%20-%20Serravalle%20Vittorio%20Veneto.jpg "Casa Fighera (Porta San Giovanni) - Serravalle Vittorio Veneto")
Left: View from parking area toward Vajont dam with Schiara Group in background.
Center left: The shell like form of the dam from where the control room used to be.
Center right: Entrance to the Museum of the Battle of Vittorio Veneto.
Right: Casa Fighera (Porta San Giovanni) - Serravalle Vittorio Veneto - with bullet marks from WWI.
Vajont Dam
On the night of October 9, 1963, over 2,000* people were killed, most by a large wave that crested the Vajont Dam and crashed down into the Piave Valley below, obliterating entire villages. The wave was created when a huge landslide plunged into the lake behind the dam. In many ways, the landslide was predicted and avoidable. But when money interests took over, data and warnings were ignored and suppressed. Today, the Vajont Dam stands as a disused monument to tragedy and hubris. The reservoir was never refilled, and the dam no longer serves any hydroelectric function.
* Plaques at the dam mention 1910 lives lost but many web sites indicate more.
Construction of the Vajont Dam (1957–1960) was a prestige project for SADE and later ENEL, leveraging cutting-edge design to supply power to Italy’s booming industrial north. By 1963, billions of lire, years of labor, political capital, and public expectation had been poured into the dam.
Geologists repeatedly flagged the mountain above the lake behind the dam, called Monte Toc, as unstable with a risk of a catastrophic landslide. Yet ENEL and government authorities suppressed reports and downplayed scientific appraisals. Their late, insufficient remedy was to lower the reservoir level and that came only days before disaster struck.
The landslide was estimated at 260 million cubic meters. That’s over 100 football stadiums filled to the brim.
Visitors to the dam can just look from a distance, walk on the crest of dam, or take an in-depth tour. We walked on the crest of the dam in a short guided tour and then walked down on our own to where the lake used to be to lay our hands on the dam. The spot we touched on the dam’s wall was still over 100 meters above its true base. We were standing on the landslide fill.
After visiting the Vajont Dam, we wondered:
Why was it the decisive battle in WWI? The battle fought from October 24 to November 4, 1918, marked the final offensive on the Italian Front and led to the collapse of the Austro-Hungarian Empire. The battle effectively ended fighting on the Italian Front and contributed to the end of WWI just days later, with the armistice taking effect on November 4, 1918. The defeat shattered the Austro-Hungarian military and coincided with the political breakup of the empire, as various ethnic groups declared independence.
The defeat of the Austro-Hungarian military was called by the leader of the Italian forces, General Armando Diaz, “Caporetto in reverse”. The Battle of Caporetto, fought from October 24 to December 19, 1917, was a catastrophic defeat for Italy during World War I, where Austro-Hungarian and German forces broke through the Italian lines on the Isonzo front. Over 600,000 Italian soldiers either surrendered or deserted, forcing a chaotic retreat to the Piave River.
We are embarrassed to admit that we didn’t know that much about Caporetto or that Italy also changed sides in WWI. Our history teachers would be disappointed.
The town of Vittoria Veneto got its name in 1866 when two separate communities—Ceneda and Serravalle—were merged following the annexation of the Veneto region to the Kingdom of Italy. The new name honored King Victor Emmanuel II, the first king of unified Italy.
The museum of the battle is located in Ceneda.
Visitors to the dam can just look from a distance, walk on the crest of dam, or take an in-depth tour. We walked on the crest of the dam in a short guided tour and then walked down on our own to where the lake used to be to lay our hands on the dam. The spot we touched on the dam’s wall was still over 100 meters above its true base. We were standing on the landslide fill.
After visiting the Vajont Dam, we wondered:
- What did we learn?
- How did we feel?
- What will we do?
Museum of the Battle of Vittorio Veneto
On the same day we visited Vajont we also visited the Museo della Battaglia di Vittorio Veneto. This museum, located in the town of Vittorio Veneto, deals with the decisive battle of World War I that took place around the town.
