The multidisciplinary research project Written in the Landscape demonstrates how deeply World War I remains are embedded in the landscape of the Sesto Dolomites. The area, listed as a UNESCO natural heritage, reveals itself as a landscape characterised by extensive military infrastructure: paths, mule tracks, trenches, artillery positions, caves, barracks, cableways and cemeteries, traces of which are still visible more than a century later. These structures form part of complex defence systems – outposts, defensive lines and logistical rear areas – which were interconnected by communication networks, transport systems and surveillance devices, and have permanently altered the Tre Cime Plateau.
By combining conflict archaeology, archival research and oral history, the research links material traces with lived experiences and cross-generational memories of soldiers and civilians, including the destruction and forced evacuation of the village of Sesto/Sexten in 1915. A key outcome is the development of walking trails relating to World War I: guided routes and themed walks lead visitors through selected sites, offering insights into the infrastructure, daily life at the front and the impact of the war on the landscape. These excursions transform hiking into an act of historical awareness and invite visitors and local communities alike to engage critically with the contradictory and conflict-ridden heritage embedded in the Dolomites.
