This is the largest monument in Italy dedicated to the fallen soldiers of World War I, housing the remains of over 100,000 individuals.
Welcome to the Italian Charnel House in Redipuglia, the largest and most magnificent monument to the fallen of World War I in Italy. Opened on September 18, 1938, this site is also known as the monument to the hundred thousand, as it holds the mortal remains of 100,187 soldiers who fell in this area.
The monument was designed by architect Giovanni Greppi and sculptor Giannino Castiglione, built on the slope of Monte Sei Busi. Its grand design reflects the fascist authorities' policy to honor World War I victims as martyrs, creating monumental structures for national memorial ceremonies.
The entire structure symbolizes an army descending from the sky, with its commander leading the way along the 'Path of Heroes' (Via degli Eroi). At the top of the stairs, you'll see three crosses, representing the crucifixion of Jesus on Golgotha.
Your visit symbolically begins when you step across the chain of the Triglav torpedo boat, an Austro-Hungarian warship seized by the Italians after the war. The walk continues along the Via degli Eroi, a stone-paved road flanked by 38 boards inscribed with the names of Kras region places where battles occurred during World War I.
You will soon reach the magnificent tombs of Italian generals. The most prominent is the tomb of Emanuele Filiberto Duca d’Aosta, supreme commander of the Third Army, crafted from a single 75-ton red marble block. Nearby are the granite tombs of five other generals: Antonio Chinotto, Tommaso Monti, Giovanni Prelli, Giuseppe Paolini, and Fulvio Riccieri.
Behind these tombs, 22 steps rise, holding the mortal remains of 39,857 identified soldiers, arranged alphabetically. Above each tomb cell, you'll see the inscription 'PRESENTE' (HERE!). Interestingly, the only female buried here, nurse Margherita Kaiser Parodi Orlando, rests in a tomb cell in the center of the first step. The last step contains the remains of 72 seamen and 56 members of the Financial Guard. On the top of the steps are two larger tombs, covered with copper plates, where over 60,000 unknown soldiers are buried.
A chapel within the charnel house displays two pieces by master sculptor Castiglioni: Descent from Cross and Stations of the Cross. In the rear of the last step, two museum rooms house photos of the first charnel house, documents, and war materials. On Hill 86, above the monumental charnel house, an observation post features a relief map showing the front line on October 24, 1917, the first day of the Twelfth Isonzo Battle.
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