Situated in a position of primary importance on the Reinhard Line, San Pietro Infine was at the centre of a bitter dispute between German and Anglo-American forces. The battle took place from 8^th to 17^th December 1943 and resulted in 300 casualties and the almost total destruction of the town. The population, forced to abandon their homes, took refuge in caves dug into the sides of the surrounding hills. However, the Germans had already carried out three massacres in the previous month: between 9^th and 11^th November, 17 civilians were killed in the tunnels where they had taken refuge.

After the war, it was decided that the village should be rebuilt in a different location. However, the ruins of the old village centre were preserved as a reminder of what occurred, indirectly providing the basis for today’s Memorial Park. The Museum Park was established in 2008 and preserves the ruins of the bombed-out village, the scene of one of the most important Allied victories of the Italian campaign. Since 2004, other buildings have been recovered and now house the Visitor Centre, the Multimedia Museum, and a hotel, all of which combine to offer visitors a richly evocative tour. Visual and sound effects are accompanied by descents into caves and tunnels, followed by a screening of John Huston’s original documentary, The Battle of San Pietro (1945).

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