It was a Polish weekend in Cassino. Starting Friday, the 80th anniversary of the conflict of Monte Cassino was celebrated. On Sunday, a monument to General Władysław Anders was unveiled in the city centre. It is an component of the memorial created there in memory of the commander of the 2nd Corps. Then the participants of the trekking took the way along the conflict trail.
The thought of putting a memorial in Cassino commemorating General Władysław Anders and his soldiers was born in 2020. Its initiator is the environment centered around the Association of moving Club “Sporting” and its boss – erstwhile Polish athlete Bogusław Maminiński. On Sunday, as part of the 80th anniversary of the conflict of Monte Cassino, a monument of General Władysław Anders was unveiled in the centre of Cassino. A bronze sculpture representing the commander of the 2nd Polish Corps was created by the Tricity artist Igor Duszyński. So far, it has stood in Interzdroje, Cassino's partner city. From there he brought her to Italy Mateusz Bobek, mayor of Interzdrojów and handed Enzo Saler, mayor of Cassino.
The monument is part of a monument devoted to Polish heroes from the 2nd Corps, which will stand in the Italian city at the ft of Monte Cassino and commemorate the triumph of Poles from May 1944. According to the plan of the Italian architect Giacomo Bianchi, the character of General Anders will stand against the background of a fewer metres stone wall. On it will be engraved the names of over a 1000 soldiers resting on the Polish War Cemetery on Monte Cassino. – Let the memory of the Gen. Andersa will stay forever in our memory," said General Marek Sokołowski, General Commander of the Armed Forces.
Part of the memorial, at the initiative of the Military Publishing Institute, will besides be a map and description of the 2nd Corps conflict Trail. – Thanks to this, people visiting Cassino will know who they were and where they came from and what their achievements were – says Anna Putkiewicz, editor-in-chief of the portal "Army Poland" and the quarterly "Army Poland". History’.
For now, a mock-up showing the intent of the monument is presented on the wall. In addition, stones collected in Poland and Italy were built around it. “We wanted the monument to stand on the 80th anniversary of the triumph of General Anders soldiers fighting for Monte Cassino,” says Bogusław Maminski, athleticist, head of the “Sporting” moving club and the designer of building the monument. He adds that he will commemorate 1 of the most celebrated battles of Polish soldiers during the Second War. The building of the monument is besides supported by Italian sports associations and Cassino local government. “The steadfast Polish soldiers 80 years ago gave their lives for our freedom, and that is why we wanted to celebrate their memory in the centre of our city,” said Enzo Salera, Mayor of Cassino, at the celebration today.
General Anders' way to Monte Cassino
A minute after unveiling the monument to the top of the hill, he embarked on the Trekking Historical way of the conflict of Monte Cassino. “We are following the footsteps of the Polish Monte Cassino conquerors, so that, besides through our efforts, we can celebrate their memory,” says Bogusław Maminski, the organizer of the event, which this year was accompanied for the 3rd time by authoritative anniversary celebrations.
The way of the march is about 12 km and leads from the centre of Cassino through, among others, the Road of the Polish Bombers, the hill of the Phantom, Gardziel, to the strategical hill of 593, called the Sacrifice Mountain. The way is marked with 12 plates in 3 languages: Italian, Polish and English, which they present History 2 Corps and His Fights. The concept of creating a way along the conflict way was established in 2021 at the Military Publishing Institute, publisher of “Polish Armed Forces”. The thought was financed by the Polish National Foundation. – Thanks to specified events we are certain that the memory of the soldiers fighting at Monte Cassino will stay alive – the organizers say.
– I am going to feel at least a substitute for what the soldiers of the 2nd Corps felt, winning 80 years ago this hill, which another Allies had not previously taken – said Colonel Arkadiusz Łebkowski on the route. The officer was a associate of the General Command representation who took part in the trekking. This form of tribute to General Anders's soldiers was decided this year, among others, by General Marek Sokołowski, general commander of the types of armed forces.
Today we invitation you to join next year's trekking. As those who have already crossed the 2nd Corps conflict way with us say, this is simply a unique adventure and a unique chance to experience a historical event in a somewhat different formula. “For the first time I participate in trekking on Monte Cassino,” says Dąbrowka Smolny from Łódź. That's a large idea! I think that all Pole should go through specified a march – encourage the tourist.
