We recently visited the Apennine mountains in Northern Italy. The mountain range that forms the natural barrier to the Po valley, coming from the South, as the allies did in 1944-45. This was the theatre of Operation Encore.

On day one, we did a hike up the famous Mount Belvedere. The mountain top was finally seized by US 10th Mountain Division troops on 20 February 1945. This was their third attempt, and it succeeded because they had managed to secure Riva Ridge on the night of 18-19 February. From this ridge, the Germans could put mortar and artillery fire anywhere on Mount Belvedere. Scaling the steep cliffs of Riva Ridge by night, and in force, and then totally surprising the Germans in their fox holes at daybreak was one of the most audacious operations of WWII.

We parked our car in the quiet mountain village of Querciola. It has a monument to the 10th Mountain Division, and another commemorative plaque. When you park near the monument, it’s about a one hour hike to the top of Mount Belvedere. Mostly through woods, but it was a pretty hot day nonetheless. About halfway, we were rewarded with a vast panorama, overlooking the valley and Riva Ridge across. In my imagination, the Ridge had been closer to Mount Belvedere. Evidently this distance was no obstacle for the light artillery of the German mountain troops.

At the top of Mount Belvedere, you will find the big monument to the 10th Mountain Division, as well as several information panels. There are also clear remnants of medieval fortifications, which the Germans had used for cover. The way down is quicker, maybe 40 minutes.

On day three, we started at Castel d’Aiano, with a guide from the Museo delle Storie dalla Linea Gotica. This is in the direction of the battles of the 10th Mountain Division and where phase two of Operation Encore started. From the town, which also has a big monument to the 10th Mountain Division, we hiked up and around Monte della Spe.

Our guide Andrea and interpreter Laura, both from the museum, showed us the German trenches and the foxholes of the 10th Mountain troops, as well as soldiers from the Brazilian Expeditionary Force that had been funded by the US to fight with them. That’s a fascinating story in it’s own right. This mountain, as well as the surrounding ones, are now mostly covered by chestnut woods, but during the war, the hillsides had been almost bare. Along the way, they told us many stories of individual soldiers, as well as the impact that both the Germans and the allies had on the civilian population. After this rewarding tour, we visited the museum. Everything from the museum is from the local area: battlefield relics, donations from people in the area and from families of veterans, but also stuff rescued from the trash. Really amazing to see, especially for a militaria collector. If you have chance to visit this area, I really recommend you hook up with the museum for a tour!

So what did we do on day two? We stayed at Poretta Terme and relaxed at the spa. The 10th Mountain Division and the Brazilians were there in WWII, but we were there to relax.