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11 February 2017

Pontebba Great War Theme Park

11 February 2017
Simone Del Negro

Pontebba Great War Theme Park

Today I’d like to introduce you to a place that is historically very important, the Bombaschgraben Great War Theme Park of Pontebba. This open-air museum opened in the summer of 2015 and is dedicated to the young men who fought among these mountains, to the young lives sacrificed in order to build defensive works that tamed the mountain and kept the enemy at bay. Visitors can see the remains of outposts and what was the first defensive line built by the Austro- Hungarian army in World War I to impede a possible Italian invasion. The visitor route covers three sectors which may be seen as a single itinerary or separately, according to one’s interests and time available. The trails are marked and historical information is given on panels along the route, which also include contemporary photos. As we look back at the tragic time of the war through a touching memorial which has survived to the present day, we cannot fail to wonder at the unshakeable determination of those who fought on these mountains. Not to mention that these army huts, trenches, cableways and tracks were built and torn from the rocks without the aid of mechanical means and in all weathers. And so, in some way the objects – even, for example, the stones and wood used for the constructions – tell us of a past that has resisted the ravages of time, dramatically testifying to the eternal conflict between the greatness of what Man can do and the folly of his intentions. The theme park is managed by the Quello che le Montagne Restituiscono association.  

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Simone Del Negro

I’m a 24-year- old cook from Pontebba (province of Udine). I’m deeply interested in local history, especially concerning the events of the First World War in the Valcanale-Canal del Ferro area. I collect Great War artefacts, especially those to do with the food and daily life of the soldiers in the front line. Founder and chairman of Quello che le Montagne Restituiscono, a historical/cultural association in Pontebba.

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