Designs by Louis de Soissons for the Commonwealth War Cemetery in Cassino

Abstract

By recovering the original documents and drawings for the World War II cemeteries around Cassino and southern Lazio, most of which were unpublished, the aim of the study is on the one hand to confirm the adequacy of the project for the sites in their current state, and more importantly to construct an historical image of the territory. The section relating to the British Commonwealth cemetery, in particular, examines the site from the point of view of form, landscaping and construction, emphasising the visual relationship between the site and the anthropic natural landscape which is dominated by the Abbey of Monte Cassino. Within the local context in this instance, the Abbey represents a distinctive landmark on the Cassino landscape with which the local community strongly identifies, and which forms an integral part of the cultural heritage of the place.