The Mausoleum

2.0 The Mausoleum

2.1 The Gates

2.2 The Statue

2.3 The Monolith

The Mausoleum, which was inaugurated on 24 March 1949, is made up of a network of tunnels in the pozzolana caves where the massacre was carried out, together with the various works which were created by two groups of Italian architects and artists: the gates, the statue, and the monolith.

2.1 The Gates

The main gate, 6 metres wide, is the work of Mirko Basaldella and is made entirely of bronze. It shows a dramatic tangle of tortured bodies. Two smaller gates can be found at the end of the tunnels in the caves.

2.2 The Statue

On the left of the entrance forecourt stands the huge 6-metre high statue of travertine stone. It is the work of the sculptor Francesco Coccia and is called The three ages of man.

2.3 The Monolith

The great monolith is a gigantic tombstone placed over the tombs which contain the bodies of the 335 victims of the massacre. It is a vast block of reinforced cement , hollow inside.