This trip was years in the making. My great uncle is buried here and no family member had ever had the opportunity to visit him since he died in December 1943. The cemetery is perfectly manicured and we were the only ones visiting with the exception of the 3 gardener's. Thank you for continuing to commemorate the Canadians sacrifice in liberating Italy.

Very Moving. Seeing 1500 grave sites of young men who laid down their life is heart wrenching. Knowing all these deaths were within a few weeks. Beautifully kept. A huge thank you to the locals who look after this.

Very moving place with the graves of so many young men that gave us freedom but ended their lives too young . Mostly Canadians but some other nation. If looking for a specific person look on line and code is given. First letter are Roman numerals, so X IS PLOT 10. Etc.

Getting there: We rented a car in Rome and drove across Italy to Ortona. It took about 2 1/2 hours each way. Getting away from the airport and around Rome was a bit challenging as the road signs did not match our e-map instructions. And there was often an exit road just before we entered a roundabout so we quickly learned to not count this as the first roundabout exit. Apart from that, the highway was a pleasure to drive with rest stops for gas, food and fuel right on the highway. We had no trouble paying the tolls. The Cemetery: Mountains on one side, the sea on the other, olive trees at the back, you could not ask for a more peaceful resting place. There is a small building with a registry book in a niche to help you find where your loved one is buried. There were flowers planted along the rows and the entire cemetery was pristinely groomed. I cannot express how profoundly I was affected standing at the gravesite of my uncle who i had never met. He had given his life of 21 years to ensure the freedom of others. An intense feeling of peacefulness quickly chased my tears away. Thank you Uncle Clarke, thank you.

A must visit for any Canadian and any history buff. The battle to liberate Ortona was fierce. There are 1,615 brave young men resting here since the battle in December of 1943. 1,375 of them are Canadian. The grounds are so well cared for. You can read about the battles and when you come to this place it is very moving. Resting between the sea and the snow-capped mountains.