SHARRYLAND
Stele of Visinale
In remembrance of the first step of a long and painful journey
Where is
What it is and where it is
In Visinale, on state road SS356, at the intersection of Via Primo Maggio and Via Pio Paschini, before crossing the bridge over the Judrio in the direction of Brazzano, you pass a stele. It often happens that we pass it without looking at it carefully, but today we make an exception. The tombstone, often adorned with flowering plants left at its feet, bears a metal bas-relief. Recognized in it is a soldier, intent on shooting, with a solemn and composed female figure behind him, a metaphor for none other than Italy! Her hand rests on the shoulder of the soldier, a financier, as if to encourage the firing of his rifle.
Why it is special
The event commemorated by the Visinale Stele has symbolic, perhaps more than historical, value. It is the first gun shot fired by an Italian soldier in the First World War. On the night of May 23, 1915, two financiers guarding the old wooden bridge over the Judrio River, which then marked the border with the Austro-Hungarian Empire, noticed some enemy soldiers stealthily intent on undermining the bridge. Realizing their intentions, here came the first shots from their rifles, which prevented the completion of the attack.
Not to be missed
To understand the importance of this moment, it is good to read the phrase that is inscribed in Latin on the plaque: "Percutit hinc primus detrudens finibus hostem ius nostrum clamans itala fata tonat, " meaning "from here the first rifle shot starts, chasing the enemy across the border loudly claiming our right, makes Italian destinies resound."
A bit of history
Apparently, the idea of erecting a memorial sculpture originated in the 1920s with Colonel Sante Laria, who commanded the 2nd Battalion at the time of the events. The Commanding General, however, claiming that the "first gunshot" had never been ascertained, decided to place the work in a barracks in Trieste, instead of at the site of the events. It would have to wait until 1937 for the approval of the Undersecretary of State for War to move the work. On May 24, 1937, the Stele was unveiled in its new location in Visinale, according to some sources in the presence of Amedeo di Savoia, Duke of Aosta.
Trivia
The two financiers of the II Battalion, Trevisan Pietro dell'Acqua and Sardinian-born Guardsman Costantino Carta, with their courageous act, enabled the line infantry regiment of the "Re" and "Pistoia" Brigade to cross the border on the wooden bridge and ford the river at Giassico on their way to Cormons. They were later decorated with the Bronze Medal for Military Valor in 1916, each with the following motivation: "Together with a comrade he prevented with promptness and energy the destruction of a military bridge."
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