Day 15 - Sept 11, 2017: Cassino and Area

Day 15 - Sept 11, 2017:  Cassino and Area

The Abbey at MonteCasino
The American army had fought three battles at Cassino and were unable to defeat the Germans. The Canadians were battling on the east coast of Italy and were called to the west to assist. The Allies, recognizing it's historical and religious values, did not want to bomb the Abbey. It had however became such an impenetrable fortress for the German army that the Allies had no other choice. From its location, the Abbey provided the Germans with a viewpoint of Allied activity in Cassino to the south and the Liri Valley to the west enabling them to defend against any attacks and call down their artillery on advancing troops. In the end Cassino and the Abbey were bombed to rubble.


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The Abbey was rebuilt "As was, where was" and today is a remarkable structure once again. It houses a museum with recovered pieces of the Abbey as well as art and artifacts that had been protected. From an archeological perspective it would have been a massive undertaking to sift through the rubble onsite and down the hillsides to recline a lot of the items.

Preservation of Abbey Treasures
Prior to the battles taking place a newly assigned German commander of the Abbey, having been schooled in art in Paris, recognized the value of the paintings and the artifacts and the importance of ensuring they remain preserved. He had his men remove the pieces and store them underground in the Abbey's bottom floors for protection. This was a remarkable feat on his part. Not only did it save the pieces from destruction, it also saved them from getting into the hands of the Nazis where they would have been exploited.



The artifacts that remain are remarkable: the tapestries, 500 year old music books, scriptures handwritten by monks, staffs, chalices, head pieces, wraps, etc. And nowhere does it credit the German commander for their preservation.

The Allied Advance
Between the mountain range where the MonteCasino Abbey lies and the range to the west lies the Liri Valley. With the British Army at its right and the Free French Army on its left the Canadians were tasked with clearing the valley. The taking of the Abbey was left to the Polish Army. 

Polish War Cemetery
On a plot of land near the Abbey itself, lies the Polish War Cemetery.



***Edits and additional pictures to come***

Cassino War Cemetery 
***Edits and pictures to come***

Civilian Survivors
A huge hello goes to my friend Marko's mother Cristina who was born east of Cassino. As a little girl she recalls fighter planes going over their village heading west - likely heading to the Cassino area. 
Studying both wars makes one wonder about the civilians: Where did they go when the battles took place in their towns? How did they rebuild their lives with nothing at hand? How did they care for their families? Where did they go if their homes had been destroyed? How did they cope having lost loved ones? So many questions to ponder yet it really makes me respect their fortitude and perseverance.

Caserta War Cemetery
***Edits and pictures to come***


Comments

  1. Chrissie12 September 2017 at 12:47

    Dear Bill and Tanner, it's really a challenge to start such a tour through the history! Especially when the weather in Italy is not very nice! At the time Charly and I are near Ravenna, thought we could have a little bathing holiday, but it's cool, most of the time rainy and stormy! The same as in the rest of Italy! I admire you for taking so much strain on you to discover what soldiers had to bear in WWII. It was a rather cruel war and whoever survived it wasn't even able to talk about it for long. I am sure, you give all those events a peaceful remembrance. If you have time, just give yourselves a place to relax and enjoy the surroundings! All the best for you two! I think of you!

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    Replies
    1. Unknown13 September 2017 at 15:29

      Thank you for thinking of us Chrissie.We have taken time at each site to honour the.contributions made on both sides. Even though each grave tells a sad story of an individual's circumstance, the accompanying grief of the family and the thought of what he or she may have been able to accomplish in life, it is so incredibly tragic on a grander perspective in the civilian lives that were lost, lives turned completely upside down, the perseverance it had to take to not only survive but tend to a family, the destruction and the impact on the economies of many countries...the effects were far reaching! Seeing all of this gives a greater understanding than one could ever hope to obtain from a book, video or Internet. As for taking time for ourselves to soak it all in, thanks Chrisie - spoken like a true world traveller - but there really is no time for that... ": ) We have been fortunate to see some incredible places at stops along the way. The technology has been extremely frustrating! But the journey has been great!!! Thank you so much for joining us. We hope you get some sun in Ravenna! ": )

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