Why was it the decisive battle in WWI? The battle fought from October 24 to November 4, 1918, marked the final offensive on the Italian Front and led to the collapse of the Austro-Hungarian Empire. The battle effectively ended fighting on the Italian Front and contributed to the end of WWI just days later, with the armistice taking effect on November 4, 1918. The defeat shattered the Austro-Hungarian military and coincided with the political breakup of the empire, as various ethnic groups declared independence.
The defeat of the Austro-Hungarian military was called by the leader of the Italian forces, General Armando Diaz, “Caporetto in reverse”. The Battle of Caporetto, fought from October 24 to December 19, 1917, was a catastrophic defeat for Italy during World War I, where Austro-Hungarian and German forces broke through the Italian lines on the Isonzo front. Over 600,000 Italian soldiers either surrendered or deserted, forcing a chaotic retreat to the Piave River.
We are embarrassed to admit that we didn’t know that much about Caporetto or that Italy also changed sides in WWI. Our history teachers would be disappointed.
The town of Vittoria Veneto got its name in 1866 when two separate communities—Ceneda and Serravalle—were merged following the annexation of the Veneto region to the Kingdom of Italy. The new name honored King Victor Emmanuel II, the first king of unified Italy.
The museum of the battle is located in Ceneda.
The next morning after visiting the museum, we walked around Serravalle. We passed under Casa Fighera (Porta San Giovanni) and read about the bullet marks on the building that were still clearly visible. While the Battle of Vittorio Veneto was not fought in town (Serravalle), Austrian troops fleeing town continued to fight against the Italian soldiers who chased them together with civilians who had taken up arms. These fights, which resulted in 5 deaths, 14 wounded and the capturing of a thousand prisoners, have left clear machine gun marks on the south-facing façade of Casa Fighera.
After leaving the museum, the same questions popped up about what we learn, what we feel, and what we do after this museum experience, just like they had at the Vajont dam earlier.
One of the people that popped up in the museum is Filippo Tommaso Marinetti (1876 – 1944). We have always liked painters like Giacomo Balla (1871 – 1958) and Umberto Boccioni (1882 – 1916), who were influenced by Marinetti’s Manifesto del Futurismo (1908). By name alone the “manifesto of futurism” sounds attractive and interesting. But upon closer inspection not so much. Two themes and calls to action in the manifesto are the glorification of war as a “purification” and the “sole hygiene of the world,” and urging the demolition of museums and libraries to make way for progress. We would not even be visiting this museum today if Marinetti had his way? Marinetti appeared on an informational panel discussing people who wanted Italy to enter WWI (Interventionalists) and those who didn’t (Neutralists). You can guess what side Marinetti was on.
What did we learn?
We learned that the Vajont dam is an engineering marvel. The Vajont Dam at 262 m (860 ft) was the tallest dam in the world when it was completed in 1960 and still one of the tallest double-curvature arch dams ever built. Its slender, 3.4 m crest width contrasted dramatically with a 27 m base, showcasing an audacious use of space and materials. Rather than relying on sheer mass, the dam’s double-curvature arch transfers water thrust laterally into the canyon walls. This geometry reduces concrete requirements compared to gravity dams and exemplifies advanced structural theory applied in the 1950s.
The dam withstood the wave caused by the landslide and still stands today.
No, the problem wasn’t with the dam but with the behavior of the humans involved. Specifically, with these biases:
In the WWI battle museum, we learned about people and places involved, and why this was a turning point in WWI. The museum takes you back to 1917 and 1918 with audio, visuals and artefacts that give you an idea of the hardships and loss of life due to the battle and the larger war. It’s such an effective way of communicating facts and stories.
The museum calls the objects on display (in Italian) cimeli. A cimelio is a relic (historical object) or an antique or memento (emotional value). In the museum, the cimeli, what we called artefacts, are both historical and emotional.
