World War II Sicily-Rome American Cemetery and Memorial

The Sicily-Rome American Cemetery and Memorial, a World War II site in Italy, covers about 30 hectares. Sitting on a gentle slope, with a tiny lake in its centre, an island and a cenotaph lined with cypress trees, the imposing field of gravestones of 7,861 American soldiers who died during the conflict is laid out in wide green meadows shaded by rows of Roman pines. Most of them lost their lives as a result of the invasion of Sicily (10 July to 17 August 1943), the landings in the Salerno area (9 September 1943) and the resistance during the military operations to the north, in the Anzio landings and the expansion of the beachhead (22 January 1944 to May 1944) as well as in the significant air and naval support.
The park leading to the Memorial, embellished with artwork and architecture reminiscent of American remembrances for its fallen, includes a chapel, a peristyle and a map room. Engraved on the white marble walls of the chapel are the names of 3,095 missing persons, those who have so far been recovered and identified are marked with rosettes. The map room contains a bronze relief and four fresco maps portraying military operations in Sicily and Italy. On both sides of the memorial there are Italian gardens. In May 2014, a new visitor centre was opened.
Through interpretive exhibitions with personal stories, photographs, films and interactive spaces, visitors can learn more about the military campaign that contributed to the Allied victory in Europe during the Second World War.