Monumento ai Caduti in Guerra (Monument to the Fallen in Wars), Alberobello

The Monument to the Fallen in Wars is situated in Piazza del Popolo in Alberobello. Positioned slightly off-center in the square, the monument stands on a stone base surrounded by an iron railing. The structure features five steps leading up to a high pedestal, topped with an obelisk, and is bordered by an iron fence. It includes allegorical symbols like palm leaves, a crown, and a machine gun at its base. Next to the obelisk, there’s a modern fountain built in 1996, with clay elements, including four amphorae and masks that spout water.

The monument commemorates the sacrifices of the town’s soldiers in war: 100 soldiers from Alberobello died in battle, 5 died in captivity, and 18 from diseases like dysentery and typhus, with 3 falling in the fields of France. Sculpted by Giovanni Laricchia and designed based on a project by architect Antonio Curri, the monument was built to mark the first centenary of Alberobello’s liberation from feudal rule. Laricchia took on the task without compensation, as a tribute to Curri and his friendship with the Mayor Campione. The construction was supervised by Laricchia, who also judged the quality of the materials. The monument was to be built using stone from the Trani quarries, funded by the Committee.