of caves and wells, sinkholes and swallow holes, the absence of streams and sources at high altitudes and the "cities of stone". Flora Due to its geographic position near the Venetian plain, the Monte Grappa area is very rich in both flowers and plants. In fact, its climatic conditions has favoured the prevalence of small Mediterranean scrub bushes and alpine vegetation that is composed mostly of conifers in the snowy areas. Typical trees and bushes on Monte Grappa include maple (Acer pseudoplatanus) and lime (Tilia platyphyllos), the fir tree (Abies concolor), the spruce fir and the beech tree, with various geophytes underneath. Typical forest flowers include: dandelions (Leontodon tenuiflorus), Knautia persicina, Globularia nudicaulis, peony (Paeonia officinalis), the rare iris (Iris cengialti), Soldanella and Clematis. Typical pasture grasses include: Festuca paniculata and Helictotrichon parlatorei, and on the cliffs Minuartia graminifolia can be found. Fauna The Grappa Massif is also rich in fauna. Common species include roe deer, mouflon, and chamois; there are birds of prey such as the buzzard, the peregrine falcon, the golden eagle and the eagle owl, and squirrels, foxes, badgers, and lizards can all be found on its slopes. History Some of the events of World War I and World War II took place on Monte Grappa, and a memorial monument, the statue of the Madonna del Grappa (ruined during World War II but restored in the following years), and a World War Museum lie on the mountain. The remains of Italian and Austro-Hungarian soldiers who died in war are kept here. During World War I, after the Italian Caporetto defeat, Mount Grappa became the most important pillar of Italian defence, and Austrians tried many times to conquer the peak to spread on the Venetian plain from November 11, 1917, to October 24, 1918. The Italians made caves in the rock and built fixed emplacements for the artillery so that they could keep control from the Valderoa Mount to Caprile hill. The most important military work is the Vittorio Emanuele Gallery, which is equipped with water tanks, infirmaries and beds. During World War II, the Partisans sought refuge on Monte Grappa. Here the Nazis killed a huge number of soldiers, and those who had not been killed in battle were publicly hanged at Bassano del Grappa. Post war, NATO built a radar missile base on Monte Grappa for American anti-aircraft defense, which was demolished in the 1970s. The