Dolomiti : Lagazuoi 5Torri

It was threatening to rain on my last day in the Dolomites. 

Low clouds

Alberto decided to bring me into the mountains instead. Literally inside the heart of Monte Lagazuoi.

Lagazuoi and Cinque Torri were where World War I battles were fought between the Italians and the Austrian-Hungarians. There is an open-air museum in Cinque Torri which shows trenches that the Italians used as their second line of defence. 

Trenches in 5Torri

From the trenches, the Italians could look out for and/or fire their howitzers at their enemies on Monte Lagazuoi.

View of Monte Lagazuoi from 5Torri shelter

Firing from 1911 model 75/27 Eine Kanone Kaliber (howitzer)

Likewise, there is a open-air museum in the Monte Lagazuoi side, where the Austrian/Hungarian armies and later the Italians, dug shelters for men their and arms. From the carpark, we took an easy walk up to the Lagazuoi Gallery and entered a tunnel. Very soon, we found ourselves in the darkness and had to use our headlamps.

Once in a while, we would come across 'windows' which allowed in light and for us to have a peek of what was below us.

Officers' hut

We had glimpses of what it was like during the war - the mockups of artillery, beds, engine rooms... The soldiers would have oil lamps but the lamps would go off every time a mine was blown. It would have been depressing living in the dark and bitter cold, when food was also scarce.

Men's bunk

The marks of the mines were left everywhere - from the black mountain walls and scree to the jagged walls of the tunnels inside the mountain: