The best cycling routes around Conco

The Military Shrine of Asiago, also known as the Sacrario del Leiten, stands majestically on the homonymous hill to honor the memory of the fallen of the Great War. Inaugurated in 1936, the imposing white marble structure is distinguished by its iconic four-fronted triumphal arch, twenty meters high, which dominates the entire Altopiano dei Sette Comuni. Inside the square base, a dense network of galleries houses the remains of over 54,000 soldiers, many of them unknown, belonging to both the Italian and Austro-Hungarian armies. In addition to its commemorative function, the site houses a war museum rich in memorabilia and documents from the era. Traversing its spaces of silence offers a profound reflection on human sacrifice and the history of the alpine front, making the monument not only a symbol of patriotic devotion but also a solemn warning for peace addressed to future generations.

“Death is not the end, but only a very specific end: namely, the end of a first, provisional period of life and the beginning of a new, unending epoch. Jesus said, ‘My kingdom is not of this world.’ So there is another world. Not only his disciples believed in this other world, but also his opponents. The lawyer, for example, asked him what he must do ‘to inherit eternal life.’ (…) Precisely because it lasts forever, this life is so precious that everything else in the present world pales in comparison.” (Text by Albino Luciani / Pope John Paul I)

Historical memory of WW1

Descent into the meadows around the Asiago Shrine, be careful in case of pedestrians.

This large concrete tank pumps water from the springs of the Oliero Caves, thanks to an aqueduct that exceeds 1000m of altitude, and then distributes it throughout the Asiago Plateau: up here in fact the territory is karst, so it does not retain the water that flows downstream through underground passages... practically the same water from rain and snow that naturally flows from the summit, is artificially made to rise out of necessity! The current aqueduct and tank were built on the traces of a system already built during the First World War, to overcome the primary problem of water supply to the Plateau, which presented itself in all its gravity during the conflict, both due to the exponential growth in the number of men present at altitude, and due to the dispute over the few springs by the opposing adversaries. Considered by many to be a horrible structure, for me it is a suggestive, totally detached brutalist architecture, positioned in a natural and uncontaminated environment: a fascinating contrast!

Col d'Asiago offers a beautiful and privileged panoramic point on the underlying Canale del Brenta, or the narrow and deep terminal part of Valsugana. But the view extends over the Asiago Plateau and the entire skyline of mountains that border it to the north, the Grappa Massif to the east and the mouth of Val Brenta. In the distance, the Piccole Dolomiti, the Pale di San Martino and the Vette Feltrine. Precisely because of its strategic position, during the First World War it was a strongly armed Italian defensive bastion and decisive in various phases of the conflict. The peak is also known locally by the ancient and dialect toponym 'Col del S-ciavo', dating back to the time of the Serenissima: on the slopes of the hill in fact the 'schiavoni' (i.e. the non-Latin inhabitants of the dominions of Dalmatia and the Venetian hinterland) cut wood for the naval fleet; the trunks (especially beech trees) were lowered down the valley through the famous and nearby Calà del Sasso; they were then loaded onto rafts that went down the entire Brenta, until they reached the lagoon and the Arsenale of Venice. A large concrete cistern dominates the summit, collecting the water pumped from the Oliero Caves, 1000m further downstream, and distributing it to the Plateau.

Simple and educational trail. The solar system is shown along the path at a scale of 1/1 billion. It was carried out by the staff of the Asiago astrophysical observatory. Each planet is in scale of size and distance as in the solar system. For each planet there are explanatory panels. Don't miss it!

I recommend at least 40mm tires