War memorial in Erba, World War I memorial in Erba, Italy.

The Monumento ai caduti della prima guerra mondiale in Erba is a long staircase of stone and river pebbles flanked by cypresses, climbing about twenty-five metres along the natural slope. It has four ramps and three landings, oriented west to east toward the town centre and the church of Santa Maria Nascente. At the top stand an antique cannon, two mortars, a niche inscribed with the names of the fallen and the crypt of the shrine; a double stair rises to a grass-covered terrace with a stone exedra.

The memorial was designed to honor the local soldiers who died in World War I when Italy fought between 1915 and 1918. Its modern architectural language reflected a new way that nations chose to commemorate their fallen.

Above the crypt portals an inscription reads "Per quelli che furono, per quelli che sono, per quelli che saranno" — for those who were, for those who are, for those who will be. The crypt once held a bronze Victory panel by Lucio Fontana, removed by order of Erba's podestà in 1936 and melted down.

The memorial stands at the end of Corso 25 Aprile, next to Villa Clerici and near Villa Majnoni, which houses the town hall. The staircase climbs about twenty-five metres over four ramps and three landings, so allow time for the ascent; the top terrace is grass-covered.

The site was one of the early applications of rationalist design principles in Italy when this architectural movement was just taking hold. This makes it an important example of how a small town like Erba gained access to modern, innovative design.