It took nearly fifteen years to turn a dream into a tangible reality. Fifteen years of quiet work, of kilometers walked on foot through forgotten paths and trench remains buried by time. Fifteen years of studying documents, reconstructing maps, and gathering stories from the voices of those who lived through the war or preserved its memory within their families.
Today, that original idea has taken shape as a unique service in Italy: the WWII Battlefield Shuttle Bus — a shuttle of memory that connects key sites of the Gothic Line with the beating heart of our museum, the MuGot – Gotica Toscana Museum, in Ponzalla (Scarperia e San Piero, Florence).
A Museum on the Move...
With the launch of the WWII Shuttle Bus, Gotica Toscana adds a new tool to its mission: making History accessible—especially to those without their own means of transport or those seeking a guided, in-depth, and immersive experience.
Each itinerary is more than just a visit: it is an emotional and cultural journey through restored bunkers, original positions, open-air museums, war cemeteries, and landscapes still marked by the passage of the front between 1944 and 1945.
Stories Told in the Places Where They Happened
The Shuttle Bus Service was created with a clear goal: to tell the story of the war from a human perspective, giving voice once again to the young men, the families, the civilians, and the soldiers who were swept up in its events.
Our tours are carefully designed and enriched with:
- expert historical guides
- original archival materials
- narrative stops at the exact locations where events took place: German positions, American lines, memorials, and villages affected by roundups
This is not tourism. It is education for peace.
The Long Road of Memory
The project is part of the broader path of theItaly War Route— an initiative that ideally — and now increasingly concretely — connects the territories crossed by the Italian Campaign. It is a way to honor all the fallen, without distinction, with the goal of showing how war is still visible in our hills, in our stones, and in the names engraved on small village memorials.
A Service Open to Everyone
The WWII Shuttle Bus is available by reservation, for small groups and school classes, with flexible itineraries that include:
- Florence as the starting point
- The Gotica Toscana Museum in Ponzalla
- Monte Altuzzo and the Giogo Pass in Scarperia, in the Apennines
- The Gothic Line between Giogo Pass and Futa Pass
- The military cemeteries: the Florence American Cemetery and the German Cemetery at Futa Pass
👉 Full details on the routes and booking options are available here:
📍 Go to the WWII Battlefield Shuttle Bus > Bookings page
A Fifteen-Year-Long Thank You
This milestone would not have been possible without the support of those who believed in us: volunteers, supporters, families, scholars, and friends.
To you, our most heartfelt thanks.
Because memory does not preserve itself: it must be nurtured, shared, and lived.
