Italian Alps: melting ice also exposes remnants of war
· BehindLines newsroom
In the Italian Alps, retreating glaciers are exposing munitions from the First World War. The summer tally reported by RAI on 24 October exceeds 250 devices recovered by Italian army specialists. It covers several clearance operations at high altitude over the summer, rather than a single discovery.
A hazard along mountain routes
RAI mentions operations by the Julia Alpine Brigade in the Primiero area. Other operations took place in Adamello-Brenta, the Martello valley, Stelvio National Park and around the Tonale Pass. Objects can reappear after spending more than a century in the ice.
For hikers, the army's advice, relayed by the broadcaster, is to leave suspicious objects untouched and notify the security forces, describing their location precisely. Finding a historical remnant does not mean it can be handled as a souvenir.
Historical objects to preserve
A separate statement from the autonomous province of Trento, dated 3 October, describes forestry checks on the Lares glacier between mid-August and mid-September. Seized objects included soldiers' equipment and fragments of munitions. The material was entrusted to the Great War museum in Spiazzo Rendena.
The officers also supported military personnel tasked with finding and neutralising explosive devices. The statement thus links the protection of historical heritage with the safety of people visiting the mountains.
The Dolomites, a separate study area
The context extends beyond this clearance campaign. In a summary published on 1 October by the Italian Alpine Club's scientific committee, researchers trace changes in the Dolomites' glaciers since the 1980s using aerial surveys, drones and lidar data.
Their work describes a sharp reduction in ice thickness. Its geographical scope, the Dolomites, differs from several of the clearance areas mentioned above. It provides regional context, without measuring glacier retreat at each of those sites or counting the munitions still present. The clearance tally therefore does not amount to an inventory of all the hazards left by the war.