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Tagged: Italian Stalingrad

Castello Aragonese, Ortona 0

Province of Chieti / The Coast

Ortona

Gateway to the Trabocchi Coast It’s a fickle kind of day and as I roam the grounds of the Castello Aragonese in Ortona the sun skulks behind fat clouds.  Far below, the changing colours of the Adriatic reflect the moodiness of the sky. Castello Aragonese Like Vasto, Ortona is built on a clifftop and the Castle commands magnificent views up and down the coast. Built on a previous structure in the fifteenth century by the Aragonese, the latest in a long succession of invaders, it eventually became a noble residence, only to be destroyed during World War II. Entrance costs nothing and roaming the grounds high above the sea feels...

cemetery 3

Province of Chieti / The Coast

The Canadian War Cemetery

A Grave Encounter I am fascinated by graveyards.  When I worked in an office in Edinburgh I used to eat my lunch in one.  In general they are peaceful, green places full of birdsong and rich in stories. And some headstones are small works of art. This interest of mine does not always go down well with Italians, who have a different perception of cemeteries. I found this out the hard way when, while poking around a graveyard on a trip to Scotland with Italian friends, I sat down on a bench and produced our picnic lunch. I can still recall the shock on their faces. War cemeteries have,...