Any time war is declared, the attention immediately shifts on the armies fighting in the battlefields, their commanders and the frontline. On the other hand,
civilians are often forgotten, as they are far from the front or cannot be enlisted. War instead is a global affair, which involves the entire community, especially due to its constraints.
Sometimes though, these secondary characters may play a leading role and be remembered even after many years. This is the case of the
Carnic porters, for example,
women from Carnia (but also from the
Julian Alps area) who
supplied food and military equipment to the
men engaged in fights on the Alpine front. In 1992, the Municipality of
Paluzza installed a monument created by sculptor Antonio Tinaglia in the square of Timau; it is dedicated to all Carnic porters and, in particular, to
Maria Plozner Mentil, who was shot to death by an Austrian sniper on 15th February 1916.
The monument consists of a large metal plate with a bas relief representing the tragic death of a porter, supported by two figures carrying a basket on their back and another woman who, farther away, raises her arm pointing at the direction of the shot. It was declared a
national monument on 23 July 2011, on the occasion of the celebrations for the 150th Anniversary of the Unification of Italy.
