"Sacro pellegrinaggio". Visits to World War I Memorials on the Soča/Isonzo Front in the Interwar Period
"Sacro pellegrinaggio". Visits to World War I Memorials on the Soča/Isonzo Front in the Interwar Period

Summary/Abstract: The paper presents a case study of visits to World War I battlefield sites (monuments, sacred zones, cemeteries) on the Soča/Isonzo front. The focus is on acknowledging the motivations related to the construction of monuments and the role and interest of the Italian authorities when influencing and encouraging these visits. The paper will also attempt to determine the importance of this practice in the case of memorial sites at the Soča/Isonzo front. Additional issues addressed in the paper include how common visits to these sites were in the interwar period, who the primary visitors were and if and how this activity resonated in the tourism sector, and how tourism reflected the Italian national narrative in the contested border region.

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