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The Cengia Martini - Lagazuoi Committee

“Dark, shadowy night.
We have been to the nearby position, through tunnels that one day people from all over the world will come and see.” 

From the diary of Lt. Eugenio Baroni, 25th March 1917 

These words, written in a hut on the Martini Ledge of Mount Lagazuoi,.convey the sense of wonder and pride that the Alpine troops of the three opposing armies felt in front of the works they carried out during the First World War on the Dolomite peaks.

 


Comitato Cengia Martini - Lagazuoi

In the fall of 1995, upon the initiative of Luciano Viazzi, at that time Chairman of the White War Historical Society, representatives of the Cortina group of the Associazione Nazionale Alpini (A.N.A.), of the sections Cadore, Belluno and Feltre and other historians and people passionate about history got together in order to form a committee and entrust it with the task of restoring the historical remains of WW1 on Mt. Lagazuoi: the Cengia Martini-Lagazuoi Committee, chaired by Franco Fiorese, then chair of the ANA from Cortina. 

The Committee stated operating in the summer of 1996. Volunteers from the ANA group Cortina cleaned out the tunnel of the Anticima (foresummit) and developped a restore engagement according to the historical documentation provided by Ing. Robert Striffler, author of the book "La guerra di mine sul Lagazuoi" (Mine Warfare on Mount Lagazuoi). 

Over the years the original volunteers were joined by the Alpini of the Alpine Brigade Tridentina, the German mountain troops of the 23rd Gebirgsjägerbrigade, the Civil Defence Volunteers of the Treviso section A.N.A., private Italian, German and Austrian citizens. Twenty years of intense activity with more than 8,500 working days carried out at high altitude have made possible the restoration of 7 tunnel systems, the restoration of emplacements and trenches. 

Having completed the restoration works on Mt.  Lagazuoi, in the following years they proceeded with the recovery of the trenches and emplacements of the Kaiserjäger (Tyrolean Rifle Regiments) on the Sasso di Stria and subsequently at the Vonbank emplacement in the area between the Sasso di Stria and the Lagazuoi. The warfare on the mountains Lagazuoi and Sasso di Stria was in fact intimately linked to the strategic need of the Italian army to get over the Valparola pass and to the offensive and defensive tactics of the two enemies.


© Giacomo Pompanin

The War on Mt. Lagazuoi

The First World War on Mt. Lagazuoi. The occupation of the mountain and the digging out of the tunnels by the Italian and Austro-Hungarian army.

AWARENESS AND DIVULGATION RAISING TOOLS

'Lagazuoi: Echoes of The Great War'
The first 3D VR visor game created by a museum

“Lagazuoi: Echoes of The Great War" is an immersive VR game that transports players back in time to the harrowing days of World War1.

The 3D-scanned network of military tunnels inside Mount Lagazuoi becomes the backdrop for a war game realised by the Open-Air Museum of the First World War on Mount Lagazuoi in collaboration with the young start-up company Realverse under the official patronage of the Italian Alpini mountain troops (A.N.A.) and the headquarters of the Alpini troops in Bolzano.

Set amidst the rugged beauty of Mount Lagazuoi, this game offers a unique opportunity to experience the daily struggles and triumphs of the soldiers who fought in one of the most iconic battlefields of the war. As a player, you will step into the boots of a soldier, fully equipped with authentic weaponry and gear. From the trenches to the treacherous mountain slopes, you'll navigate through a meticulously recreated landscape, encountering the harsh realities of war along the way. Engage in intense battles against enemy forces, witness the devastating impact of artillery bombardments, and make strategic decisions that can change the course of history.

The WW1 open-air museum on Mount Lagazuoi is the first in Italy to launch a VR 3D video game that can be purchased from the Meta Quest Store at this link >>>

GUIDES AND A DOCUMENTARY FILM

Then, the Committee has realized a guide in three languages for the visit of the tunnels and this has made it possible to bring together the funding needed for this historic initiative. Furthermore, they produced a documentary film entitled  "The Vertical Front" which illustrates the historical events and the activities for the realization of the Open Air Museum.  

Education and outreach materials

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Publications

DVD: “The Vertical Front, 1914-1917, the Great War from Cortina d’Ampezzo to the Little Lagazuoi”. DOCUMENTARY Iceberg Film
12,00 € plus shipping costs 

BOOK: “The Great War on the Little Lagazuoi – Illustrated guide to the galleries with original documents”
8,00 € plus shipping costs

BOOK: “The Great War on the Sasso di Stria – llustrated guide to the gun emplacements with original documents”
8,00 € plus shipping costs

GRAPHIC NOVEL: “Lagazuoi – Mine Warfare, illustrated history of the Great War in the mountains of Cortina d’Ampezzo.” Episode one. Gianni Carino with the historical revision of prof. Paolo Giacomel
12,00 € plus shipping costs

GRAPHIC NOVEL: “Sasso di Stria -  the fortress in the rock,  illustrated history of the Great War in the mountains of Cortina d’Ampezzo”. Second episode. Gianni Carino with the historical revision of prof. Paolo Giacomel
12,00 € plus shipping costs

These publications can be purchased by sending a request to the e-mail address museo@lagazuoi.it and putting in cc lagazuoi@lagazuoi.it

Funds from the purchase of these education and outreach publications contribute to the historical research on the Great War.
 

RIFUGIO LAGAZUOI

FRIENDS OF LAGAZUOI

IN THE MEDIA