Si combatteva qui! Sulle orme della Grande Guerra

Alessio Franconi

Basilica Palladiana, Vicenza June 27 – August 17, 2025

Alessio Franconi's exhibition "Si combatteva qui! Sulle orme della Grande Guerra" (Fighting Here! In the Footsteps of the Great War), promoted by the Municipality of Vicenza, now in its forty-sixth stop, will display over 70 images in the hall of the Basilica Palladiana from June 27 to August 21, 2025, which convey the scale and vastness of the Great War. This is a journey of over a decade that the author undertook across 10 European countries, starting from Italy and extending to Ukraine. Following faint traces in the snow, the author delves into incredible stories that have fallen into oblivion. Stories of an intertwining of peoples in conflict, with individuals forced into devastating journeys, often without return. Inspired by the touching notes and words of Alpine songs, the author starts from the Alps and ventures into Eastern Europe, reaching the Carpathian Mountains. Many places were photographed, including names marked by the history of mountains close to us, such as Monte Cengio, Ortigara, Monte Pasubio. Alongside these, other names more distant in our memory, among abandoned fortress bastions, where incredible pitched battles were fought, such as in Przemyśl. This city made headlines at the time for the imposing Russian siege, and today it has resurfaced as a destination for Ukrainian refugees and a starting point for international aid. It is a journey to rediscover the places of captivity where our great-grandparents fell, but also where some of the most important battles of the Great War were fought. Born with the aim of remembering the suffering of those who fought that War and not forgetting the cost of human sacrifice, the exhibition guides the visitor towards a deeper understanding of the value of peace and the European Union which, for over 70 years, has prevented the creation of new armed conflicts within its borders.Nata con lo scopo di ricordare le sofferenze di chi ebbe a combattere quella Guerra e di non dimenticare il costo del sacrificio umano, la mostra guida il visitatore verso una più profonda comprensione del valore della pace e dell’Unione Europea che, da oltre 70 anni, previene il crearsi di nuovi conflitti armati entro i propri confini.