War Memorial in Northern Italy

Hmm. I seem to recall it being stepped into to mountainside (hillside) and being visible from only one side. Appearing like a black staircase. So as you looked down on it you didn't really know it was there. It was many years ago I thought I saw it on PBS. My luck it was probably something I dreamed up or in a different place altogether. I found this on VeloSki Sport website "Leaving the Veneto plain we climb onto the Asiago plain where we enjoy cooler temperatures and delicious Asiago cheese. The epic battles of World War I are commemorated by an imposing memorial on a hill near the center of town."

Yeas, I believe it's in the Dolomites. It's a memorial to the dead of both the Italian and Austrian forces who fought one of those terrible battles of attrition that were characteristic of WWI. I believe that thousands died there. If you can get a hold of his dvd that features the Dolomites, you can get the name and exact location.

Thank you Kent, yes we'll be going to Venice and then to Calvene near Vicenza.

Thank you Rosalyn!

Here's a website on the Battle of Asiago http://www.firstworldwar.com/battles/asiago.htm.And this looks like the war memorial, or one of them, it may be that each of the countries fighting this battle have one? http://www.worldwar1.com/itafront/asiago1916.htm, see the photo of the war memorial on the opening page of the site.Here's another war memorial at Asiago, looks like a different memorial than the first website http://www.worldwidepanorama.org/worldwidepanorama/wwp1205/html/GiorgioMarchetto.html

And here's a 2004 post on Rick's Graffiti Wall re Asiago and WW1;"Monte Grappa & Monte Cengio
There are several WW I sites in the Veneto Region of Italy. One is Monte Cengio, which is between Thiene & Asiago. It has a trail that takes you past and thru tunnels and caves used by the Alpine units of the Italian Army against the Austrians in WW I. There are some great views on the trail also of the area. To get more info, find the Asiago Tourist Site on the web and send a message asking for info on Monte Cengio. Another site is Monte Grappa, in the mountains above Bassano del Grappa. It has a nice memorial and many trails in the area. We even found pieces of schrapnel and a couple of bullets from the Battles between the Italians & Austrians in WW I. There are many trails starting about halfway to Monte Grappa from Bassano del Grappa and continuing up to summit memorial. Some of the trails are the actual trenches used by the Italians during the battles and include some bunkers and caves. To get more info, find the Bassano del Grappa Tourist Site on the web and send a message asking for info on Monte Grappa and it's trails. These locations are convenient for people visiting in the Venice, Vicenza,Verona & Padova areas. A car is a definite requirement as these places are not located on Bus or train lines."

Ok, so it wasn't black at all but I gotta say Kent you're quick with the info. Thanks for the help!

Ok...to clarify. You have the town of Asiago. There you will find a beautiful WWI memorial. It's walking distance from the town center. You can get to Asiago by train. There are hiking paths all aroung the town and the surrounding hills and medows.
Someone also mentioned hiking the 50 tunnels at Mt. Pasiubo. This hike is about an hour or hour drive away from Asiago. My husband has hiked the tunnels a couple of times. It is beautiful and a rewarding hike, but it is so high up that you can expect snow in some parts of the hike all year round.
You can search of either location online to get more information.
For a typical tourist, I really recomend Asiago. The air is clean and it is a nice 'cool' break from the popular tourist stops. My Italian neighbors go to Asiago in the summer for vacation to get away from the heat.