At the bottom of this large sail of stone and bright marble there is the honour courtyard, under it there are the crypt and the chapel for lithurgic cerimonies. The burial tombstones are materialized by 15000 slabs of grey polished stone on which are carved the identities of the soldiers, the dates and the respective grades.
The visit of the graveyard of the Futa appears as a kind of spiritual village. Starting from below, and so from the sufference,it’s possible to ascend high and so in the sky, passing the long wayfor the sacrifice.
The sail wanted by the architect Oesterlein represents a type of ramp directed to the sky,almost to indicate the rightway for the souls of the soldiers buried here.
This structure results enough original for a war graveyard. Its architecture doesn’t want to bethecelebrationof the German army and infact the only signs of the battalions are just symbols of identification. The choice of the horizontal tombstones and not of thecommon white crosses contrasts strongly with the concepts of heroism, virility and war pride.
They give, in fact, the suggestion of semplicity, equality, peace and rest.
On the way that goes aside of the wall stick out 67 crosses that symbolize a kind of via crucis.
In its sad beauty it’s a warning for all to remember what the war brings and to create hopes of peace based onthefraternity between people.
This sacrarium doesn’t want to be the celebration of a mythe, but not even the exaltation of a powerful nation. It gives honour really simply to the many people dead because of the war, that maybe didn’thave nor losers, neither winners.

All the article about the Military Graveyard Futapass was written by Maurizio Valentini on the depliant entitled “Due Passi nella Storia” created by the Centro Documentazione Pianese and patronized by the Group of Studies Savena Setta Sambro.