Cassino is a very old city located in the center of Italy between Rome and Naples.

This very unique city is full of Roman buildings, thermal, and an incredible and beautiful landscape.

History
The first inhabitant arrived here in the Neolithic ages.
In the Iron ages the first important village was built, confirmed by historians since a necropolis was found nearby.

The splendor became when Roman in 313 BC in a war destroy SANNITI (a population collocated in the south of Italy near Naples) and annex Cassino to Roman Empire.

They call the city Interamna Succasina, and was a vital stronghold during the war, due to it being in the center of Italy, and for its overshadowing mountain in the center of the valley of cassino. The Germans in World War II used this city to defend its position in Italy.

This city became a splendid and rich Roman city. Some Patricians like Marco Terenzio Varrone, arrived in Casinum (the second name they gave to Cassino) and decide to transform It in a modern and splendid city. In the city they built a anfiteatro, thermals, roads, castle, an iron factory, farming for grape cultivation, etc...

Varrone built the Terme Varroniane. It is famous throughout Italy because the water there was very cold, and there was a relaxation treatment there, and massages were given by a girl and boy, using perfumed oil, and flowers on his body. Casinum was the first one that have this particular Thermals.

Inside this city, the first cooperative association between two producers in the world was born.
Some farmers that produced olive oil decided to combine companies in order to sell more of the olive oil in Italy and make a larger profit.

Legend says that SAN PIETRO, the apostle of Christ, who was traveling towards Rome, stopped in Casinum and taught the Cristian religion to the inhabitants at the time.

In approximately 500 AD, San Benedetto da Norcia (the founder of Monks) arrived in Casinum and placed in the "Monte Cassino" its first monastery. The Monastery of Monte Cassino is the first Monastery ever built.

http://www.comune.cassino.fr.it/img/da%20visitare/abbazia.jpg

This city became a very rich and important city, and it also became an important center for the arts and culture. In the Monastry are the first documents written not in Latinum, but in the VULGAR language. It was a commercial contract, and it is the first document that can attest to the changes towards the Italian language we know now.

http://www.fotografieitalia.it/foto/136/Cassino_136-06-11-22-4081.jpg

The splendor of this city stopped in World War II when Germans decide to use this monastery due to its excellent position and its commanding view of the center of Italy. The Intelligent American Generals decided to destroy this monument, whit out use the brain

0n February 15th, 1944 the American's bombardiers, destroyed first cassino and then for 3 days straight the monastery with 10,000 plane and most bomb of the total of bombs fallen in the rest of the world, and was double the amount of the El-Alamein bombard.

The American thought incorrectly that the Luft Waffe soldiers were in the monastery, but they were actually located in bunkers in the bottom of the mountain, when the monastery was destroyed the German soldiers advanced to the mountaintop and the now destroyed city, and took cover in the ruins.

the Americans had planned to take the mountaintop thanks to the splendid bombardment, and in only 4 months and 70,000 French, Italian, English, American, Polish, and New Zealander soldiers had died in the battle for the mountain.

fortunately the crypt of San Benedetto rests unbroken and the books of San Benedetto document, and paint are saved.

http://www.comitatinazionali.it/upload/immagini/01_motecassino.jpg

In 1948 Americans gave the Italian government the money to rebuild the monastery.
Today only the crypt is original, while the rest is very new building.

Monte Cassino is full of War Cemeterys

There are cemeterys of soldiers from each corresponding nation, including the Germans, who lost their lives in the battle. There is also a cemetery for the innocent civilians who died as well.

In Cassino, in the 4 months of fighting 100,000 people were killed. 70,000 of those were allied, 20,000 are Germans, and around 9,000 of Italian civilians.

http://alessandrolanni.photoblogs.it/photon/DSC_4715.jpg


To Visit
Naturally if you go to Cassino, you have to visit The Monastery, the "Benedettini" (monks of San Benedetto), taste wine, olive oil, cheese, and many other activities.

