The first fortified defensive line prepared in Italy by the German Todt organization during the Italian campaign, starting from October 1943. It divided the Italian peninsula into two parts: to the north, territories in the hands of the Italian Social Republic and the German troops; to the south, territories conquered by the Allies. It extended from the mouth of the Garigliano River, on the border between Lazio and Campania, up to Ortona, a coastal municipality south of Pescara, passing through Cassino, in the Frosinone area, the Mainarde, the main plateaus of Abruzzo, and the Maiella Mountain. Its function, which exploited the narrowest stretch of the Italian peninsula and the natural obstacles constituted by the Apennine mountains, was to delay the advancement of the Allies and keep them busy so they could not reinforce the pressure on the eastern and northern fronts. The Allied breakthrough took place on May 18, 1944.
“Battle of the Senio” Museum
