At great personal risk to myself I did some excercise today, cycling all over the hills above the town of Monfalcone where I'm currently working.
The hills are riddled with trenches dating back to the Great War when this was the front line between the Italian and Austo-Hungarian forces. Between 1915 and 1917 fierce fighting saw the loss of thousand of troops on both sides.
The forest remains an incredible testament to the work that was put into these fortifications. There are thousands of metres of trenches from all the different stages of the battle, all hacked from the limestone hiding just below the surface. The trenches are supported by machine gun posts, observation points, pillboxes and huge natural caves used as stores and accommodation. Parts of some of the most significant trenches have been excavated and partially restored while others are being slowly reclaimed by the forest. There are public paths throughout and access is free and open. There's nothing but a gate with a sign on it to stop you entering the trenches and caves and there are pleasingly few barriers and fences. There are information panels at significant locations and they give a potted history along with maps and diagrams explaining the movements of the lines. Further off the beaten track in the forest there are the open mouths of further bunkers, some of which have collapsed, and you can also see buildings and other defences which are slowly eroding back to nothing.
I'm going to post a few photos which try to capture the essence of this amazing place, but I cannot begin to illustrate the sheer quantity of trenches that criss-cross the forest. I worked out I cycled about 5 miles and there was barely a moment when I couldn't see something of interest among the trees. I hope you enjoy these photos!
- Mike