Platigliole Glacier

The Platigliole Glacier lay near the Platigliole Pass, a mountain pass of elevation above sea level in the Stelvio National Park in Northern Italy. Platigliole lies in the Province of Sondrio, Lombardy, close to the border with Trentino-Alto Adige/Südtirol. Historically, until the 1919 Treaty of Saint-Germain-en-Laye, the glacier marked the boundary between the Kingdom of Italy and the Austro-Hungarian Empire. Because of its political situation it was little-studied compared to other Alpine glaciers. Historical maps show the Platigliole Glacier was joined to the Trafoi Glacier until around 1872. The surface area was recorded as , this had fallen to when measured in 2007. The glacier was described as "largely melted" by 2021. The former extent of the glacier has been quickly vegetated, potentially assisted by the fine-grained moraine. == First World War ==

, close to the Swiss border. The glacier was a site of combat during the First World War, as part of the so-called White War in the Alps. As elsewhere on the Italian Front both sides constructed fortifications and shelters in the mountains, at Platigliole some were dug into the glacier itself and reinforced with rocks and timber. At this location the opposing trench lines were less than apart. The melting of the glacier has revealed artefacts of the war, which has been described as one positive outcome of climate change. One particularly valuable find was a near-intact Austro-Hungarian platoon bunker. The structure survived structurally intact, though around half of it remains inaccessible due to persistent ice. Its contents included paper, clothing and hay bedding from its wartime occupants. The bunker was discovered in 2020 and, as of November 2021, was being studied by military historians. Any exposed artefacts needed to quickly be recovered and preserved as organic material soon decomposes when defrosted. A number of trench lines have also been discovered. == References ==