Italy 1943–1945
Centuripe, Enna
Viewpoint · Hill town
The story
The 38th (Irish) Brigade of the British 78th Division stormed this cliff-top town on 2–3 August against German paratroopers. Its fall cracked the German Etna line and helped decide Kesselring and Hube to plan the evacuation of the island. Montgomery is reported to have said he doubted any other division in his army could have done it.
What to look for
The view from the town over the Simeto and Salso valleys to Etna and Adrano; imagine the Irish battalions climbing the slopes below.
Plan your visit
Free, town centre. Steep narrow streets; park at the edge of town.
Nearby sites
- Agira Canadian War Cemetery, Agira · 17 km
- Robert Capa Photography Museum, Troina · 22 km
- German War Cemetery, Motta Sant'Anastasia · 25 km
- Catania War Cemetery, Catania · 32 km
- Museo Storico dello Sbarco in Sicilia 1943, Catania · 34 km
- Primosole Bridge, Simeto river · 38 km
All 96 sites in Italy 1943–1945 →
Into Europe: Italy 1943–1945
A free field guide for your phone: the route, the maps and the stories built in, even with no signal. The places of the Allied campaign in Italy, from the Sicily landings of July 1943 through Salerno, the Winter Line, Ortona, Cassino and Anzio, Rome, the Gothic Line and the final battles on the Senio and the Po in April 1945.
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