On an external wall of the medieval castle of Vicalvi, whose origins date back to the 8th century1, can still be seen a huge red cross. During the Second World War, the German troops established a military hospital in various buildings of Vicalvi’s downtown. To protect the hospital from the bombings, they painted some large red crosses on the roofs of some houses and, indeed, on an eastern wall of the nearby castle. While the crosses on the roofs were later hidden by flipping the tiles, the one of the castle was preserved. The military hospital, the first in this area behind the fighting lines of Monte Cassino, was operational from January to the end of May 19442.
- Photos by Beatrice Ricciardi ti.supmacla|idraiccir.ecirtaeb#| (February 2023)
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Bibliography
- Claudio Paniccia, Vi racconto Vicalvi, Print on Web, Roma 2019, pp. 335