Sicily–Rome American Cemetery and Memorial

Sicily–Rome American Cemetery and Memorial

The Sicily-Rome American Cemetery and Memorial in Nettuno, near Anzio, Lazio, Italy (2006).
Details
Year established	24 January 1944 (1944-01-24)
Location	Nettuno, Lazio
Country	Italy
Coordinates	41°27′55.08″N 12°39′30.18″E
Size	77 acres (31 hectares)
Number of graves	7,861
Find a Grave	Sicily–Rome American Cemetery and Memorial

The Sicily–Rome American Cemetery and Memorial is a cemetery in Italy for American military personnel who were killed in World War II.

History and design

Established in Nettuno, Lazio, as a temporary wartime cemetery on 24 January 1944, two days after the landing at Anzio and Nettuno – codenamed Operation Shingle – the site covers 77 acres (31 hectares), rising in a gentle slope from a broad pool with an island and cenotaph flanked by groups of Italian cypress trees. Beyond the pool is the immense field of headstones of 7,861 of American military war dead, arranged in gentle arcs on broad green lawns beneath rows of Roman pines. The majority of these men died in the liberation of Sicily, codenamed Operation Husky (10 July to 17 August 1943); in the landings in the Salerno Area, codenamed Operation Avalanche (9 September 1943) and the heavy fighting northward; in the landings, codenamed Operation Shingle, at Anzio and Nettuno and expansion of the beachhead (22 January 1944 to May 1944); and in air and naval support in the regions. A wide central mall leads to the memorial, rich in works of art and architecture, expressing America's remembrance of the dead. It consists of a chapel to the south, a peristyle, and a map room to the north. On the white marble walls of the chapel are engraved the names of 3,095 of the missing. Rosettes mark the names of those since recovered and identified. The map room contains a bronze relief map and four fresco maps depicting the military operations in Sicily and Italy. At each end of the memorial are ornamental Italian gardens.

Visiting

Hours

The cemetery is open daily to the public from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. except 25 December and 1 January. It is open on host country holidays. When the cemetery is open to the public, a staff member is on duty in the Visitor Building to answer questions and escort relatives to grave and memorial sites.

How to get there

The cemetery lies at the north edge of Nettuno, which is immediately east of Anzio, 38 miles (61 kilometres) south of Rome. The cemetery can be reached by car from Rome along the Via Pontina (highway 148). Drive south approximately 37 miles (60 km) and exit at Campoverde Nord/Nettuno. Turn right to Nettuno, continuing 5½ miles to the cemetery. A visitor who is not familiar with Nettuno should consider downloading a map for directions within Nettuno. There is hourly train service from the Rome Termini railway station to Nettuno, where taxicabs can be hired. In the alternative, travelers can walk from the train station (taking via Cavour to via Santa Maria) and reach the cemetery within about 20 minutes. There are numerous hotels in Anzio and Nettuno.

See also

• List of cemeteries in Italy
• List of national cemeteries by country
• Military history of Italy during World War II
• Military history of the United States during World War II

External links

• Staff (undated). "Sicily–Rome American Cemetery and Memorial". American Battle Monuments Commission. Retrieved 27 February 2013.
• Sicily-Rome American Cemetery and Memorial at Find A Grave

 This article incorporates public domain material from the United States Government document "Sicily-Rome American Cemetery and Memorial, "American Battle Monuments Commission"".