creino 52 . The artillery observation point set up there is still visitable today. From Creino, the view looks upon Mount Pasubio, Zugna, the Carega range, Lessini, Mount Baldo, Lake Garda, Rocchetta, Cadria, Adamello, Presanella and the Brenta range. The trail takes you into a long trench, along which artillery emplacements are still visible in their caves, recently restored by the Gresta Valley SAT and the Nature Conservation Service. From here, the Austrian lines went down towards Nago and Lake Garda. The Arco SchĂźtzenkompanie, the Nago Castagneto Association, the Nature Conservation Service and the Superintendence for Architectural Heritage have restored, cleaned up and made it possible to visit the Austro-Hungarian military structures of Preda Busa, Perlone 53 and Busa dei Capitani. 33
TRIPS FOR GROUPS
INDIVIDUALS
ON THE PATHS OF HISTORY
FIRST WORLD WAR CENTENARY
2 DAYS / 1 NIGHT OFFER Plateau of Brentonico, Rovereto, Val di Gresta, Vallarsa
Trip to Rovereto on the paths of history
HOSTEL AND HOTEL FROM € 107,00 1 night with half-board, half-day excursion with a local guide on the routes of the Great War, visit to the Military Memorial of Castel Dante, entrance to the Peace Bell, guided tour of the Italian War History Museum and the Castle of Rovereto, 2 lunches in a typical restaurant of the area, 1 guided tour of a Vallagarina winery, information kit. Free for the driver.
DISCOVERING FORT POZZACCHIO DAY VISIT OFFER
HOSTEL, B&B AND FARM STAY FROM € 59,00 HOTEL FROM € 74,00 2 nights bed and breakfast, visit to the Peace Bell and the Italian War History Museum of Rovereto, aperitif in a wine cellar with local wine tasting, hiking route map.
THE FIRST WORLD WAR CENTENARY WITH THE ARTS At Mart Rovereto an exhibition on the fusion between different languages
HOSTEL, B&B AND FARM STAY FROM € 84,00 Half-day excursion with a local guide HOTEL FROM € 110,00 to Fort Pozzacchio in Trambileno, traditional lunch in a restaurant, entrance to 2 nights bed and breakfast, visit to the Italian War History Museum and the Mart’s “The War That Will Come Is Not the First: The Great War 1914-2014” exCastle of Rovereto. Free for the driver. hibition, visit to the Peace Bell, typical dinner in a Vallagarina restaurant. Information kit for Rovereto and Vallagarina. € 38,50 (minimum group of 25)
Explore Trentino with a Guest Card, the tourist card for discovering museums, castles and parks with free use of public transport throughout the province (offered by facilities participating in the initiative). 34
FOR SCHOOLS ROVERETO IN TWO DAYS
Educational trip through art, history and science
THE CENTENARY OF THE FIRST WORLD WAR
Mountains full of history: from trenches to forts and museums
Educational trip in Rovereto through art, history and science. Itineraries and guided tours of the area and educational workshops in the museums and School trip on the places affected by the First World War in Trentino, with an easy castles of Trentino. guided hike in the mountains of Rove1 night reto and educational workshops at the HOSTEL FROM € 57,00 War Museum and Rovereto Peace Bell. HOTEL FROM € 62,00 1 night 2 nights HOSTEL FROM € 63,00 HOSTEL FROM € 106,00 HOTEL FROM € 68,00 HOTEL FROM € 115,00 2 nights HOSTEL FROM € 117,00 HOTEL FROM € 125,00 Notes Price includes educational activities, accommodation and meals. Price indicated per pupil. Free for accompanying teachers. Price based on 45 paying students, 4 teachers and 1 free driver. For those arriving in the city by train, transfers are locally organised by our company. The price may be subject to change for educational trips in 2015/2016.
INFO AND BOOKING APT Rovereto e Vallagarina Tel 0464 430363 info@visitrovereto.it www.visitrovereto.it Rovereto 35
Events 2015
THE WAR THAT WILL COME IS NOT THE FIRST THE FIRST WORLD WAR 1914-2014 4 October 2014 20 September 2015
DYING FOR TRENTO/ STERBEN FĂœR TRIENT Italian and austrohungarian soldiers of the trentino front in the first world war 22 March 2015 – 31 January 2016
Mart - Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art of Trento and Rovereto Italian War History Museum Corso Bettini 43, Rovereto Castle of Rovereto Via Castelbarco 7, Rovereto In this exhibition dedicated to one of the most dramatic and On the centenary of the outbreak of significant events of the modern age, the conflict between Italy and Austria, contemporary arts come into contact the War Museum is dedicating an with the subject of everyday life; exhibition to the events and places of masterpieces of the avant-garde with the war on the Trentino front. A story the cries of propaganda. Documents, told through artefacts, pictures and reports and the evidence of everyday films about the war in the mountains routine find new life in the exhibition. and the different ideas of the soldiers The works of art attempt to widen in the two armies. The voices of those the narrow scope through which we who fought in that war find their place normally interpret the facts of our alongside those of the people keeping history. What emerges is an attempt their memory alive. to accommodate and give life to the www.museodellaguerra.it subject, so that the Great War is not the commemoration of a ghost but a topic with which to contend. www.mart.trento.it
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FORTE POZZACCHIO OPENING DAY
PELLEGRINO FOR PEACE
24 May 2015 opening for the public 5 July 2015 official opening ceremony
29 June – 20 July 2014
The most modern of Trentino’s fortifications will be reopened after a major restoration project. Entirely excavated in the rock, the fort was designed to control Vallarsa. It still contains emplacements for machineguns, artillery and searchlights, in addition to the rooms that once served as warehouses, workshops and dormitories. A scenic walkway now runs along the roof, which once held rotating domes.
Peace Bell Foundation Colle di Miravalle, Rovereto A “civil pilgrimage” that will follow the Path of Peace from the Tonale Pass to the Peace Bell. A variety of the area’s associations, from ANA to SAT, the Pro Loco and the Scouts will all play their part to enliven the way. An initiative to share thoughts on the lives that were lost at the front and to participate in an enlightening walk with the theme of peace. www.fondazioneoperacampana.it
www.fortepozzacchio.it www.visitrovereto.it
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ComunitĂ della Vallagarina
for information
www.trentinograndeguerra.it 38
www.museodellaguerra.it
www.visitrovereto.it