Places of memory

The present Monumental Cemetery of the Victims of the Vajont looks like a vast garden, a green lawn, on which rest 1910 white marble stones, one for each victim of the tragedy. The access portal, with its particular shape, evokes the tragic image of the dam. On the ground floor there is a collection of artefacts and photographs, which evoke the life of Longarone before the Tragedy, while on the upper floor there is a terrace overlooking the Monumental Cemetery. Behind the visitor stand are eleven metal plates where, without interruption, the names of the victims are engraved. Every name, a person.
It has been a National Monument since 2003.

The Church of Santa Maria Immacolata, better  known as the Monumental Church of Longarone, was dedicated to the Victims of Vajont and built according to the project of Architect Giovanni Michelucci, one of the greatest Italian architects  of the 20th century (he designed, for instance, the Santa Maria Novella station in Florence and the church on the Autostrada del Sole motorway).

The structure built in reinforced concrete has an elliptical shape, giving life to two superimposed amphitheatres (the lower one is covered and includes the altar and the area reserved for the faithful, whilst the upper one is uncovered and is sometimes used for special events). Outside, the Vajont Victims Memorial and the Pietre Vive (Living Stones).
Museum can still be visited.

The bell tower of Pirago belonged to the 16th century church of San Tomaso and is the only element of the entire village to have miraculously escaped the destructive wave of the Vajont. In fact, the bell tower and the apse, facing east, constitute the intact remains of the ancient church.

Museo LONGARONE VAJONT attimi di storia. In the centre of Longarone, since 2009, there has been a museum dedicated to the history of Longarone and Vajont, which, through a large collection of historical images, artefacts, testimonies and films, allows visitors to find out about and deepen their knowledge of the local history. It traces the history of the town and the nearby villages before the Vajont Tragedy, the construction of the dam, the disaster of 9 October 1963, the intervention of the rescuers and the reconstruction of Longarone today.