Now all roads lead to France and heavy is the tread
Of the living; but the dead returning lightly dance.
Edward Thomas, Roads

Friday, March 1, 2019

Scenic Battlefield: The Isonzo Sector of the Italian Front—Part 2, the South


Having led battlefield tours to Western Europe, Gallipoli, Italy, and Slovenia, I can say that the most dramatic scenery can be found on the Italian Front.  The Isonzo Sector, on both sides of a 60-mile leg of the Isonzo [today Soca] River involved the bulk of the fighting, featuring 11 Italian offensives and the German-Austrian victory in the Battle of Caporetto. Today we highlight the southern half of the sector, best known for being the locale of the 11 Battles of the Isonzo, intended to push past Gorizia and across the Carso Plateau to Trieste.

Austrian Chapel Near Plava



Cavern Used for Shelter



Sveta Gora (Holy Mountain, Monte Santo) Destroyed During the War



Hungarian Cemetery North of Gorizia



Mte San Michele Monument Overlooking Gorizia



Defensive Trench of Austro-Hungarian Forces



The Carso Plateau



Italian Artillery Galleries




Monument to Field Marshal Svetozar Boroević, Fifth Army Commander



Dolina of the XV Bersaglieri, Italian Support Base



Italian Third Army Memorial, Site of 100,000 Burials

5 comments:

  1. Great photos the last two days. Is anyone aware of any tours that cover these places or at least many of them?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Speak to Mike Hanlon who does tours of this area

      Delete
    2. Sorry, but I've retired from leading battlefield tours.

      Delete
    3. Check the Valor Tours website - this is the company that put on the tours I took with Mike before he retired - they have done Italian Front tours. I found their tours to be affordable, informative and fun.

      Delete
  2. Fascinating pictures--and very informative.

    ReplyDelete