Monumento agli Alpini War memorial

Did an Alpini soldier really hurl a boulder at his enemies? Here at the Monumento agli Alpini in Milan, this incredible feat is immortalized in bronze. The Monumento agli Alpini isn’t just a statue. It’s a snapshot of a dramatic moment during the Italo-Turkish War, also known as the War of Libia. Sculptor Emilio Bisi, whose brother Maso was a founder of the National Alpini Association, captured Alpini soldier Antonio Valsecchi in mid-action. Picture this: the Battle of Ridotta Lombardia. Ammunition is depleted. Valsecchi, from the 51st Company of the “Edolo” Alpini Battalion, grabs a massive rock and heaves it at the advancing Bedouins. The Monumento agli Alpini was initially intended for the courtyard of the Majnoni barracks on Via Pagano. It was meant to honor the 5th Alpini Regiment. The original dedication ceremony, planned for October 8, 1914, was canceled due to the outbreak of World War I. The monument finally made it to the regiment on February 11, 1915. The Monumento agli Alpini has quite a history of moving around. It followed the 5th Alpini Regiment to Bergamo in 1921 and returned with them to Milan in 1926. After an assassination attempt on King Vittorio Emanuele III in 1928, which tragically included Alpini among its victims, the monument was moved to Via Pagano, no longer confined to the barracks. In 1948, it found a new home in Piazzale Cadorna, rededicated to all fallen Alpini. Its final move brought the Monumento agli Alpini to its current location, Piazza Giovanni XXIII, in 1963. The inscription here reads, “To the fallen Alpini of all wars, in the glorious centenary, the National Alpini Association, 1948.” Today, it serves as a powerful reminder of the bravery and sacrifice of the Alpini troops.