Italy and the
Great War:
A travel Guide (part 2)
Drei Zinnen, Mt. Piano (again), Sperrwerk Tre Sassi, Edelweißstellung, Sacrario Militaire di S. Candido (Innichen), Rotwand.
Introduction
Having spend a two weeks holiday visiting military Great War sites in
Italy in 2001 (see Italy and the Great War: a travel guide part
1) we were
in the opportunity to spend a further week in this interesting region in
June 2005.
The first trip was a continuous tour of 15 days with not much time spend on things other than The Great War. Our 2005 trip was different: we had only one week, had a permanent base (Sillian, Austria) and could not spend the entire week on Great War related sites.
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Artillery piece on Mt.Piano.
The tour
As stated, not really a tour but daytrips this time. Our base of
operations was the town of Sillian (Austria), just across the
Italian/Austrian border. From Sillian we visited 8 Great War Sites which
we will describe below. Sillian was an important hospital center for the
Austrian-Hungarian army during the war. It was for instance the place
where it was discovered that soldier 'Viktor
Savs' was in reality Viktoria Savs (follow link).
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Touring Club Italiano "Trentino Alto Adige" map showing the 8 sites visited in 2005
B=Base at Sillian, 1=Soldatenfriedhof Naßwand, 2=Drei Zinnen, 3=Mt. Piano,
4=Memorial Church, 5=Pocol Ossuary
6=Sperrwerk Tre Sassi & Edelweißstellung, 7=Sacrario Militaire di S.
Candido (Innichen), 8=Rotwand
Travel
advice
Normally we don't bother with this. Taking sun cream and good walking
shoes along as is often suggested in books dealing with trips to France almost speaks for itself. There
are however some things particular to walking along a mountain front that
should be pointed out. First of all you will need a good, spacious
backpack. The weather is highly changeable in the mountains. It has
happened to us during this trip that the climb up Mt. Piana was done in a
polo shirt while on the summit we needed two jackes to stay warm and we regretted
not having brought gloves. To be prepared for this you will need 'to dress as an
onion' as the Italians say. Use many layers of (thin) clothing which you can put
on or off as needed. Hence the backpack. Also take at least 1 liter water /
person with you. Some of the walks described take 6-7 hours and if the sun
is shining you will need the water! A walking stick is advised. A real
danger in the mountains is being caught by a thunderstorm. Each year people
die from being hit by lightning. If you happen to get caught on a mountain
slope discard all your equipment (backpack) and anything metal. Position
yourself some distance from these items, and squad down making yourself as
little as possible. The trips described are in former frontline areas and
these sometimes contain caves and dugouts. You can shelter deep in these
caves, leaving your equipment at the entrance.
Take good maps. For getting the areas described the Touring Club Italiano map "Trentino Alto Adige" (1:200.000) is excellent. Once you are in the general area for your visit you will need the Kompass (1:50.000) series maps 55 (Cortina d'Ampezzo) and 58 (Sextener Dolomiten) which are readily available in the region. Slightly harder to get (the shop at Lagazuoi sells them) is a Kompass map overprinted with the frontlines and historical information. The map is available in German and Italian.
A very important question you will have to answer is 'when to go?' We went half June and found that some passes in the mountains were still closed because of snow and that some rifugios and museums can be closed. But when you go in August you will be traveling together with millions of Italians on their summer holiday... The choice is yours. Although we leave answering the question gladly to you, we advice you to go in early July.
Before we
start...
Please read the article by Francesco Davini: The
Northwestern Austro-Italian Alpine front: A General Overview (follow link). It will
give you a good idea of the difficulties presented to the soldiers who
were expected to fight in the Italian mountains.
Road numbers were valid
in 2005.
In this article we will speak of Austro-Hungary or
sometimes only Austria. The Austro-Hungarian army includes far
more nationalities then the names implies. It included people from 19 nationalities, the
mobilization notices for example were printed in 15 languages. By not
mentioning these it is not our intent to forget their sacrifice.
