Their name livith for evermore- Cassino, Italy

Paloma, our European travelling motorhome has checked herself into the free sosta just outside Cassino in Italy (N41.482686 E13.821731), nestled in the lush green hill side our home for the day offers beautiful views out across the mountains and is home to the Cassino Commonwealth War Graves. 

Is it a weird feeling to actually want to visit these sites and spend time there ? 

Yes, of course you go there to pay your respects but they’re also such peaceful, immensely moving spaces to wander around, to take stock and bring a few things into perspective. 

Where once there was so much atrocity, there’s now serenity.

The liberation of Italy had ground to a halt in a bloodbath at Monte Cassino, 80 miles south of Rome – the key point on the Germans’ winter defensive Gustav line. 

The Battle of Montecassino was a series of four assaults by the allies against the Winter Line in Italy held by the Germans.

The intention was to get Rome. The German defenders were finally driven from their position, but it took so long from 17 January to 18 May 1944

There are now 4,266 Commonwealth servicemen of the Second World War buried or commemorated at Cassino War Cemetery. 

284 of the burials are unidentified. 

The graves of the unknown soldiers are scattered amongst those graves with names, dates, short family descriptions.

 Dissecting the simple, plain white graves of individual servicemen is the heart of Cassino War Cemetery, the Cassino Memorial,which commemorates over 4,000 Commonwealth servicemen who took part in the Italian campaign and whose graves are not known. 

From the Cassino War Cemetery, you can see Monte Cassino itself, with the rebuilt Monastery of St. Benedict watching over the town and the valleys below. 

Wherever you are in Cassino  the monastery is visible. 

It doesn’t take an expert to see just one of the reasons why there was such loss of life during the Battle. 

The Germans held the high grounds. The Allied troops were attacking from below in particularly harsh winter weather…

Leaving behind the peace of war grave we headed into the busy little town, full of shops and cafe bars.

selecting what we hoped would be a good place for a beer or two we decided on Caffe Reale ….

With its dark wood panels and low lighting it offered a step back in time feel and the snack that came with the drinks was out of this world ! 

I guess when we return to England, I will miss the European bar snacks, that just appear when you order a beer …..

Paul.