The Sacrario militare di Pocol is a cemetery and shrine located near the Falzarego Pass in the locality of Pocol, within the comune of Cortina d'Ampezzo in northern Italy. It is a massive square tower of stone that is clearly visible from the entire Ampezzo valley below.
The site originated in 1916 when the 5th Alpine group constructed a small church and a cemetery. A shrine was later built in 1935 as a memorial to the thousands who died during World War I on the Dolomite front.
The shrine contains the remains of 9,707 Italian soldiers, 4,455 of whom are unknown, and 37 Austro-Hungarian soldiers. In a crypt in the centre of the structure rests the body of general Antonio Cantore, who was awarded the gold medal for military valor. The site functions as a museum and a monument.
Sources: Wikipedia, OpenStreetMap, Wikidata, Wikimedia Commons
Written by Nicolo Ciampini
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