Cassino German Military Cemetery

The Cassino German Military Cemetery occupies several elliptical terraces defined by limestone walls and holds more than 20,000 graves. The grounds are arranged across a sloping hillside, with pathways connecting the various sections from the entrance building.

The cemetery was established in 1959 through an agreement between German and Italian authorities to reinter soldiers who fell during World War II. This location became the final resting place for those who died during the fighting in the region.

The travertine crosses marking each grave display the soldier's name, birth year, rank and death date. The rows of identical crosses create a visual rhythm that makes the scale of loss immediately present.

The site sits about three kilometers north of Cassino town and is straightforward to reach. A wide pathway guides visitors up the slope to the entrance building, where orientation and information are available.

An 11-meter bronze cross tops the hilltop as the site's central monument. Beside it sits a lamp from Pope Paul VI's era, housed in an iron case atop a stone base, marking a papal connection to the place.