On this website we try to follow the rule 'credit is given where credit is
due'. This article would not have been possible without the books
mentioned in the bookshelf (follow link).
But particularly we have to mention:
-
Lichem, H. von DER EINSAME KRIEG. 1981/2002, 256 pages, 24x25 cm., Athesia.
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Wachtler, M. & Obsweg, G. DOLOMITEN : KRIEG IN DEN BERGEN. 2003, 207 pages, 25x17 cm., Athesia.
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Wachtler, M. & Giacomel, P. & Obsweg, G. DOLOMITEN : KRIEG, TOD UND LEID. 2004, 208 pages, 25x17 cm., Athesia.
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Wampl. M. FRONTLANDSCHAFTEN – SEXTENER DOLOMITEN 1915-1917. 2003, 176 pages, 22x31 cm., Athesia
If you can read German it is suggested you buy these books. Well worth their price.
The Italian War in
general
Italy formed together with Germany and Austro-Hungary the Triple Alliance.
The alliance only stipulated that these countries would help each other in
case of one being attacked, and Italy took the view that Germany and
Austro-Hungary were not attacked as the initial assault was done by them.
So Italy stayed neutral. The bid to win Italy over
was won by the Allies who could promise Italy what it wanted: the Austrian
province of Sud-Tirol. On May
23rd 1915 Italy declared war on Austria. Austria's defense along the
border with Italy was very weak. Most Austrian units fought in the East
against Russia and Serbia. The troops that did guard the border where all of questionable quality. Austria also
had approximately 30.000 Standschützen “the last on offer” (the young and the
old) for their fight against Italy. But
these troops did have the advantage that they know the mountain terrain they
were going to fight in.
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Postcard
showing 3 generations of Standschützen
going to war
Germany
send troops to Austria to help in the defense just before the outbreak of
the war, but these are not real Alpine troops.
1: Austro-Hungarian
cemetery of Torblach or Naßwand
The cemetery
is located near the famous battlefield of Monte Piana (Piano).
It can be found on the S51 Torblach - Cortina d'Ampezzo road. The
following was compiled from information kindly provided by the
Austrian Black Cross (Österreichische Schwarze Kreuz - Kriegsgräberfürsorge).
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The cemetery has 463 graves which contain 1,259 burials. The burials are
Austrian-Hungarian troops who's native language was not German. There are
now burials of 9 different nationalities. They were brought to this
cemetery from 33 Cemeteries in Südtirol.
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The
grave of Max Weis from Vienna
Died from severe injuries, aged 21
2: Drei Zinnen (Tre Cime di Lavaredo)
Park at the Auronzohütte and follow the 101,104 to Rifugio Lavaredo.
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Drei Zinnen
front: Austro-Hungarian (red) and Italian (blue) frontlines
The arrows show the rifugios mentioned in the text below
Taken from Kompass map "Italienisch-Österreichische dolomitische
Front-Karte 1915/17"
When walking to Rif. Lavaredo you will pass a church with two Great War Memorials alongside it.
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Memorial to Giovanni Banessa, 2nd Engineers
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Memorial to several Bersaglieri
At the church make a detour by turning right towards the two memorials that can be seen from the church. One of the memorials dates from the Great War. Although badly damaged it appears to commemorate the Italian Bersaglieri Regiment.
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Bersaglieri memorial
Head back to the 101,104 and continue to Rif. Lavaredo. From here take the 101 towards the Drei Zinnen hut. When walking away from Rif. Lavaredo you can see Italian shelters in the ridge ahead of you.
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Dugout at the foot of the Drei Zinnen, above Rif. Lavaredo
When you are over the mentioned ridge the views to the left are extensive and Mt. Piano can be seen among others. On your right are the slopes of the Paternkofel, riddled with (partly collapsed) Italian dugouts. Unfortunately the roads up the Paternkofel are for experienced mountain walkers/climbers only.
