“Sacred ground lies beneath our feet,” I begin. This is where the Caduti della Guerra War memorial stands. It is a monument to Milanese soldiers who died in World War I.
The Caduti della Guerra War memorial is also known as the Temple of Victory. Find it in Largo Agostino Gemelli near the Basilica of Sant’Ambrogio. Giovanni Muzio designed it. He worked with Alberto Alpago Novello, Tomaso Buzzi, Ottavio Cabiati, and Gio Ponti. Construction occurred between 1927 and 1930. The Caduti della Guerra War memorial was opened November 4, 1928.
Tradition says this site was once a cemetery. Early Christians were buried here. The fallen soldiers of World War I are connected to these martyrs. Prince Emanuele Filiberto read the Victory Bulletin here at the opening. He was the Duke of Aosta and a World War I commander. A huge crowd of veterans attended.
Heavy bombings damaged the Caduti della Guerra War memorial in 1943. It was rebuilt after the war. In 1973, it was expanded. Mario Baccini designed the underground memorial. It has three floors. Ten thousand names of fallen soldiers are listed here. The remains of Milanese soldiers rest in a crypt.
The Caduti della Guerra War memorial has an octagonal shape. A black stone enclosure marks its boundary. White marble from Musso was used for the construction. This continues a tradition seen in the Columns of San Lorenzo and the Duomo. Each of the Caduti della Guerra War memorial’s eight sides faces a gate of Milan. This is to remember the soldiers’ departure routes.
The four main sides feature large arches. These arches display symbols of each war year. The four secondary sides represent earth, water, fire, and air. Smaller arched niches are on these sides. Triangular gables top them.
A large bronze statue stands at the mausoleum entrance. It is gilded and depicts Sant’Ambrogio. The statue tramples the seven deadly sins. Adolfo Wildt created it in 1928. It is four and a half meters tall. The colonnade shows the main entrance to the Caduti della Guerra War memorial.
The Caduti della Guerra War memorial also preserves soil from battlefields. It is kept in black stone urns. These are placed between the niches. The memorial honors Milan’s fallen. It remembers their sacrifice. The Caduti della Guerra War memorial is a place for reflection. It serves as a reminder of war’s cost.