Italy 1943–1945
Rocca Janula (Castle Hill), Cassino
Castle and battlefield
The story
This medieval castle above the town was taken by New Zealanders on 15 March 1944 and held by the 1/4th Essex Regiment and others against fierce counter-attacks. Restored and reopened in 2015, it gives the classic view of the town battle and of Hangman's Hill below the abbey.
What to look for
Look for the memorial to the 4th Essex; from the walls trace the zigzag road up to the abbey and the rubble zone of 1944.
Plan your visit
Reached from Via Montecassino; small entry fee (reported €3). Check before you go.
Nearby sites
- Abbey of Monte Cassino · 1 km
- Historiale museum, Cassino · 1 km
- Polish War Cemetery and Memorial Museum, Monte Cassino · 2 km
- Point 593 memorial, Monte Cassino · 2 km
- Cassino War Cemetery and Memorial · 2 km
- German War Cemetery, Caira · 4 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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