Modern/Post-War Photos

The Monte Giano’s DUX

foroitalico.altervista.org

Travelling by car along the Strada Statale n. 4 (Statal Way Number Four), the historic Via Salaria built by the Romans, from Rome to Rieti, at about halfway, suddenly appears a mount with an enormous notice: DUX. This is the Monte Giano, 1,820 meters about sea level, an Apennines spur, which overtop the little town of Antrodoco, near 20 km from Rieti and 90 km from Rome, on the border from Latium and Abruzzi. DUX in reality is a near 8 hectares pine forest realized by the cadets of the Milizia Forestale’s School (today Italian State’s Forest Corps) located at Cittaducale, near Antrodoco, along the same Via Salaria, in 1938-1939 with 20,000 young pine’s trees. Today, passed the first controversy, the Monte Giano’s DUX is a tourist attraction without any “nostalgia” of the “passed regime”. After years of negligence, on Summer 2004 with Region’s funds, the DUX pine forest was restored as heritage artistic and of wildlife conservation. Victor Sierra