German War Cemetery Cassino

The German war cemetery of Cassino is situated 3 kilometers north of Cassino in the village of Caira. It covers an entire hill and it holds the rests of 20,027 German soldiers who died in the South of Italy, excluding Sicily. Many died in the Battle of Salerno, following the Allied landings there, as well as on the Adriatic side of the Apennines, in the Battle of Ortona and in the ones for Cassino. The works for the building of the German War cemetery started in 1959, after the bodies of soldiers had been buried in various cemeteries, and completed in 1964. A statue of a male and female figure at the entrance of the cemetery symbolises mourning, ideally of the families of the young dead ones. Seven elliptical terraces compose the cemetery and are connected by two main paths, while a bronze cross elevates on the top of the hill. Behind it are other burials, including the unknown soldiers. A lamp, donated by Pope Paul VI, stands on a pedestal. From the top of the hill, a panoramic view of the then battlefields can be enjoyed.