 The monastery of Monte Cassino was our last stop on the way back to Rome. The present structure is mostly rebuilt, but the view is incredible, especially since the hillsides and valleys were all bitterly contested in 1944 during the battle for Italy. Out of a mistaken believe that the Germans were using the abbey as a lookout during the battle, Allied generals ordered it destroyed in a vicious air bombing campaign. Hundreds of Italian refugees hiding inside lost their lives, and the Germans gained a major propaganda victory. |