Museo all'aperto della Grande Guerra — Lagazuoi

The Lagazuoi battlefield preserves a network of First World War positions carved into high mountain terrain. Italian and Austro-Hungarian forces tunnelled into the rock, built trenches and galleries, and fought on opposing ledges and ridges between 1915 and 1917.

Why it matters

The Lagazuoi front shows how the First World War was fought vertically in the Dolomites. The mountain's towers and galleries became military positions, with forces tunnelling beneath one another and using mines against enemy works. The battlefield preserves a direct record of the high-altitude front and the conditions under which both armies operated.

What to notice

The Cengia Martini marks the Italian ledge positions partway up the mountain, while the crest held Austro-Hungarian posts and shelters. The Galleria dell'Anticima, a mine gallery driven by Italian troops from the ledge toward the summit, was blown on 20 June 1917 and runs for nearly a kilometre. Restored trenches and galleries, together with military posts on the ridge, make the opposing lines legible in the terrain.

Context and history

Fighting on the Lagazuoi took place from May 1915 until the autumn of 1917. Italian forces occupied positions on the lower ledge while Austro-Hungarian troops held the summit and crest. Volunteers later cleared and restored many galleries and trenches, preserving the battlefield's wartime layout. The site is part of the wider Great War landscape of the Falzarego and Valparola passes.