The Italian Charnel House above Kobarid is one of the most prominent memorials of the First World War in the Upper Soča Valley. Standing beside the Church of St. Anthony on the hill of Gradič above the town, it commemorates the Italian soldiers who fell on the battlefields around Kobarid, Bovec, Tolmin, and Rombon.
The ossuary was designed by architect Giovanni Greppi and sculptor Giannino Castiglioni, the same artistic duo responsible for the monumental charnel house in Redipuglia. Completed and inaugurated in 1938, the structure represents a powerful fusion of strict geometric order, symbolic military discipline, and a deep sense of reverence for the dead. The complex is conceived as an octagonal, terraced composition, with two concentric rings of niches bearing the names, surnames, and military ranks of the fallen. Within these niches rest the remains of 7,014 Italian soldiers, making it one of the largest Italian military memorials outside Italy.
At the center of the third ring stands the Church of St. Anthony, which predates the ossuary by several centuries—it was consecrated in 1669. Its modest Baroque architecture contrasts with the monumental geometry of the ossuary, reinforcing the sacred character of the entire ensemble. The site thus intertwines multiple historical layers: an early modern church and a 20th‑century state monument erected by the victorious nation.
The ascent from the center of Kobarid to the top of Gradič is lined with the Stations of the Cross, guiding visitors along a symbolic path of remembrance, suffering, and contemplation. Upon reaching the summit, a wide panorama opens over the Kobarid basin and the surrounding peaks—landscapes that witnessed some of the most intense fighting on the Isonzo Front between 1915 and 1917.
Today, the Italian Charnel House above Kobarid stands as an important historical, cultural, and architectural landmark, offering visitors a solemn space for reflection on the tragic human cost of war.