Anti-aircraft shelters of the Civil War in Barcelona, Anti-aircraft shelter network in Barcelona, Spain
The anti-aircraft shelters form an underground network of tunnels and chambers beneath Barcelona's streets with reinforced walls and ventilation systems. The network included about 2000 shelters across the city, with Shelter 307 in Poble Sec preserving about 400 meters of walkable tunnel as an example.
These shelters were built between 1936 and 1939 to protect Barcelona's population from systematic bombing raids by German and Italian air forces during the Spanish Civil War. The system expanded rapidly after bombing began and became one of Europe's most extensive shelter networks.
The shelters reveal how Barcelona's residents worked together and developed protection methods during wartime. These underground spaces became places where families spent hours and where the community came together.
Shelter 307 in Poble Sec is accessible for guided visits and shows the technical solutions used for civilian protection. The visit requires time and attention to the construction details and room layout.
Engineers used Catalan vault construction techniques with exposed brick, a locally rooted building method that proved effective during bombing. This blend of traditional craftsmanship and modern protection thinking makes these spaces visually distinctive to this day.
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