Monte Cauriol is a

mountain A mountain is an elevated portion of the Earth's crust, generally with steep sides that show significant exposed bedrock. Although definitions vary, a mountain may differ from a plateau in having a limited summit area, and is usually higher t ...

Trentino Trentino (), officially the Autonomous Province of Trento (; ; ), is an Autonomous province#Italy, autonomous province of Italy in the Northern Italy, country's far north. Trentino and South Tyrol constitute the Regions of Italy, region of Tren ...

Italy Italy, officially the Italian Republic, is a country in Southern Europe, Southern and Western Europe, Western Europe. It consists of Italian Peninsula, a peninsula that extends into the Mediterranean Sea, with the Alps on its northern land b ...

, with an elevation of . Part of the Lagorai range, it is located in the eastern part of the

Province of Trento Trentino (), officially the Autonomous Province of Trento (; ; ), is an autonomous province of Italy in the country's far north. Trentino and South Tyrol constitute the region of Trentino-Alto Adige/Südtirol, an autonomous region under the c ...

, between the

Val di Fiemme 300px, Location of the Fiemme Valley in Trentino. 300px, The Passo_Lusia.html" ;"title="Lagorai seen from Passo Lusia">Lagorai seen from Passo Lusia. Fiemme Valley (, ) is a valley in the Trentino Provinces of Italy, province, i.e. the southern ...

and the Val Vanoi. The mountain was the theatre of bitter fighting during the

First World War World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...

; initially held by the

Austro-Hungarian Austria-Hungary, also referred to as the Austro-Hungarian Empire, the Dual Monarchy or the Habsburg Monarchy, was a multi-national constitutional monarchy in Central Europe between 1867 and 1918. A military and diplomatic alliance, it consist ...

s, after three unsuccessful Italian assaults it was finally taken by the

Alpini The Alpini are the Italian Army's specialist mountain infantry. Part of the army's infantry corps, the speciality distinguished itself in combat during World War I and World War II. Currently the active Alpini units are organized in two operati ...

on 27 August 1916. It returned to Austro-Hungarian hands in late October 1917, when the Italians were forced to evacuate the entire region to avoid encirclement in the wake of the

battle of Caporetto The Battle of Kobarid (also known as the Twelfth Battle of the Isonzo, the Battle of Caporetto or the Battle of Karfreit) took place on the Italian front of World War I. The battle was fought between the Kingdom of Italy and the Central P ...

. It is estimated that 10,000 soldiers were killed on Monte Cauriol during the war, many of them by the bitter cold and

avalanche An avalanche is a rapid flow of snow down a Grade (slope), slope, such as a hill or mountain. Avalanches can be triggered spontaneously, by factors such as increased precipitation or snowpack weakening, or by external means such as humans, othe ...

s rather than by enemy action. ''Monte Cauriol'' is also the title of one of the traditional

Alpini songs The Alpini are a mountain infantry corps of the Italian Army, that distinguished itself in combat during World War I and World War II. They are also famous in Italy for their songs and choirs. The first Alpini units were formed in 1872 by recruiti ...

Hiking path A trail, also known as a path or track, is an unpaved lane or a small paved road (though it can also be a route along a navigable waterways) generally not intended for usage by motorized vehicles, usually passing through a natural area. Howe ...

s from Rifugio Refavaie (near Caoria) and Rifugio Cauriol (near

Ziano di Fiemme Ziano di Fiemme is a ''comune'' (municipality) in Trentino in the northern Italian region Trentino-Alto Adige/Südtirol, located about northeast of Trento Trento ( or ; Ladin language, Ladin and ; ; ; ; ; ), also known in English as Trent, ...

) lead to the peak, where a

summit cross A summit cross is a Christian cross on the summit of a mountain or hill that marks the top. Often there will be a summit register (''Gipfelbuch'') at the cross, either in a container or other weatherproof case. The practice originated in the Ge ...

and plaques commemorating the fallen in World War I can be found. The panorama from the peak includes the Sella group, Rosengarten,

Latemar The Latemar is a mountain in the Dolomites on the border between South Tyrol and Trentino, Italy Italy, officially the Italian Republic, is a country in Southern Europe, Southern and Western Europe, Western Europe. It consists of Italian ...

, the

Cinque Torri Cinque Torri ("Five Towers", sometimes named also ''Cinque Torri di Averau''; ) comprise a small rock formation belonging to Nuvolao group in the Dolomiti Ampezzane (part of the Eastern Dolomites) north-west of San Vito di Cadore and south-west ...

and Cima d’Asta.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Monte Cauriol Mountains of the Alps Mountains of Trentino