THE FINAL BATTLE On the 24th of October 1918, exactly a year after the defeat at Caporetto, the general Italian offensive began against the Austro- Hungarian army, and was to go on until the 31st of October, becoming known as the Battle of Vittorio Veneto. The Italian troops were engaged in a fierce attack along the entire length of the front, especially on the Grappa. The soldiers belonging to the Grappa Army, serving under Marshall Giuseppe Giardino, met the Austro-Hungarians in what were to be the last, decisive battles. A strategic move drew the enemy troops’ reserves onto the massif to clear the way for the Italian advance on the plains. Nonetheless, endless soldiers made the ultimate, painful sacrifice. It wasn’t until the evening of the 30th of October 1918 that the artillery fire over the Grappa finally fell silent. On the 27th and 28th of October, several Italian and French units, after the encounters on the Tomba and the Monfenera, moved back up the Piave valley from Pederobba, liberating the Alano basin. The Italian troops marched forward on the right and left banks of the River Piave simultaneously. The evening of the 28th of October, they entered Valdobbiadene, thence liberating various villages until, on the 31st of October 1918, the Battle of Vittorio Veneto ended in victory. The victory, which put an end to the war, cost Italy no less than 500,000 lives, with a further 100,000 prisoners never making it back from the prison camps. Some mountain stretches of the route cannot be travelled by coach, and access may not be granted during winter. • The route is signposted, pointing you on a one-way journey, as indicated by the arrows on the map. ISLAND OF THE DEAD 17 MORIAGO DELLA BATTAGLIA The “Isola dei Morti”, of ‘99), which is home or Island of the to the greatest number Dead, is the main site of commemorative commemorating the monuments. Particularly “Arditi” shock troops, worthy of note are: or bold ones, who, in the Pyramid and October 1918, managed “Madonnina del Piave” to break through the Votive Temple, which Austrian lines along the recall the sacrifice of the Piave. The place, whose soldiers who lost their name clearly recalls the lives on the Piave. vast number of bodies found here, is nowadays also known as the Green Island because of the lush vegetation of its grounds. Following a cool, tree-lined avenue, the view opens up into the main square named “Ragazzi del ‘99” (boys A MUST-SEE: 17/a - 17/b 17/c - 17/d 17/a Fontigo di 17/b Colfosco 17/c Colfosco 17/d Falzè di Piave Sernaglia della Cannon cave. Ruio di Villa Jacur. Monument to the Battaglia On the Piave’s left bank, Near Villa Jacur, close Piave Caymans. Great War Museum. at Mina, there is a cave to the left bank of the An evocative bronze The museum features containing a statue of Piave, a bridge was group that portrays three some interesting the Madonna. During thrown across the life-size members of the documents on the the Battle of the Solstice, river. It was over this “Arditi” in an attacking Great War, especially an Austrian cannon was bridge that the 13th stance, armed with with reference to the placed here, positioned Austrian Schutzen dagger, hand grenades Piave area. One exhibit in such a way that it Division passed during and ‘91 musket, in arousing particular could be fired without the Austro-Hungarian memory of an episode curiosity is the simulated being hit. offensive in June 1918. that took place on the trench. 27th of November 1918, which earned them the nickname “Piave Caymans”. SANTA BONA ABBEY 18 VIDOR The Benedictine abbey German troops, was was founded in the early consequently ravaged. 12th century to house the Many valuable buildings remains of Saint Bona. were compromised. A wall surrounds the The site can only be whole abbey complex, visited on the outside. comprising the church, cloister, dwellings and large garden. The site was one of the places shelled during the Great War, when the whole Piave district area was beaten by the Italian artillery. The stone bridge at Vidor was mined to cover the Italian troops’ retreat, just after the defeat at Caporetto, and the whole town, soon after garrisoned by the A MUST-SEE: 18/a - 18/b 18/c - 18/d 18/e 18/a Valdobbiadene 18/b Combai 18/c Follina 18/d Follina 18/e Cison di Strada de la Fam Valmarino Bombarded centre. Abbey. Austro-Hungarian Castle. The centre of (starvation road). During the year of Cemetery. So called because During the war, it was Valdobbiadene was occupation, a shell Located behind the set up as an Austrian tragically devastated by children, women and crashed through the roof, civilian cemetery, it old men, called