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Partly collapsed Italian dugout (arrow) on the slopes of the Paternkofel
The Paternkofel gives a commanding position over the entire Drei Zinnen
front and was taken by the Italians shortly after war was declared. A
situation that had to be rectified by the Austro-Hungarians. During the
night of 3-4 July 1915 Sepp Innerkolfer together with three comrades
climbs the mountain in a daring assault. They are discovered however by
the Italian Alpini defenders and Sepp Innerkolfer is killed by Alpini
Piero de Luca. The story has it Sepp was killed by a rock thrown by Piero.
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Sepp
Innerkofler (*)
son Gottfried Innerkofler (x)
Even in this first year of war Sepp Innerkolfer is already a legend on both sides. The Italians retrieve his body and bury him under a simple wooden cross on the summit of the Paternkofel. In 1918 the Austrians retrieve his body and bring it back for burial. In 1919 an American movie is made about Sepp called "Blind Husband" by Erich von Stroheim.
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Drei Zinnen
as seen from the direction of the Drei Zinnen hut
Probably the most well known scene of the Dolomites
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Sepp Innerkoflers remains being transported past the Drei Zinnen, 1918
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Drei Zinnen
hut, 1916
It was destroyed by Italian artillery fire on 25 April 1915
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Drei Zinnen hut, 2005
It is recommended that you follow the 101 to the Drei Zinnen hut, have a break there and head back along the 101 until you reach a path to your right (105) which leads you around the Drei Zinnen and back to the Auronzohütte and your car. The 105 runs for some time parallel to the former Italian frontline, but their are few visible signs left.
3: Monte
Piano (Piana)
There are two ways of reaching the summits of Mt. Piano. One is the
former Austro-Hungarian war road (6A) from Schluderbach. This route was
taken by us in 2001 (see Italy and the Great War: a travel guide part
1).
This
time we took the longer but easier route starting from Misurina. From the
S48bis coming from Schluderbach take the unnamed road to the left 500
meters before Misurina. A few hundred meters on your left is a parking for
visiting Monte Piano. This private road (122) was closed for
cars and bikes in 2005. There is a jeep service to Rif. Bosi, but in 2005
this service started 9 June and we were there 6 June... So we walked the
approx. 5 km uphill.
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Rifugio
Bosi which houses a small Great War museum
The peak of Mt. Piano is reached through path 122 which starts left of
this picture
Mt. Piano contains two summits (2301m and 2325m) and is the key for the defence and entrance of the Höhlensteintal. Past this mountain the main town of Torbach (then Austrian) is just 12 km away. The Italians were quick to occupy Mt. Piano. In a daring night attack 6-7 June 1915 the Austro-Hungarians attack from Schluderbach and occupy the summits. Under heavy Italian artillery fire the southern summit is abandoned. From then on the Austro-Hungarinas occupy the northern summit and the Italians the southern summit. From then on a continuous trench warfare is fought on the mountain with the Italians digging long attack tunnels under no-man's-land. Memorials and collapses are the visible signs of these tunnels today.
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Austrian
Trench on Mt. Piano with the Drei Zinnen in the background, 1916.
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Austrian
Trench on Mt. Piano with the Drei Zinnen in the background, 2005.
As on the western front the Central Power's fortifications are much more elaborate then those of the Allies. The Austro-Hungarians where there to stay, the Italians saw their fortifications only as temporary jump-off points for their attacks.
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Austrian
Trench on Mt. Piano.
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View
from an Italian trench towards the Austrian positions on the northern
summit of Mt. Piano.
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Italian
trench on Mt. Piano.
The Italians retreated on 3 November 1917 due to the successful Austro-Hungarian Isonzo offensive in the south.
4: Memorial
Church
Follow the S48
from Cortina d'Ampezzo to the Falzarego pass. Well outside Cortina along
the S48 you will pass a wooden church on your right.
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Memorial church. During our visit in June is was locked.
A sign reads: This church was build by the Alpine Soldiers of A.N.A. Group Cortina d'Ampezzo in memory of the soldiers of Europe who faced each other here on the frontlines of the Dolomites during the First World War. The original Chapel, reconstructed here, was part of a village based in these woods behind the Italian frontline consisting of huts, warehouses and accommodation for the infantry and Alpine troops stationed along the Lagazuoi and Tofane front. Inside the chapel the Italian, Austro-Hungarian and German battalions based in this area are remembered. The church was built in a spirit of peace and remembrance for the suffering of all the soldiers and is entrusted into your care and respect.
