Today, Cortina d’Ampezzo hides countless tangible signs of the First World War. The war line ran in the mountains to the east and north of the Valley and saw bloody battles between the Austro-Hungarian and Italian armies. Thanks to the recovery projects carried out over the years, you can travel kilometres of trenches, explore impressive galleries, visit incredible fortifications or sleep in former military barracks. Just above Cortina, at 1,535 m, you can visit the Pocol Military Shrine, built in 1935 to collect the remains of deceased Italians from the various war cemeteries in Cadore and Ampezzo.
Also, don’t miss the historical events: the historical re-enactments at the Cinque Torri and Averau in August, guided tours with historical re-enactors at Lagazuoi, excursions with a historic guide to Col Gallina.
At the outbreak of the First World War, the Ampezzo basin, under Habsburg rule for 400 years, was the focus of important military operations.
In fact, by conquering Cortina, the Italians could have reached Val Pusteria from at least three routes: the Val Travenanzes, the upper Boite Valley with the Cimabanche pass and the Val Padeon by crossing the Tre Croci Pass.
On 29 May 1915, the Italians, after conquering the Averau group, the Falzarego Pass and having reached the foot of the Tofane and Cristallo, descended from Passo Tre Croci and, without firing a shot, took Cortina.
L’avanzata italiana nel 1915 non ebbe seguito davanti alle postazioni austriache fortificate ed iniziò la logorante guerra di posizione. Con la disfatta di Caporetto del 1917 le truppe italiane si ritirarono dalla conca ampezzana e vennero divise lungo il fronte, lasciando nuovamente Cortina in mano austriaca. Al termine della guerra, con la vittoria dell’Italia, la situazione cambiò nuovamente e la Valle d’Ampezzo venne ufficialmente annessa al Regno d’Italia.
The Austro-Hungarians, whose troops were composed of people from Ampezzo and therefore knew their mountains well, had moved to the peaks to the north (Lagazuoi, Sass de Stria, Col dei Bos, Castelletto, Tofana di Rozes, Son Pouses, Croda de R’Ancona, Zuoghe, Forame, Cristallo, Croda Rossa d’Ampezzo). In this way, they controlled the valleys, even seeing their homes and allowing the town not to be razed to the ground in bloody clashes between armies.
In fact, the centre of Cortina dates back almost completely to 1800 because the war was fought at altitude and many hotels converted into military hospitals: Hotel Cristallo was 040 and Hotel Silvano di Zuel was 030.
Gli austroungarici, le cui truppe erano composte da ampezzani e quindi conoscevano bene le proprie montagne, si erano spostati sulle cime a nord (Lagazuoi, Sass de Stria, Col dei Bos, Castelletto, Tofana di Rozes, Son Pouses, Croda de R’Ancona, Zuoghe, Forame, Cristallo, Croda Rossa d’Ampezzo). In questa maniera controllavano le valli, vedendo addirittura le proprie case e permettendo al paese di non essere raso al suolo in cruenti scontri fra eserciti.
Il centro di Cortina infatti è quasi del tutto risalente al 1800 perché la guerra venne combattuta in quota e molti alberghi convertiti in ospedali militari: l’Hotel Cristallo era lo 040 e l’Hotel Silvano di Zuel lo 030.
The Italian advance in 1915 did not follow in front of the fortified Austrian positions and the exhausting war of position began. With the defeat of Caporetto in 1917, Italian troops withdrew from the Ampezzo valley and were divided along the front, leaving Cortina in Austrian hands again. At the end of the war, with the victory of Italy, the situation changed again and the Ampezzo Valley was officially annexed to the Kingdom of Italy.
L’avanzata italiana nel 1915 non ebbe seguito davanti alle postazioni austriache fortificate ed iniziò la logorante guerra di posizione. Con la disfatta di Caporetto del 1917 le truppe italiane si ritirarono dalla conca ampezzana e vennero divise lungo il fronte, lasciando nuovamente Cortina in mano austriaca. Al termine della guerra, con la vittoria dell’Italia, la situazione cambiò nuovamente e la Valle d’Ampezzo venne ufficialmente annessa al Regno d’Italia.
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Cortina Marketing is the Official Tourism Board for promotion, communication and territorial marketing of the Queen of the Dolomites. It is part of the Società Servizi Ampezzo Unipersonale Srl, a subsidiary of the Municipality of Cortina d’Ampezzo.
