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City Park of Cassino: the green lung of the city where the River Gari reappears
The Villa Comunale of Cassino, in the Province of Frosinone, officially called Parco XV Marzo 1944, is the main green space in the town centre. It is located in Piazza Corte, behind the Cathedral, at the very point where the River Gari re-emerges after a short underground stretch, dividing into two branches that form a small lake. The name commemorates the day on which 435 Allied bombers razed the city to the ground during the Battle of the Gustav Line.
The water that comes from Montecassino
The springs of the river Gari are to be found on the slopes of Montecassino abbey and the Rocca Janula. Cassino stands on what is considered the largest underground water basin in Europe, a detail few people know. Water is everywhere: it flows among the weeping willows, feeds the small lake where nutrias swim, and continues towards the Terme Varroniane (Varronian Baths). Marcus Terentius Varro, the Roman scholar, chose this very area for his villa. A cycle and pedestrian path today connects the Park to the Baths, following the river for several kilometres.
From a park of memory to a place of rebirth
The main esplanade is dedicated to Giovanni Falcone and Paolo Borsellino, the assassinated anti-mafia magistrates, and the avenues bear the names of the officers killed at Capaci and in Via D'Amelio. Thus the park remembers two pieces of history: the city destroyed in 1944, and the fight against the Mafia. Shaded benches, a children's playground and events throughout the year complete the Park’s offering.
