EXPERIENCES
Great War ecomuseums in the Vicenza foothills
EXPERIENCES
Open-air museums to be lived
The Great War ecomuseums are part of a project for the protection and promotion of the First World War historical heritage on the Vicenza plateaux, which was approved in a local authority planning conference in October 2002 afterwards submitted to the Ministry of Culture. A programme agreement was signed in July 2004 for the implementation of the project, which was awarded a Silver Shield by Carlo Azelio Ciampi, the President of the Italian Republic, in 2006.
The Alta Via high altitude Great War hiking trail incorporates some of these ecomuseums in its itinerary as an integral part of the route. The objective of both projects is to “put remembrance to work” recovering the evidence of the facts even before material remains.
This ecomuseum extends along the famous Strada delle 52 gallerie, (“Road of the 52 Tunnels”), a military mule track that clambers up the southern slope of Pasubio among towering pinnacles, deep gorges and precipitous walls of rock. It is a monumental work of military engineering of extraordinary historical and environmental interest, hewn out in record time in January 1917.
The open-air museum recounts the realisation of this extraordinary feat and military work, the difficulties in its construction and the terrible living conditions of the miner soldiers.
The starting point of the itinerary is indicated by an entrance framed in two rust-coloured concrete flanking walls that form an area for contemplation; from here you go on towards the steep track.
The ecomuseum develops along the ridge of Monte Novegno and Monte Priaforà, where a savage battle was fought in June 1916. The museum route tells of the Austro-Hungarians’ last endeavours to go over Monte Priaforà and afterwards Monte Novegno, which they named the letzer Berg, the last mountain, because there was no other obstacle to separate them from Schio and the Veneto plain.
The vast museum makes it clear not only that this mountain was a battlefield, but also the theatre of a gruelling war conducted first of all against a hostile and pitiless environment.
The itinerary starts from the Monte Novegno car park 1,500 m high, which can be reached by the unasphalted road that goes up from the Rossi locality between the hamlets of Santa Caterina and Bosco di Tretto in Schio.
This ecomuseum is on Monte Cimone, a place of great interest for both the Austro-Hungarian and Italian armies owing to its position because it was a precious observation post over the surrounding valleys of the Astico and the Posina.
The museum route accompanies the visitor recounting the famous and tragic story of the mine that the Austro-Hungarian army exploded to regain the peak, destroying the Italian trenches and emplacements.
It starts from the former Crosati Austro-Hungarian military cemetery in the Campana district and passes through the places that bear the marks of the events in the First World War to the top of Monte Cimone, from which there is a marvellous view.
The ecomuseum is perched on Monte Cengio ecomuseum, in an extraordinary scenario.
The itinerary is hewn out of the rock with tunnels and caves, where the dramatic and sadly famous episode of the extreme resistance of the Sardinia Grenadiers against the advancing Austro-Hungarian troops is recounted.
In addition to the cross on the mountain top, there is also a little church and a statue made from the remains of the grenades found in the area in commemoration of the Sardinia Grenadiers.
The path starts from Piazzale Principe di Piemonte, where there is a car park.
This ecomuseum is in the small locality of Cesuna, where an Italian defensive line was deployed during the Strafexpedition between Monte Lemerle, Monte Magnaboschi, Monte Pau and Monte Zovetto.. This area was the scene of bitter fighting and saw British troops that had been sent to defend the western part of the Asiago Plateau. In addition to former Italian and Austro-Hungarian cemeteries, there is also a cemetery for British troops managed directly by the Commonwealth War Graves Commission that bears witness to their sacrifice.
The area abounds in historical evidence of the Great War. The remains of trenches, machine-gun posts and other military artefacts are to be seen along the way.
The Monte Zebio is the original nucleus of the Great War Ecomuseum.
This open-air museum accompanies visitors around the peak where heavy fighting took place, which saw the Italian army break through the Austro-Hungarian lines, as also narrated by Emilio Lussu in his famous Un anno sull’altipiano (“A Year on the Plateau”).
The whole area abounds in historical traces and large numbers of sites have been recovered, not only trenches and tunnels but the defensive line whose perfect construction is an example of human ingenuity in the transformation of a seemingly insignificant height into a literal fortress.
The itinerary starts from the Zebio shepherd’s hut, where the first descriptive panels have been placed; it is an easy ring-shaped and signposted route.
This ecomuseum is in the monumental area of Ortigara and the Caldiera peak; it is one of the areas of the greatest historical interest in the whole plateau.
The open-air site introduces the visitor to the scenario in which the violent Battle of Ortigara was fought, with the remains of the massive defensive works constructed by both armies (trenches, emplacements in caves, observation posts) and the complex system of roads, mule tracks and logistic centres.
The itinerary on foot starts from Piazzale Lozze, reached by an unasphalted road from the Campomuletto mountain hut..
This ecomuseum is situated in the natural amphitheatre constituted by the peaks of the Tondarecar, Castelgomberto, Flor, Spil and Miela mountains.
There are a number of historical traces along the way: memorial stones, monuments and the remains of the military cemetery near the Lora mountain hut.
