Cima Palon, also called Monte Pasubio, is the highest peak of the Pasubio group of Little Dolomites in

Veneto Veneto (, ; vec, Vèneto ) or Venetia is one of the 20 regions of Italy. Its population is about five million, ranking fourth in Italy. The region's capital is Venice while the biggest city is Verona. Veneto was part of the Roman Empire unt ...

Italy Italy ( it, Italia ), officially the Italian Republic, ) or the Republic of Italy, is a country in Southern Europe. It is located in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea, and its territory largely coincides with the homonymous geographical re ...

. It has an elevation of 2,239 metres. The Pasubio plateau is one of the most relevant Little Dolomites massifs, and it held a high strategic role during the Great War (1914-1918), since it represented the last defensive position of the

Venetian Plain The Venetian Plain, or Venetian-Friulian Plain ( it, Pianura Veneta or ) is a major geographical feature of Italy. It extends approximately from the River Adige to the River Isonzo, in a southwest-to-northeast direction, including almost all the ...

. It was the site of fierce mine warfare on the Italian Front. In May 1916, after the Austro-Hungarian ''Strafexpedition'', an Italian contingent was urgently transferred from the

Isonzo Front The Battles of the Isonzo (known as the Isonzo Front by historians, sl, soška fronta) were a series of 12 battles between the Austro-Hungarian and Italian armies in World War I mostly on the territory of present-day Slovenia, and the remaind ...

and under the command of General Achille Papa, they stopped the Austro-Hungarian Army at Cima Palon. In 1917, a team of Italian miners built the

Strada delle 52 Gallerie The Strada delle 52 Gallerie ("Road of 52 tunnels"), also known as the 52 Tunnel Road, or Strada della Prima Armata ("Road of the First Army") is a military mule road built during World War I on the Pasubio massif in Veneto, Italy Italy ( ...

, the route of 52 tunnels, which leads from the base to the summit area of Monte Pasubio.

References

{{reflist Mountains of Veneto Vicentine Alps Mountains of the Alps Mountains of Italy Military history of Italy during World War I