The Anfiteatro first old roman period
the Rocca janula, a castle build in 10th Century
http://www.comune.cassino.fr.it/img/da%20visitare/rocca.jpg

the Thermes of Varrone, late old roman period
the Roman Theater first old roman periodwhere many shows took place.
http://www.comune.cassino.fr.it/img/da%20visitare/anfit1.jpg

the Mausoleo of Ummidia Quadratilla. late old roman period
the Via Latina late old roman period
http://www.comune.cassino.fr.it/img/da%20visitare/via.jpg

Food
This regions roots from rural landscape. The territory has an abundance of water, and there are springs of water everywhere, thus there were many options as to what to grow in the fields here. The food here is always very cheap, and it is normal to visit farms and buy local cheese, ham, and sausages, along with many kind of preserves.

The lasagne is popular here, normally fill whit eggs mozzarella of buffalo's and cook ham.
"abbacchio", or baby lamb made in 1000 different ways.
Artichokes are normally fried in dishes as well.

I suggest you try "Coratella", a very strange but amazing plate made with the heart, stomach, and liver of a chicken, and is served after cooking for many hours.
"Melanzane sott'olio" a preserve of aubergine
"Panzanella" which consists of dried bread wet whit water and top with tomatoes, onion, olive oil and oregano.
"friarielli" a sort of little pepper fried or cook in tomato

http://www.comune.cassino.fr.it/img/da%20visitare/monte.jpg


This is my mothers birthplace, and I suggest you to go there at least once in your lifetime, it is a splendid journey.
Very closed to Rome, and it is only 40 minutes by train and 30 minutes from Naples and Pompei. Its also only 20 minutes from the sea, Gaeta.

I'm sure that you'll love it!

Another excellent post Fulvio! I'm glad to see you take the time to really explain the city's past and present with great detail.

My only comment is that the Americans did not simply decide to bomb the city with the flip of a coin. It was deliberated for the months while the war raged on there in the winter starting in late December.

The real tradegy here was that the intelligence reports were stating that the Germans were inside the city itself, and not in the bunkers found later and that the only casualties were civilians. They say that after many flybys and scouting reports that Germans were occupying the place, but on a 5th flyby there were no reports of German soldiers. So who is to blame? I don't know.

1,150 tons of bombs were dropped on the monastery. It was no doubt a huge mess, and a regretful one at that.

Trying to defend the decision made by the US is a losing battle, but in no way was it a quick decision. Thats about all I have to say.

Here is the wikipedia article on the four battles that took place before Monte Cassino was taken by the allies:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Monte_Cassino

Here are some pictures of Montecassino...

http://my.lifeinitaly.com/photopost/data/503/montecassino.jpg

http://my.lifeinitaly.com/photopost/data/503/montecassino-2.jpg

When I was child (I'm 36) I lived there for the first 5 years of my life, and then every cool holiday I came back to the city of my grandmother and my ancestors.

The battle that took place here made a very big scar on the people from cassino and in the surrounding cities too.

when I was a curious boy I played with my 2 cousins in the countryside around the mount of cassino.

It was very easy to discover a weapon, unexploded bomb, or some strange gun powder in a can.
I still have a American and a Polish uniform that I found when I was child, along with a gun I sold, some knives and some other soldier gears that I have in a box.

Today its normal to imagine the explosion on the mountain back then when the trees catch on fire.

There are 2 fire stations in cassino, 1 in the city and 1 one monastery.
When the mountain burned, the firemen leave it to burn because it is very daungerouse go there.
The mountain was closed and the firemen stopped the fire before it reached the city and the monastery.

In the period of the many American bombards, it had rained for 2 mounth and the field was soft. Many bombs are still there because they could not detonate on the soft ground.

During the battle of monte cassino, there were many errors made by General Clark. One day before the 15th of february the air raid made a mistake and bombarded a little village on a mountain near CASERTA called MIGNANO MONTE LUNGO far from Cassino about 20 km. The Americans had confused the two mountains.

