Between 1915 and 1917, Italians and Austro-Hungarians fought twelve bloody battles on the Karst plateau, during which hundreds of thousands of men lost their lives, either in the trenches dug into the bare karst rock or on the slopes of the Julian Pre-Alps.
All these events can now be rediscovered thanks to the open-air museums and itineraries of the Great War, exciting walks in the midst of breathtaking natural landscapes where you can relive the experiences and lives of soldiers. Like almost a century ago, you can walk along the trenches, admire the military buildings and visit the places of the battles. A fascinating journey into the past that continues with a visit to the countless monuments, shrines, ossuaries and war cemeteries dedicated to the victims of this gigantic conflict.
Several cities and towns host interesting museums, often dedicated to the Great War and their territory and military forts, created for the defense of borders at the beginning of the twentieth century; an example is the Museum of Mount St. Michael, recently renovated and now become multimedia. Thanks to augmented reality, it is possible to relive in first person some dramatic events of those years.
Despite its small size, this museum is a significant testimony to the difficulties faced by Italian soldiers in fighting in this area. On either side of the museum's entrance door are two trench or bombardment mortars, the weapons used par excellence during the Great War. In the three rooms instead there are photographic exhibitions showing the gas attack of 29 June 1916, the karst landscape during the war and the lives of soldiers in the trenches, as well as various items including bullets, gun barrels, gas masks and personal effects. The square in front offers a wonderful view of the Isonzo valley and the city of Gorizia. Still today, looking at the landscape, you can see the importance of this peak, which was an excellent place to control the territory.
In addition to San Martino del Carso, this important part of history can also be rediscovered on the hills behind Monfalcone and on the Sei Busi, San Michele, Calvario and Sabotino mountains. It should not be forgotten that a few kilometers away there are other important realities related to the Great War: the shrines of Redipuglia and Oslavia, the Ara Pacis Mundi of Medea and Colle Sant'Elia.
