We awoke on September 8 to cloudy skies. Rain drizzled down as we hustled out to the van – the same rain that diverted our plans for the day from a long hike to an exploration of Asiago. Instead of meeting our guide near Mt. Fior, we found him under a large monument in the center of the town of Asiago. 

Cloudy skies above the monument. It seemed fitting for the mood and discussions. 

Perhaps the first thing that comes to mind when one hears the word Asiago is cheese. However, for us students, after having read Emilio Lusso’s stories, war comes up more often. The geography of Asiago is strikingly different to the other war theaters we explored. The rolling hills make for more terrifyingly-close encounters with the enemy – as described in Lusso’s book. The one scene where the Austro-Hungarians beg the Italians to turn around or they will have to kill them all became so much more tangible in the gentle hills of Asiago. 

The view from the Military Sacrarium

Inside the Asiago Military Sacrarium lie nearly 60,000 soldiers. Both Italian and Austro-Hungarian fighters find their final rest here, on the plains of Asiago. Due to the brutal nature of the war fought in this theater, small bones, new bodies, and unexplored bombs continue to be discovered to this day. 

A close-up view of the monument. There are two altars – one below the arch shown that is non-secular, and one below in the crypt that is a religious altar. 

Pictured here is a commemorative piece used for propaganda during the war. It reads: Associazione Nazionale Ragazzi del 99. The Ragazzi del 99 were the last boys who were required to enlist, as they were just 18 when the recruitment for war was happening. This piece of cloth implies that these boys were proud and happy for their sacrifice, and doesn’t consider their young age or fear – which is why it is more a piece of propaganda than a memorial.