The main interest of General Clark was only arrive in Rome first, and he decided to use the war in Italy almost as a competition with the British.
He made many errors, but no one stood up and said something about this incompetent general.

Normally when a general decides to bombard a place, they would drop leaflets by plane to the citizens, but Clark did not, so as to try and keep the Germans from protecting thierselves during the bombardment in Cassino, knowing that the city was full of innocent people.

Yes at the end of war the American government gave to the city of cassino a medal of honor to its citizens, but I think the 9,000 people that lost their lives in this city don't want a medal.

Generale Casterling, the Luft Waffe general, the day before suggest to monk leave the monastery with the ancient books and paintings, etc...

Germans may have made many horrible errors but in war they were known to preserve art.
When the allied arrived on top of mountain (Polish soldiers were the ones that conquered the mountain)after 6 months of battle, the SS left to Rome for avoid the potential bombing the beautiful city.

General Clark can win the war in Italy if he attacks the Germans, but decides to arrive in Rome like a king, and gave to the Germans the opportunity to arrive in Tuscany and organize his soldiers. Another year of war was the price for General Clark's ego.

The war in Italy ended on the 25th of April, 1945 but only after many people were killed in the battles.

Cassino is a splendid place and most of the art buildings were destroyed, 90% of the Roman buildings in cassino was destroyed by soldiers under the command of General Clark.

the past is the past but if you'll go to cassino you can see today the scars of a war that ended 60 years ago.

Sorry I don't want to be polemic...but too many times American Generals, and even the President are too cat-like, or "master of the world". The same thing happened in Vietnam, and now in Iraq.

The Americans are very intelligent and are very elastic, but there are times when they should have really questioned their actions before acting.

Thanks to Dan for the corrections too, my English is very dirty.

Ciao


Fulvio
informazioni sportive (http://www.gosport.it/)

Even if your English is, as you say, "dirty", it still paints a very vivid and important story. Thank you for sharing, and I'm glad that we can have a healthy discussion.

At least we see that the Americans were helpful in the rebuilding of the city...

I still read about World War II stories and most of them don't exactly have happy endings, but in the end we need to remember them because, as odd as it sounds, it was not that long ago. There is still one veteran alive from World War 1 out there now. The stories they tell are ones of courage under fire, and I always appreciate what the armed forces do, for the US and other countries.

The German army had a passion for art, and yes as you metioned they would always preserve and save the art they found, although some of it was stolen by Germans and Americans. Apparently Hitler was a passionate art lover and thats why they preserved so many different pieces from destruction. The "Eagles Nest" where Hitler resided was full of these paintings from the war torn nations of Europe as well.

Again, thank you for sharing Fulvio.

Even if your English is, as you say, "dirty", it still paints a very vivid and important story. Thank you for sharing, and I'm glad that we can have a healthy discussion.

At least we see that the Americans were helpful in the rebuilding of the city...

I still read about World War II stories and most of them don't exactly have happy endings, but in the end we need to remember them because, as odd as it sounds, it was not that long ago. There is still one veteran alive from World War 1 out there now. The stories they tell are ones of courage under fire, and I always appreciate what the armed forces do, for the US and other countries.

The German army had a passion for art, and yes as you metioned they would always preserve and save the art they found, although some of it was stolen by Germans and Americans. Apparently Hitler was a passionate art lover and thats why they preserved so many different pieces from destruction. The "Eagles Nest" where Hitler resided was full of these paintings from the war torn nations of Europe as well.

Again, thank you for sharing Fulvio.

I love my country and I love to speck about it and teach to every one love to know something about my beautiful "Boot"
and I love too explain to all that we are not only "mangia spaghetti e mafiosi ...."

Ciao Dan and thank a lot

Fulvio
Sport (http://www.gosport.it/)