Commemoration at the Military Shrine of Cima Grappa

The Memory of the Sacred Mountain to the Fatherland

The Commemoration at the Military Shrine of Cima Grappa is one of the most solemn anniversaries in the Veneto region, which every first Sunday of August draws thousands of people to the summit of Monte Grappa, in the municipality of Pieve del Grappa (province of Treviso). Known as the 'Pilgrimage of the Venetian People to the Sacred Mountain to the Fatherland,' it brings together institutions, associations, and civil, military, and religious representatives from the three provinces of Treviso, Vicenza, and Belluno in a climate of intense recollection.

The Shrine and the Madonnina del Grappa

The Military Shrine of Cima Grappa holds the remains of nearly 23,000 fallen soldiers, Italian and Austro-Hungarian, from the Great War: between November 1917 and October 1918, the massif was the scene of some of the bloodiest battles between European armies. The ceremony centers around the Shrine of the Madonnina del Grappa, inaugurated in 1901 by the Patriarch of Venice and future Pope Pius X: from that moment on, the local population has paid homage to this sacred image with an annual pilgrimage, interrupted only during the two World Wars.

A Ceremony of Remembrance and Peace

The day has a civil, religious, and military character: Holy Mass, laying of wreaths, presence of authorities, and moments of reflection alternate in a path that intertwines the memory of the Great War fallen, tribute to the Resistance, and a testimony of peace. More than an event, it is a collective rite of shared memory that has united the Venetian communities for over a century.

Pieve del Grappa and the Grappa Massif

The Shrine stands on the summit of the massif, accessible via the panoramic road that climbs from Pieve del Grappa. The site, in addition to its historical and spiritual value, offers one of the most extensive views of the Venetian pre-Alps, between the Prealps and the plain.