Italian
From Monte Sacro to the homeland, a strong and shared message of responsibility, brotherhood, and future. Italian and Austrian authorities come together to remember those who fell in the Great War.
PIEVE DEL GRAPPA (TV) – Sunday morning, August 3, was a moment of intense participation and profound solemnity at the Military Memorial of Cima Grappa, where thousands of people took part in the traditional ceremony commemorating the fallen of World War I. Since 1901, has been held on the first Sunday of August, bringing together institutions, associations, and civil, military, and religious representatives in a collective pilgrimage of reflection and shared memory.
Organized by the Committee chaired by the Mayor of Pieve del Grappa, Annalisa Rampin, together with the Parish of Crespano del Grappa led by Monsignor Gaetano Borgo, the event — known as the “Pilgrimage of the Venetian People to the Sacred Mountain of the Fatherland” — took place in an atmosphere of genuine contemplation, in which the silence and composure of those present paid tribute to the 23,000 fallen soldiers buried in the ossuary of Monte Grappa, belonging not only to the Italian army, but also to the Austro-Hungarian army, with soldiers from Bohemia, Slovakia, Croatia, Hungary, and other nationalities.
Cardinal Fabio Baggio, Undersecretary of the Dicastery for Promoting Integral Human Development, presided over the Holy Mass. Among the authorities present were Minister of Justice Carlo Nordio, representing the government, Army Corps General Antonello Vespaziani for the Ministry of Defense, and Veneto Regional Health Councilor Manuela Lanzarin, together with numerous representatives of civil and military institutions, the Gonfaloni decorated for Military Valor, the National Alpine Association, the Crespano del Grappa Philharmonic, the Edelweiss Choir of the ANA Montegrappa, and the Trachten Musikkapelle St. Kolomann, which came from Austria.
In his speech, Minister Nordio emphasized the value of reconciliation, recalling how the memory of the fallen, both Italian and foreign, must be preserved with reverence and respect: “I am honored to represent the government in a moving ceremony of remembrance in my homeland. Reverent memory goes to our fallen, as does honor and respect for those who were then our adversaries and are now cordial friends.”
Heartfelt words were also spoken by Manuela Lanzarin, who recalled the human and civil significance of the sacrifice made by thousands of young people: “In this place, so significant for us Venetians, we remember all the fallen. Many young men fought and died here. The loss of their lives was an immense sacrifice, leaving a great void in their homes, in their loved ones, in their families. The testimony of their lives and ours, here today, serves to emphasize that peace is not inherited, it is built every day with concrete actions and civil responsibility, with the power of dialogue between people and between nations.”
With an eye to the future and to the new generations, Mayor Rampin emphasized the value of this place as a symbol of shared identity and a laboratory of coexistence: “Since 1901, as on every first Sunday in August, we have gathered on this summit to celebrate—some with a secular spirit, some with devotion, some with feelings of reconciliation and perpetuation of memory as a collective heritage—our identities as daughters and sons of these lands, as Italians, as Europeans, as inhabitants of this planet. And our Monte Grappa is a laboratory of biodiversity and coexistence among creatures. Our thoughts today are therefore directed towards young people, because our commitment is to a present that looks to the future.”
One of the most significant moments of the day was the speech by the Austrian delegation, which, through the words of Linus Seidl, President of the Tennengau Veterans’ Federation, expressed its commitment to a memory that unites and teaches: “We are on Monte Grappa, a place that symbolizes one of the bloodiest battles of the First World War, to remember the suffering of those who fought and lost their lives in these mountains. Those who fell continue to speak to us, warning us not to let memory fade and never to take peace for granted. War may seem distant, but it is not. That is why peace is not just a desire, it is a duty that commits us every day. As a representative of the Salzburg Veterans’ Federation, I am deeply grateful to all those who, once enemies, today share the value of memory with respect and responsibility.”
In a world marked by conflict, inequality, and environmental devastation, this year’s ceremony at Cima Grappa took on even deeper meaning, becoming a moment of collective consciousness. From Monte Grappa, which a century ago was the scene of suffering and destruction, a strong and clear appeal was made: the memory of the fallen is not only a tribute to the past, but a commitment to future generations, an invitation to uphold the values of brotherhood among peoples, human dignity, and care for the planet.
HISTORY
The origin of the pilgrimage dates back to August 4, 1901, when the Patriarch of Venice, Giuseppe Sarto—the future Pope Pius X—inaugurated the Sacello della Madonna del Grappa, initiating a journey of faith, memory, and reconciliation that has continued uninterrupted for over a century.
