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.

ISLANDOF THE DEAD

MORIAGODELLA BATTAGLIA

The “Isola dei Morti”,or Island of theDead, is the main sitecommemorating the“Arditi” shock troops,or bold ones, who, inOctober 1918, managed to break through the Austrian lines along the Piave. The place, whosename clearly recalls thevast number of bodiesfound here, is nowadaysalso 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

of ‘99), which is hometo the greatest numberof commemorativemonuments. Particularly worthy of note are: the Pyramid and “Madonnina del Piave” Votive Temple, which recall the sacrifice of the soldiers who lost their lives on the Piave.

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Fontigo di Sernaglia della Battaglia

Great War Museum.The museum featuressome interestingdocuments on theGreat War, especiallywith reference to thePiave area. One exhibitarousing particularcuriosity is the simulated trench.

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A MUST-SEE:

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Colfosco Cannon cave.On the Piave’s left bank,at Mina, there is a cavecontaining a statue ofthe Madonna. Duringthe Battle of the Solstice, an Austrian cannon was placed here, positionedin such a way that itcould be fired withoutbeing hit.

Colfosco Ruio di Villa Jacur.Near Villa Jacur, closeto the left bank of thePiave, a bridge wasthrown across theriver. It was over thisbridge that the 13thAustrian SchutzenDivision passed duringthe Austro-Hungarianoffensive in June 1918.

Falzè di Piave Monument to thePiave Caymans.An evocative bronzegroup that portrays three life-size members of the “Arditi” in an attacking stance, armed with dagger, hand grenades and ‘91 musket, in memory of an episode that took place on the 27th of November 1918, which earned them the nickname “Piave Caymans”.

SANTA BONAABBEY

VIDOR

The Benedictine abbeywas founded in the early12th century to house the remains of Saint Bona. A wall surrounds the whole abbey complex, 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 tocover the Italian troops’retreat, just after thedefeat at Caporetto, andthe whole town, soonafter garrisoned by the

German troops, wasconsequently ravaged.Many valuable buildingswere compromised. The site can only be visited on the outside.

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A MUST-SEE:

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Valdobbiadene

Bombarded centre.The centre of Valdobbiadene wastragically devastated by the Italian artillery during the Great War: rebuilt after the war, its original appearance has been restored and it is known for the extremely famous “Prosecco” wine.

18/a 18/c18/b 18/d 18/eCombai

Strada de la Fam(starvation road). So called because children, women and old men, called to build the roads, received a “voucher” for a plate of soup in exchange for their hard day’s labours. One of the main “starvation roads” started on the outskirts of the town of Combai. Today, to be able to see the remaining cobbles, you need to walk part of the way.

Follina

Abbey.During the year ofoccupation, a shellcrashed through the roof, causing the eastern side of the church to collapse. The refectory, dating from the 8th century, was destroyed for wood and, in the period following the war, was transformedinto an Oratory-cum-War Memorial.

Follina

Austro-HungarianCemetery.Located behind thecivilian cemetery, itbecame the final resting place of about 900 soldiers, 491 known. An “international camp”is now being plannedto get young people(Italians, Austrians,Germans, Danes,Czechs) involved inrestoring at least part of the cemetery area.

Cison di Valmarino

Castle.During the war, it wasset up as an Austrianmilitary headquarters.It has recently beenrenovated and isconnected with thehistoric village of Cison.

100-DAYROAD

TOVENA

This route, whichconnected the piedmont area of the Treviso region with Val Belluna, was popularly referred to as the “100-Day Road” because the Austrian Engineer Corps built it between the 1st of February and the 1st of June 1918 (as attested by the carved inscription at the 4th hairpin bend), in 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

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and the Piave fronts - it was an extremely bold undertaking from anengineering point ofview. It is interesting,today, to stop at certainpoints along the routeto spy the characteristiclayout of the tunnels,almost stacked on topof each other at the fivehairpin bends, set in the sheer walls.

The “Palazzo della Comunità di Ceneda”, a simple, harmonious piece of architecture based on clean, essential lines, following the sign of Sansovino (16th century), has housed the Battle Museum since 1938.Established in memory of the Great War, and above all to commemorate the Battle of Vittorio Veneto, it contains a great amount of wartime material, including weapons, relics, topographic maps, models and photographsbelonging to a rich collection donated by Luigi Marson, former grenadier and inhabitant of this town. Visiting the

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For information: “Museo della Battaglia” Battle museum Tel. +39 0438 57695 Opening hours: 10am-12.30pm and 3.30-7pm (summer); 9.30am-12.30pm and 2-5pm (winter).Closed on Mondays.

museum, you feel like you are being plunged into the past. A window is opened, above all, onto the Final Battle when, on the 24th of October 1918, the general Italian offensive was launched against the Austro-Hungarian army. On the 31st of October of that same year, the VIII Army Corps was to liberate Vittorio Veneto and, just a few days later, the armistice would be signed.

BATTLE MUSEUM

VITTORIO VENETO

SANSALVATORECASTLE

SUSEGANA

The San Salvatorestronghold was given thetask of controlling thecrossing of the River Piave at Colfosco. The castle, which was bombarded even by the Italian front, was fortified in part when 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 castletoday, even after partialrenovation, still featuresevident scars of the battle and can be visited with

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guided tours (call tobook).

For information:San Salvatore CastleTel. +39 0438 738241opening hours9.30-11am.

A MUST-SEE:

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Vittorio Veneto

Palazzo Minucci. The Palazzo Minucci building is the headquarters of the “Minuccio Minucci” Foundation established by express bequest of Knight Commander Giacomo Camillo De Carlo. De Carlo was a highly decorated aviator and World War I hero who acted as a spy to provide the Italian commands with intelligence. Companion in arms of illustrious Italian writer d’Annunzio, he bequeathed his own memorabilia, similar to the writer’s “Vittoriale” memorial collection, as testimony to the ethical and aesthetic tastes of a man and an era.

21/a 22/a21/b 22/c22/bRefrontolo

Spada temple. Built in 1800, this smalltemple was destroyed by shelling in 1918, beingunfortunate enough tostand on a rise dominating the Sernaglia plain.

Susegana

Colle della TombolaLookout.Located near the leftbank of the Piave facingthe Montello, standing250 metres high, it madean excellent observationpost for the imperial royal artillery.

Collalto

“Ca’ del Montone” house.A farmhouse that wasturned into an Austrianheadquarters during thewar features two plaques, a marble one placed there by the Italians and a bronze one installed by the Czechs, in memory of the execution of a group of legionaries taken prisoner by the Austro-Hungarians.

Collalto

Goiginger Lookout.Guarda hill was astrategic Austro-Hungarian observationpost taken over by theXXIV Army Corps, ledby General LudwigGoiginger, who the sitewas named after.

WORTHA VISIT

Note that a secondexcellent itinerarycalled “The SacredRiver” is currentlybeing prepared.Below are just a fewof its sites worthvisiting:

British MilitaryCemetery(Tezze Vazzola)

Villa Giol (San Polo di Piave)

7th BritishDivisionMemorial(Salettuol Maserada sul Piave)

Civic History andNatural HistoryMuseum(Maserada sul Piave)

Monument to“the Boys of ‘99“(San Bartolomeo di Breda di Piave at Molino della Sega )

Ossuary and WarMemorial to themen who lost their lives on the Piave(Fagarè della Battaglia)

Tablet dedicatedto ErnestHemingway(Fossalta di Piave)

Piazza VittoriaWar Memorial (Treviso)

Our thanks to all the municipalities the various routes run through for their crucial help:

Arcade, Asolo, Borso del Grappa, Breda di Piave, Cavaso del Tomba, Cessalto, Chiarano, Cimadolmo, Cison di Valmarino, Conegliano, Cornuda, Crespano del Grappa,

Crocetta del Montello, Follina, Giavera del Montello, Gorgo al Monticano, Mareno di Piave, Maser, Maserada sul Piave, Miane, Monastier, Montebelluna,Moriago della Battaglia, Motta di Livenza, Nervesa della Battaglia, Oderzo, Paderno del Grappa, Pederobba, Ponte di Piave, Possagno,

Refrontolo, Revine Lago, Salgareda,San Biagio di Callalta, San Pietro di Feletto, San Polo di Piave, Santa Lucia di Piave, Segusino, Sernaglia della Battaglia, Spresiano, Susegana, Tarzo, Valdobbiadene, Vazzola, Vidor, Vittorio Veneto, Volpago del Montello, Zenson di Piave.