Great War Open Museum
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THEMATIC AREAS Comune di Monfalcone Pietrarossa lake Pietrarossa Theme area 1° hill 121, Pietrarossa hill, learning area Provincia di Gorizia visitor center lake Theme area 2° saddle of hill 85 – “trincerone” MONFALCONE Via di Pace* Theme area 3° Joffre trench – Virgin cave Monumental area of hill 85, E. Toti hill STARTING POINT OF ITINERARY: Mount Debeli itinerary Zochet, Gradiscata, Forcate Rock itinerary Hill 85 and 121 Pietrarossa lake, hill 77 and Sablici ACESSES: Underpass of via del Carso Underpass of Salita Mocenigo Underpass of Salita alla Rocca Access square to the Pietrarossa Visitor Centre TRAILS: Main visit trails Other visit trails Railway Station INFORMATION: GGREATREAT WWARAR Informative plates Parking places Italian trench line before August 12, 1916 Austro-Hungarian trench line before August 12, 1916 OOPENPEN MMUSEUMUSEUM NOTES FOR HIKERS CAI (Italian Alpine Club) trailmarks 84 (Selz – Monfalcone) Duration of the trip: 2.00 hours. Restore areas in Selz and in Best time of the year to hike on the Carsic highland 81 (Selz – Lisert) Monfalcone. Hiking trips on the former battlefi elds should be taken during fall Duration of the trip: 1.30 hour. Restore areas in Selz and in Starting from state road 305 towards Selz, reach the trail fol- season or even in the winter time because the poor vegetation the Visitor Centre of Pietrarossa Lake. lowing the remains of the trenches, where there are no more allows an easier viability of the area and facilitates the detecting Starting from state road 305 towards Selz, follow the direction households. Reach the Rock and then, go back to Monfalcone of artifacts and remains, often placed out of marked trails. leading to the lakes (Laghi) and meeting fi rst the Northern side while meeting trails 99, 111, 121 and fi nally the underpass of of Pietrarossa lake, then the Eastern sides of hill 121, in order via del Carso. Suggested clothing to reach the railway bridge of Lisert (Arches). Mountain hiking clothes are advisable and it is important to pay particular attention to the shoes. They must be solid and 82 (Monfalcone – Doberdò Lake) Warning capable of protecting the ankles. Although the Carsic highland Duration of the trip: 1.30 hour. Restore areas in Monfalcone, Do- As a general rule you should never hike on your own. Moreo- is not dangerous, it is an uneven, rocky soil, therefore it is berdò Lake and Gradina Visitor Centre (Doberdò del Lago) ver it is recommended not to explore the several caves if not important to walk carefully, especially while visiting historical From Monfalcone climb the steep way up to the Rock until helped by speleologists or people who know the are very well military remains. crossing trail 84, turn left to go down to trail 81, then go up and are equipped with a light. In the summer time or when it again to the saddle between Mount Cosich and Debeli to fi nally is hot, try to avoid areas where the sun shines directly on: it is Maps (sold in the best bookshops) descent to Doberdò lake. a viper’s favourite place. Last but not least, in case you found Carso triestino goriziano e sloveno n.02, Transalpina E., Great War artillery shells, avoid touching them and, in case (1:25.000) they were found in a place with many people around, call the 83 (Monfalcone – Lisert) police. Duration of the trip: 1 hour. Restore ares in Monfalcone. Equipment From Monfalcone climb up Salita Mocenigo and follow the dirt A small backpack to keep the windbreaker and some warm To make a complete visit to the three theme areas it takes road below the sides of hill 85 (Toti hill) to the crossroad of extra clothes is enough. Do not forget your camera. about 3 to 3.5 hours. We recommend carefulness during Sablici, from where we descent to the railway bridge of Lisert your visit, the hiking trip is at your own risk. (Arches). Design, graphics, texts and translation: UO Stamperia Comunale, CdC Valorizzazione itinerari storici Photos: Consorzio culturale del monfalconese, Marco Mantini, Silvo Stok How to reach the open museum Main entrance: THEMATIC AREAS Via del Carso, coming from Trieste: Start from via Colombo, follow via Romana until Tommaseo Thematic area 1: Hill 121 Thematic area 3: “Virgin” cave HISTORICAL CONTEST square (parking). Walk up via del Carso following the indica- tions to the park Of all Monfalcone heights, After the initial operations At the beginning of Via del Carso coming from the freeway A4 hill 121 is the highest, tow- carried out in the summer the First World War (Venice-Trieste): ering above the town and of 1915, this network be- Monfalcone was a town Coming from either direction, take the Monfalcone est exit on the surrounding territory, came a back