Museum "The Carnic Zone during the Great War 1915-1918"

The historical museum "The Carnic Zone during the Great War 1915-1918" is one of the best exhibitions on the Great war in Friuli Venezia Giulia as well as a great opportunity to integrate the visits to the open-air museums of Mt. Freikofel and Mt. Pal Piccolo. Run by the Association Friends of the Carnic Alps and the Municipality of Paluzza, it contains several remains that were found on the surrounding peaks plus a variety of documents and pictures of the three-year war period. A special section spreading over two rooms is dedicated to the Carnic porters.

The museum gives visitors a chance to admire with their own eyes authentic war relics and curious objects, evidence of the difficulties met by soldiers during their stay in the trenches at high altitude. Findings include, for instance, an alcohol barrel and some small stoves used by soldiers to warm themselves up as well as the rooms. Equally interesting are some intact cigarettes found inside an Austrian cartridge pocket, some loaves, newspapers of that time and nails that were spread by the Austrians across the two fronts.

The collection includes also complete equipment of soldiers, an extensive array of weapons and ammunitions, a section dedicated to the military health service organisation including documents on surgical interventions, prosthetic limbs, surgical instruments, several medicines and a stretcher.
Equally valuable and interesting are the original pictures, including the one showing Polish recruit Karol Wojtila with his wife and a young Karol, the future Pope John Paul II, or the Austrian accordion seized by the Italian Tolmezzo Battalion during an incursion.