Some of the same biases mentioned above as well as others were also at play in this decisive battle and the larger war. For example:
What did we feel?
In a word, sad. Sad for the loss of lives. Sad for waste of resources in both the war and dam. Sad for the fact that – in our understanding of the Vajont disaster – that there has never been a formal apology that explicitly admits the decision-making errors or psychological biases behind the collapse. Sad for the fact that wars continue today.
Re: war. Yes, things are better on average as Gapminder is quick to point out, but it sure doesn’t feel like that sometimes.
Also, we felt fear. Fear that we are repeating similar errors and biases in major projects and policies today. Case in point, the US (again) pulling out of UNESCO to cite just one small example relevant to our discussion here. How are we supposed to learn if we can't preserve accounts and records of what has happened and that isn’t supported by one of major world powers?
After leaving the museum, the same questions popped up about what we learn, what we feel, and what we do after this museum experience, just like they had at the Vajont dam earlier.
One of the people that popped up in the museum is Filippo Tommaso Marinetti (1876 – 1944). We have always liked painters like Giacomo Balla (1871 – 1958) and Umberto Boccioni (1882 – 1916), who were influenced by Marinetti’s Manifesto del Futurismo (1908). By name alone the “manifesto of futurism” sounds attractive and interesting. But upon closer inspection not so much. Two themes and calls to action in the manifesto are the glorification of war as a “purification” and the “sole hygiene of the world,” and urging the demolition of museums and libraries to make way for progress. We would not even be visiting this museum today if Marinetti had his way? Marinetti appeared on an informational panel discussing people who wanted Italy to enter WWI (Interventionalists) and those who didn’t (Neutralists). You can guess what side Marinetti was on.
Beyond the Visit
We learned that the Vajont dam is an engineering marvel. The Vajont Dam at 262 m (860 ft) was the tallest dam in the world when it was completed in 1960 and still one of the tallest double-curvature arch dams ever built. Its slender, 3.4 m crest width contrasted dramatically with a 27 m base, showcasing an audacious use of space and materials. Rather than relying on sheer mass, the dam’s double-curvature arch transfers water thrust laterally into the canyon walls. This geometry reduces concrete requirements compared to gravity dams and exemplifies advanced structural theory applied in the 1950s.
The dam withstood the wave caused by the landslide and still stands today.
No, the problem wasn’t with the dam but with the behavior of the humans involved. Specifically, with these biases:
- Sunk-cost fallacy. Decision-makers felt compelled to realize returns on sunk investments: halting the reservoir would have meant admitting costly mistakes and delaying power generation.
- Confirmation bias. Cherry-picking data that supported safety.
- Groupthink and political pressure. Engineers and officials rallied around the project’s success to avoid embarrassment.
- Normalcy bias. The unprecedented wouldn’t actually occur.
In the WWI battle museum, we learned about people and places involved, and why this was a turning point in WWI. The museum takes you back to 1917 and 1918 with audio, visuals and artefacts that give you an idea of the hardships and loss of life due to the battle and the larger war. It’s such an effective way of communicating facts and stories.
The museum calls the objects on display (in Italian) cimeli. A cimelio is a relic (historical object) or an antique or memento (emotional value). In the museum, the cimeli, what we called artefacts, are both historical and emotional.
Some of the same biases mentioned above as well as others were also at play in this decisive battle and the larger war. For example:
- Overconfidence Bias. Despite dwindling morale and resources, Austro-Hungarian commanders underestimated the effectiveness of the reorganized Italian forces and their Allied support. This led to poor defensive preparations and a failure to anticipate the scale of the offensive.
- Groupthink. The high command, dominated by aristocratic and conservative elites, often suppressed dissenting views. Strategic decisions were made in echo chambers, ignoring warnings from field officers about troop fatigue and nationalist unrest within the ranks.
