Cuasso al Monte had been particularly involved in this project, because of its natural resources (porphyry quarries) but also its preminent position on Lake Ceresio. In spite of being almost forgotten in the second part of the XX century, the Northern Frontier has lately cought the attention of a bunch of volunteers, willing to bring it to a new life.
An Open-Air Museum
From 1871 to the First World War, the Italian governments have been involved in the construction of a defense line on the northern border, mainly composed by a rich complex of trenches and tunnels, all along the spectacularly panoramic Alpine area.
The regions involved were mainly the western ones, from Aosta Valley to Lombardy, and even if no foreign attack ever came from there, the remains of these articulated structures (called “Northern Frontier”) still testify the intervention of Men on the environment and the landscapes.
In this section of the trench, many of the characteristic elements of the entrenched complex are recognizable
In this section of the trench, many of the characteristic elements of the entrenched complex are recognizable
Instead of simply explaining the story and the geography of the place, however, we decided to create in this area, once meant for war, a path of Peace, where people can discover the ideas and the efforts of those who spoke and stood for Peace throughout the centuries.
This way, what was intended to be a front line, has now turned into a Peace Line, where the inspirational deeds of Men fuse together with the magnificent spectacle of Nature.
The Linea della Pace is a forested trail in Cinque Vette Park (Va), leading to the summit of Mt. Derta
ASSOCIAZIONE ON
For a couple of years, the ON Association has been involved in the redevelopment of the stretch in the municipality of Cuasso al Monte of the Northern Frontier Verbano-Ceresio (“Cadorna Line”) and in the conversion of its area into a tourist-cultural site. The idea is to leave this place in the hands of future generations, generations who are born today and will grow up in a Europe that is profoundly different from the one that saw the construction of the Line: a Europe that can boast the most prolonged period of peace in its history, and that for the first time came together to manage common perspectives on major legal and social issues.
However, it is not possible to (and we must not) forget the war – which unfortunately still knocks on our doors too often: for this reason the project cultivates both the value of Memory (essential to give solidity to the future), and the uniquely salvific idea of Peace, seen as a condition of dialogue (listening and free expression of the self), of encounter and emancipation. “Northern Frontier or the Peace Line” wants to be that place where the Memory of Peace is cultivated, a reminder of the historical moments in which Peace was longed for and / or achieved, but also as a container for those concepts capable of leading, by their very nature, to the annulment of the war ideal.
The creative project was entrusted to the ON, which involved the writer and director William G. Costabile Cisco for the contents and the expert in the protection and enhancement of the historical-military heritage Antonio Trotti, as well as the artist Francesco Vanzaghi and others who we still do not reveal to you … but be ready: it won’t take long to the opening of the new “Peace Line”!
APP “LINEA DELLA PACE”
An innovative and immersive experience
Along the Path, you will find 10 stops, marked by as many boards to support your visit, with which the App will allow you to interact in person.
Discover extra audio content through the voices of writers throughout history who have reflected on peace. A literary review ranging from ancient Greece to the present day, performed by an exceptional cast: Stefano Accorsi, Raoul Bova, Alessandro Preziosi, Carolina Crescentini, Anna Safroncik, Alessandro Siani and Stefano Fresi.
