Event Calendar

Italian cinematographer Luciano LaValle will return to Colorado 2pm Saturday, November 21 bringing his latest film on the US 10^th Mountain Division and World War II battle to break the Gothic Line in Italy. The program, sponsored by Dante Alighieri will be held at the Apex Senior Center in Arvada.

Mr. La Valle has a special relationship with Colorado and the 10^th Mountain Division. To produce his documentaries, he has interview some of the few remaining members of the 10^th Mountain.  His work chronicles the exploits of the Colorado trained soldiers and their contribution in World War II.

By the end of 1944, although the Allies had secured most of Italy south of Rome, the Germans still commanded the area to the north with the highly fortified Apennine Mountains providing a buffer to the German stronghold in the Po Valley. In early 1945 the   US  10^th Mountain Division arrived in Italy. Their goal was to help capture the heavily fortified Mount Belvedere to allow the Allies to break through the German Gothic Line across the Italian Peninsula in the Apennine Mountains. Previous Allied attempts to capture Belvedere failed, so the 10th Mountain Division used a different tactic. Utilizing their mountaineering training, they launched a surprise attack on the steep cliffs of the nearby Riva Ridge on the night of February 18, 1945. 

After securing Riva Ridge, the soldiers of the 10th Mountain Division moved to Mount Belvedere for another nighttime attack, supported by allied soldiers from the 1st Brazilian Division of the Brazilian Expeditionary Forces. The 10th Mountain Division had achieved its objective though: they captured Mount Belvedere and held off several counterattacks for the Allies to continue their drive through Italy.

COST: FREE
LOCATION: Apex Senior Center
ADDRESS: 6842 Wadsworth Blvd, Arvada, CO 80003

This is a free event - registration is required

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