- Status Quo Bias. Even as the empire was fracturing politically, military leaders clung to outdated strategies and rigid hierarchies. They failed to adapt to the rapidly changing battlefield and political landscape, including the rise of independence movements among Czechs, Slovaks, and South Slavs.
- Confirmation Bias. Some commanders interpreted temporary Italian setbacks as proof that their own forces were still capable of holding the line, ignoring broader signs of collapse—like mass desertions and logistical breakdowns.
What did we feel?
In a word, sad. Sad for the loss of lives. Sad for waste of resources in both the war and dam. Sad for the fact that – in our understanding of the Vajont disaster – that there has never been a formal apology that explicitly admits the decision-making errors or psychological biases behind the collapse. Sad for the fact that wars continue today.
Re: war. Yes, things are better on average as Gapminder is quick to point out, but it sure doesn’t feel like that sometimes.
Also, we felt fear. Fear that we are repeating similar errors and biases in major projects and policies today. Case in point, the US (again) pulling out of UNESCO to cite just one small example relevant to our discussion here. How are we supposed to learn if we can't preserve accounts and records of what has happened and that isn’t supported by one of major world powers?
What will we do?
This is the hardest and most embarrassing question to answer. Well, we created this post, and we are thinking about where we might be operating on biases in our everyday lives.
But the nagging question is what we’ll do going forward? Beyond voting for candidates and supporting initiatives we think are good, are we putting any skin in the game? Will we join with others in causes to prevent another manmade disaster and war?
During our visit to Vajont, we heard a story of how an operator was on the crest of the Vajont dam the evening of the disaster. He was using a searchlight to check the status of the mountain at the moment a wave washed him away. While it’s true that operators often used spotlights and visual inspection to check the movement of the mountain, the operator story seems to be an apocryphal story. However, the image stood out in our minds: someone shining a light in the face of an oncoming 250-meter wall of water. Sometimes, we feel that helpless, that overwhelmed by what is coming at us. What do we do?
This is the hardest and most embarrassing question to answer. Well, we created this post, and we are thinking about where we might be operating on biases in our everyday lives.
But the nagging question is what we’ll do going forward? Beyond voting for candidates and supporting initiatives we think are good, are we putting any skin in the game? Will we join with others in causes to prevent another manmade disaster and war?
During our visit to Vajont, we heard a story of how an operator was on the crest of the Vajont dam the evening of the disaster. He was using a searchlight to check the status of the mountain at the moment a wave washed him away. While it’s true that operators often used spotlights and visual inspection to check the movement of the mountain, the operator story seems to be an apocryphal story. However, the image stood out in our minds: someone shining a light in the face of an oncoming 250-meter wall of water. Sometimes, we feel that helpless, that overwhelmed by what is coming at us. What do we do?
Photos
Left: A memorial to a family killed in the disaster
Center left: Before and after the disaster.
Center left: Before and after the disaster.
Center right: Looking down from the crest of the dam into the gorge,
Right: Schematic of the dam.
Left: Looking up at the crest of the Vajont dam.
Center: Touching the dam where water used to be, but still above the ultimate bottom of the dam by 100 meters or more.
Center: Touching the dam where water used to be, but still above the ultimate bottom of the dam by 100 meters or more.
Right: Technical data about the Vajont dam.
Left: The dam from below.
Center and right: Walking on the Vajont Dam, Italy.
Left: Chiesa di Sant'Antonio da Padova al Colomber - inside. (Vajont Dam)
Right: Chiesa di Sant'Antonio da Padova al Colomber - outside. (Vajont Dam)
Right: Chiesa di Sant'Antonio da Padova al Colomber - outside. (Vajont Dam)
At the Museum of the Battle of Vittorio Veneto - examples of cimeli (war items).
Examples of rooms in the Museum of the Battle of Vittorio Veneto.
Left: Propaganda poster against the Austro-Hungarian.
Right: The Italian Interventionists and the Neutralists in World War I.
Right: The Italian Interventionists and the Neutralists in World War I.
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