to build military headquarters. the Italian artillery during causing the eastern side became the final resting It has recently been the Great War: rebuilt the roads, received a of the church to collapse. place of about 900 “voucher” for a plate of renovated and is after the war, its original The refectory, dating soldiers, 491 known. connected with the appearance has been soup in exchange for their from the 8th century, was An “international camp” historic village of Cison. restored and it is known hard day’s labours. One destroyed for wood and, is now being planned for the extremely famous of the main “starvation in the period following to get young people “Prosecco” wine. roads” started on the the war, was transformed (Italians, Austrians, outskirts of the town of into an Oratory-cum-War Germans, Danes, Combai. Today, to be Memorial. Czechs) involved in able to see the remaining restoring at least part of cobbles, you need to the cemetery area. walk part of the way. 100-DAY ROAD 19 20 TOVENA This route, which and the Piave fronts - it connected the piedmont was an extremely bold area of the Treviso region undertaking from an with Val Belluna, was engineering point of popularly referred to view. It is interesting, as the “100-Day Road” today, to stop at certain because the Austrian points along the route Engineer Corps built to spy the characteristic it between the 1st of layout of the tunnels, February and the 1st of almost stacked on top June 1918 (as attested by of each other at the five the carved inscription at hairpin bends, set in the the 4th hairpin bend), in sheer walls. time to carry the troops and large calibre artillery during the Battle of the Solstice. Apart from its immense strategic importance - since it provided a quick and safe link between the Grappa BATTLE MUSEUM 21 museum, you feel like VITTORIO you are being plunged into the past. A window VENETO is opened, above all, The “Palazzo della onto the Final Battle Comunità di Ceneda”, a when, on the 24th of simple, harmonious piece October 1918, the of architecture based general Italian offensive on clean, essential lines, was launched against the following the sign of Austro-Hungarian army. Sansovino (16th century), On the 31st of October has housed the Battle of that same year, the Museum since 1938. VIII Army Corps was to Established in memory of liberate Vittorio Veneto the Great War, and above and, just a few days later, all to commemorate the the armistice would be Battle of Vittorio Veneto, signed. it contains a great amount For information: of wartime material, “Museo della Battaglia” including weapons, Battle museum relics, topographic maps, Tel. +39 0438 57695 models and photographs Opening hours: belonging to a rich 10am-12.30pm and 3.30-7pm collection donated by (summer); Luigi Marson, former 9.30am-12.30pm and 2-5pm grenadier and inhabitant (winter). Closed on Mondays. of this town. Visiting the SAN SALVATORE 22 CASTLE SUSEGANA The San Salvatore guided tours (call to stronghold was given the book). task of controlling the crossing of the River Piave For information: at Colfosco. The castle, San Salvatore Castle which was bombarded Tel. +39 0438 738241 even by the Italian front, opening hours was fortified in part when 9.30-11am. it was taken over by the Austro-Hungarian army who recognized that its strategic position made it an excellent observation post. Artillery pieces were in fact stored in caves dug into the eastern part of the complex. The castle today, even after partial renovation, still features evident scars of the battle and can be visited with A MUST-SEE: 21/a - 21/b 22/a -22/b 22/c 21/a Vittorio Veneto 21/b Refrontolo 22/a Susegana 22/b Collalto 22/c Collalto Palazzo Minucci. Spada temple. Colle della Tombola “Ca’ del Montone” house. Goiginger Lookout. The Palazzo Minucci building Built in 1800, this small Lookout. A farmhouse that was Guarda hill was a is the headquarters of temple was destroyed by Located near the left turned into an Austrian strategic Austro- the “Minuccio Minucci” shelling in 1918, being bank of the Piave facing headquarters during the Hungarian observation Foundation established by unfortunate enough to the Montello, standing war features two plaques, post taken over by the express bequest of Knight stand on a rise dominating 250 metres high, it made a marble one placed XXIV Army Corps, led Commander Giacomo Camillo De Carlo. De Carlo was a the Sernaglia plain. an excellent observation there by the Italians and by General Ludwig highly decorated aviator post for the imperial royal a bronze one installed by Goiginger, who the site and World War I hero who artillery.