Cortona opens Great War exhibition: from Cortona to Vittorio Veneto

Cortona launches an exhibition on the First World War

Period: on display until 24 May 2026. The opening ceremony took place in the Town Council chamber, with the official ribbon-cutting at Palazzo Casali, the exhibition venue.

The show explores the experiences and losses of the Cortona community during the 1914–1918 conflict, presenting archival photographs and period objects. The exhibition is arranged into three thematic areas to guide visitors through both the front-line reality and the development of local remembrance.

• Life in the trenches: reconstructed through photographs from the Marzocchi collection and wartime artifacts from Mario Parigi's holdings.
• Voices from the front and the town: documents and materials that illustrate the war's effects on daily life in Cortona and on its soldiers.
• Collective memory: a focus on commemorative sites, from the war memorial to the Park of Remembrance and the Chapel of the Fallen at Santa Margherita.

The display highlights how Cortona, though far from the front lines, experienced significant human losses and social changes. These events helped shape public remembrance practices that continue to influence the town's identity.

Local officials attending the opening emphasised the exhibition's cultural and civic importance and the need to keep historical memory active. A cultural collaboration with Vittorio Veneto and the MAEC was also announced to further promote heritage related to the Great War.

Visitor information: the exhibition is suitable for those wishing to study local facets of the First World War through photographs, artifacts and archival documents. For exact opening hours and guided tours, please refer to the official Cortona municipal channels.