This is one of the many houses that still remains in San
Pietro. Most of the city was destroyed during the fighting in
December 1943. After World War Two, the people of San
Pietro moved further down the Liri Valley, abandoning the old
town of San Pietro. Today, the old city of San Pietro is quiet.
Because the city was not rebuilt after the War, many of the
homes still contain artifacts from the attack due to having
never been rebuilt.
The photo to the left shows QuestMasters conducting archeology work in the "Old Church" of Chiesa di S. Michele Arcangelo.
This church was destroyed in 1943. The church was partially rebuilt in the late 1940's after the War, but was abandoned with
the rest of the city when the new city of San Pietro was built.
The picture to the right is a U.S. 155mm M1 High Explosive projectile that was recovered by QuestMasters from Chiesa di S.
Michele Arcangelo (The "Old Church" of San Pietro). This projectile was responsible for destroying the southern wing of the
Church in 1943. Recovery of this projectile can be seen in the left photo.
San Pietro Infine, Italy
San Pietro Infine, Italy lies 10 miles south of
Monte Cassino, at the beginning of the Liri
Valley. Early in December of 1943 San Pietro
was caught in the advance of the U.S. 5th
Army heading toward Monte Cassino. San
Pietro held a strategic role in the advance of
the Liri Valley, being flanked on the west by
Monte Lungo and by Monte Sumucro to the
east. This town was finally liberated by the
U.S. 36th "Texas" Infantry Division on
December 20th 1943 after several unyielding
weeks of battle. Today, San Pietro is known
as the "Pompeii" of World War Two.
155mm Shrapnel, above two photos.
These two pieces additional pieces of 155mm M1 High Explosive projectile that were recovered by QuestMasters from Chiesa
di S. Michele Arcangelo (The "Old Church" of San Pietro).
105mm HE Shrapnel, left
photo.
This shrapnel fragment was
also found in the town of
San Pietro. When this shell
fragmented, it split
lengthwise down the center.
This shows the high
explosive cavity inside of the
shell. This shell does not
have a base detonating fuze.
Vehicle or Artillery Storage Box, above left and right photo.
This storage box was found in the town of San Pietro. It is believed to be German manufacture based on the traces of
ordnance tan paint and white marking that remain on the steel case and the closure catch on the front. This box has violent
shrapnel or bullet holes that have penetrated through all four sides and the bottom. It is not known at this time what type of
vehicle or artillery piece this box came from. This box has brackets on the rear for permanent attachment to the side of a
vehicle or artillery piece.