Ortigara

english / italiano

Ortigara. Operazione k
installation | photography | archival print/Hahnemuhle Paper | 5 photographies variable size | edition of 3 | 2015

available ed.2/3

The name Ortigara indicates a mountain that was one, and not even the most important, of the goals of the Italian Army for the end of 1916 and the first part of the summer of 1917. It is one of the most popular places of the Asiago Plateau, one of the most spots during the World War I, and it's still full of its remains, testimonies and monuments. Ortigara is an imposing bastion, easily to reach from the plateau of Asiago, but accessible only by rough paths from Val Sugana. The village of Asiago, with its neighboring municipalities, is the gateway to the stony slopes of Ortigara and to other mountains top sadly known for the history of the thousands of soldiers -of Italian and Austrian Army- who died here.
The Austrian offensive in South Tyrol forced the Italian defensive line to move back to the edge of the plateau of Asiago, abandoning positions that Italy considered very important for the Protection of borders. therefore it became necessary –maybe obligatory- the reconquest of lost positions through "Operation K".
The offensive, launched June 10, 1917, culminated in the Battle dell'Ortigara from which depended the fate of the entire war effort to reconquer the lost positions during Strafexpedition 1916. Fought on the famous peak until 30 June 1917, impressed in the collective memory of those who lived it as "the ordeal of the Mountain". This was a real babel that brought to light the glaring inadequacy of those who occupied the positions of higher responsibility, inadequacy who later had a tragic confirmation upon defeat at Caporetto.
This is the greatest battle ever fought in proportion.

President: Dario Frattini
Organising secretariat: Attilia Fanchi. Administrative consultant: Valeria Prevosti
Art director: Daniele Astrologo
Graphic design: Gino Parisi
Printed by: Tecnografica (Lomazzo/Como)

Contributors to this issue, with their writings and works:
Daniele Astrologo, Giorgio Battisti, Cesare Di Dato, Dario Frattini, Daniela Furlani, Enrico Gaffuri, Silvia Guzzetti, Antonio La Grotta, Dante Marchetti, Marco Pauselli,
Marcello Richiardi, Luigi Scollo, Pierpaolo Silvestri.

Special limited edition of 500 hand-numbered copies.

download > Almanacco