Italy 1943–1945
German War Cemetery, Futa Pass
German war cemetery
The story
Italy's largest German war cemetery holds more than 30,600 dead, gathered from across the region, in terraces spiralling up a hilltop on the old Gothic Line. Designed by Dieter Oesterlen and dedicated in 1969, its 2 km stone wall climbs to a sharp prow-like summit. The graves are of the defenders of the Line, and of men from every Italian front after Rome.
What to look for
Follow the spiral wall to the top for the view over the Futa and Giogo passes; note how young most of the men were.
Plan your visit
Via San Jacopo a Castro, Traversa (Firenzuola), on the SS65 at the Futa Pass. Open daily, free; hours vary by season — check before you go.
- Open
- Daily: Mar 08:00–18:00; Apr–Sep 08:00–20:00; Oct–Nov 08:00–17:00; Dec–Feb 09:00–16:00
- Parking
- Car park at the cemetery
Checked September 2026 from official sources: feelflorence.it, comune.firenzuola.fi.it. Things change, so check before you travel.
Nearby sites
- Il Giogo Pass and Monte Altuzzo · 11 km
- MuGot — Museo Gotica Toscana, Ponzalla · 11 km
- Monte Sole Historical Park — Casaglia · 24 km
- Sacrario dei Caduti, Marzabotto · 28 km
- Brazilian Votive Monument, Pistoia · 31 km
- Palazzo Vecchio and Piazza della Signoria, Florence · 36 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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