Italy 1943–1945
Ortona old town and MUBA battle museum
Town battlefield & museum
The story
Canada's most famous battle in Italy was fought in these streets for eight days at Christmas 1943. Walking from the southern edge of town along the Corso to the cathedral follows the Canadian advance. The MUBA museum tells the story of both soldiers and the 1,314 civilians who died.
What to look for
Corso Vittorio Emanuele, the rebuilt cathedral of San Tommaso and the Aragonese castle above the sea.
Plan your visit
MUBA (Corso Garibaldi, Complesso Sant'Anna) is temporarily closed for renovation, no reopening date given · check before you go
- Notice
- MuBa'43 battle museum is temporarily closed for restoration; no reopening date announced
Checked September 2026 from official sources: cultura.gov.it, comune.ortona.ch.it. Things change, so check before you travel.
Nearby sites
- Santa Maria di Costantinopoli, Ortona · under 1 km
- Moro River Canadian War Cemetery, San Donato · 2 km
- Casa Berardi, Contrada Alboreto (Ortona) · 4 km
- Sangro River War Cemetery, Torino di Sangro · 18 km
- French Military Cemetery, Venafro · 100 km
- German War Cemetery, Caira · 103 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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