The Austro-Hungarian monumental cemetery in Bondo
A building of architectural interest where a memorial service is held every year
Nearly 700 soldiers from Franz Joseph’s army who died in World War I rest in the cemetery, now a monument to the fallen of all wars.
The monumental cemetery in Bondo is a sort of “Spoon River”: the painful memory of a whole generation wiped out by the war. It was built, starting in 1916, by order of the Austrian commander Theodor Spiegel, and hosts the 697 bodies of Franz Joseph’ soldiers fallen in the Giudicarie valleys, between the rivers Chiese and Sarca.
All but five were identified, and rest in the shade of the trees in what is now considered a monument and a warning against all wars. A peaceful atmosphere greets the visitors. The fallen are grouped in irregularly shaped areas, with concrete stones marked by consecutive numbers: the corresponding names are shown on nearby crosses painted in black.