line trenched of the so called Austrian and reach via Colombo, follow via Romana until Tommaseo stretching towards the Slov- Littoral in industrial square (parking). Walk up via del Carso following the indica- system. Its main purpose tions to the park enian Carso and the sea. was to allow the access to development through Salita Mocenigo coming from downtown: It used to be an Austrian the higher line and to hill 98. the establishment From Piazza della Repubblica (main square) go down Corso stronghold and, together The position of the trench of chemical plants, del Popolo and reach Salita Mocenigo on the left following the with hill 85, proved to be was also used against pos- shipyards and with indications to the park the hardest obstacle for sible enemy incursions, in the Vienna-Trieste Informative material is available at: the Italian troops for over case the lines were taken railway line. For its one year (1915-1916). The by the Austrians, especially membership of Austro- Monfalcone Tourist offi ce complicated trench system, the line between the “Tam- Hungarian Empire the via Ceriani, 10 - 34074 Monfalcone (GO) enriched with machinegun buro” and hill 104, that went city was involved in the opening hours pits and caves, was built European war since Monday-Friday 9.30 – 13.00 / 15.00 – 19.00 all the way down to hill 93 Saturday 16.00 – 19.00 by the Italians in different and to the cave. the summer 1914 with the call to arms of the male Phone 0481 494229 phases, starting on the The craftwork was rein- population and sending on the eastern front. With the www.comune.monfalcone.go.it pre-existing Austrian lines. forced several times and Italian declaration of war (24 May 1915) the military [email protected] From August 1916 it func- nowadays it is still well operations directly interested Monfalcone since June tioned as the Italian front 9, when the fi rst Italian troops entered the town in Redipuglia Tourist offi ce kept. Its main feature is that guided hikes into the Great War sites line, facing the Austrian’s it is linked to two natural order to occupy the positions on the highlands that Via III Armata 54 - 34070 Fogliano di Redipuglia (GO) hill 77 (Sablici) and the caves, that were eventually had been abandoned by Austro-Hungarian soldiers opening hours lines of Pietrarossa lake. turned to military use. The looking for better defenses. Monday-Friday 9.30 - 12.30 / 15.30 - 18.30 The several war graffi ti left “Virgin Cave” especially Then Monfalcone was transformed into a backline, Saturday 9.30 - 12.30 by the soldiers in this area are extremely interesting. represents a typical exam- welcoming shelters, fi eld hospitals, headquarters and Phone 0481 489139 many cemeteries, while a network of trenches started www.prolocofoglianoredipuglia.it ple of a natural cavity exploited for military use during [email protected] the Great War. This is a very common feature on the to carve deeply in the highland. Carso. The “Virgin Cave” is now accessible to tourists The beginning operations allowed the Italian troops to Sistiana Tourist offi ce thanks to the work of the “Amici del Fante” Monfalcone settle on the hills in the nearby the town. These hills Sistiana 56/B – 34011 Sistiana (Trieste) Speleological Group. Inside the cave the space was have been hardly contended, conquered and lost for a Phone: +39 040 299166 whole year, forcing the thousands of soldiers involved www.marecarso.it organised into terraces linked by stairs and two more [email protected] openings were dug in corrispondence of the trench. to face a great sacrifi ce. Thematic area 2: saddle Hill 85 The fall of Gorizia (August 8/9th 1916) allowed the Gruppo Speleologico Monfalconese “Amici del Fante” “T.Col. Cuzzi” Trench reshaping of the Italian line. The last enemy outpost guided tours of the Virgin Cave and the Rocca Museum Its main feature is the This tract of the trench, restored by the Monfalcone of q, 77 by Sablici could be overcome only in May Via Valentinis 134 - 34074 Monfalcone (GO) trench dug deeply into the 1917, during the so called “tenth Isonzo battle”. Tel. +39 0481 40014 A.N.A. (National Alpine Association), is a part of the Carso rocks and reinforced www.museomonfalcone.it main Italian line that followed the town’s heights to- In late autumn 1917 the Austro Hungarian breakthrough [email protected] by concrete structures built wards east and to hill 104 of the “Tamburo”. This was in Plezzo and Tolmino forced the Italians to withdraw by the Italians in the Au- also one of the strongholds from the Carso. On October 27th 1917 all military FVG Airport Tourist offi ce gust of 1916 on previous in the Italian defensive sys- operations near Monfalcone were ended. Via Aquileia, 46 - 34077 Ronchi dei Legionari (GO) Austrian digging.