by InTrieste
The relentless march of time has yielded a poignant discovery in the Italian Alps. The remains of two World War I soldiers, entombed under a glacier for over a century, have emerged from their icy grave following an unusually intense summer thaw.
Last week, a hiker traversing the Marmolada, the highest peak in the Dolomites and located in the Trentino Alto Adige region, stumbled upon the long-hidden relics of the past. The glacier’s retreat revealed the remains at an altitude of 2,700 meters in the Forcella Serauta area.
According to local Carabinieri authorities in Trento, the identification of the soldiers was facilitated by the discovery of their army dog tags. These infantrymen were members of the Como Brigade, which participated in the notorious White War—a grueling conflict fought in the high-altitude Alpine sectors of the Italian front between 1915 and 1918.
The Como Brigade, as part of the Italian military forces, engaged in fierce battles against Austro-Hungarian troops amidst the snow-covered peaks, and the harsh conditions of the Alpine front exacted a heavy toll. The glacier that now holds their remains had served as both a protector and a prison, preserving them through the decades until the recent climatic shift.
This revelation not only provides a poignant reminder of the sacrifices made during one of history’s most brutal conflicts but also underscores the profound effects of climate change on historical and environmental landscapes. The thawing of glaciers, a consequence of rising global temperatures, continues to unearth remnants of the past, offering both historical insights and sobering reflections on the impact of a warming world.