5: Pocol
Ossuary
S.W.
of Cortina d'Ampezzo, on the S48 Cortina d'Ampezzo - Falzarego Pass road.
It is well signposted from the S48.
The ossuary was constructed in 1935 and contains 9707 burials of which
4455 are unknown.
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6:
Sperrwerk Tre Sassi and Edelweißstellung
Continue on the S48
towards the Falzarego pass. If you haven't visited this
region before a visit to Mt. Lagazoui is a must. see Italy and the Great War: a travel guide part
1.
From the Falzarego pass follow the signs to the Valparola pass. The fort
is on your left after approx. 1800 meters.
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Map
showing the Austrian (red) and Italian (blue) frontline around
sperrwerk Tre i Sassi (Valparola pass) and Mt. Lagazoui
Taken from Kompass map "Italienisch-Österreichische dolomitische
Front-Karte 1915/17"
The Austrian fort of Tre Sassi was built at the end of the 19th century to defend the entrance to the Valparola pass. The fort was armed with four machine guns, two 60mm guns and two 80mm guns.
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Sperrwerk
Tre Sassi, 1916.
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Sperrwerk
Tre Sassi, 2005.
Today the fort houses a museum which is based on the collection of the Lancedelli family. This well-known family as been collecting war-debris for generations, starting right after the war ended. It is an excellent little museum with a good bookshop. It gets points deducted though for not allowing photography. We hate that.
Below the fort a part of the Austrian Edelweißstellung was under (re?)construction in 2005.
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The
Austrian Eidelweißstellung seen from Sperrwerk Tre i Sassi.
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Austrian
trench of the Eidelweißstellung looking towards
Col. di Lana in the far distance
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Trench
being (re?)constructed
Austrian Eidelweißstellung
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Shelter
of the Edelweißstellung
7: Sacrario
Militaire di S. Candido (Innichen)
Along the S49 Innichen - Sillian road. These ossuaries where constructed
by the fascists in the 1930's and contain the bones of fallen soldiers. It
is claimed that soldiers fallen as far away as Isonzo and POW's are buried
in some of these ossuaries with the fascists claiming they had fallen for
'the liberation of Sud Tirol'. It is also claimed that among the burials
are 54 Austrians who have been turned into “soldati italiani” for that
purpose.
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Italian
Ossuary at Innichen
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8: Rotwand
Take the S52 Innichen - Kreuzbergpass road and turn left in Moos unto
an unnamed road towards Fischleinboden. Park at the Fischleinbodenhütte
and take the 124 to the Rotwandspitze.
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Map
showing the area of the Rotwand
Taken from Kompass map #58
The Rotwandpitze and the Sentinella-Scharte was held by the Tiroler Standschützen till spring 1916 when they were conquered by Italian Alpini. The summit of the Rotwandspitze however remained in Austro-Hungarian hands. An important position from where the Austrians could observe all Italian troop movements. From a force of 10 Standschützen in 1915 the position was held throughout the war with a garrison of 300 in the fall of 1917 till the retreat of the Italians due to the successful Austro-Hungarian Isonzo offensive in the south.
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Legendary
'Rotwand Patrouille', 1915
It consisted of Innsbrucker Standschützen
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Rotwandspitze
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Rotwandspitze
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1915:
one of the first - and very poor - shelters for the Standschützen on the
Rotwand
Due to lack of time we were unable to complete the climb to the Rotwandspitze and headed back the same way we came just short of the summit. Apart from some war debris (barbed wire, stove) that came down a glacier we did not see any Great War remains on this trip. The views are stunning though, and if you make it to the top we would love to hear what you have seen there.
Follow this link for our Italian 2001 tour
Follow this link for our Italian 2006 tour
An Unfortunate Region 2005