The unfinished German military ossary in Pinzano

The Ossario Militare Germanico in Pinzano is an incomplete mausoleum designed by landscape architect Robert Tischler. It was intended to house the remains of approximately thirty thousand German and Austrian soldiers who fell during the first world war. Although the building project was completed in 1937, a full-scale mockup made of wood and reeds was constructed in 1938 to evaluate the finished appearance before construction began on the stone structure the following year.

Construction involved about sixty workers, many from Pinzano, using stones from the Somplago quarry and more prestigious materials from quarries near Verona. These stones were transported by train to the Pinzano station and then moved to the top of the hill using rollers. The project included large monolithic columns weighing approximately 18 tonnes each, measuring about 6.4 by 1.4 by 0.8 meters.

Work continued during the second world war but was interrupted following the armistice of September 8, 1943. The site served as a garrison for German troops and later for other forces before a group of local partisans occupied the empty positions in September 1944. Unlike the Pordoi ossary, the Pinzano site was never finished, partly because the hill's strategic position caused it to fall under military jurisdiction and become fortified during the period of tension.

After the military departed, the building was covered by trees and brambles. It remained in a state of abandonment until the local municipality recently cleared the vegetation and secured the site. The monument stands as a nearly finished shell, currently awaiting a possible recovery plan.

Sources: Wikipedia, OpenStreetMap, Wikidata, Wikimedia Commons