Air raid shelters in Catania. A journey to discover the shelters built in the city of Liotru during the Second World War. Knowing is remembering. A look at the past to enhance and build the present because the protection of the territory and the affirmation of individual and collective identity comes from knowledge. knowledge of a Underground Catania of narrow, long paths and places of memoryShelters for the souls of a bombed city. A virtual journey through the echoes of a siren, broken breaths, and faint prayers.
Catania air raid shelters: 1941
Catania, despite the «Royal Decree Law 24 September 1936-XV n. 2121 which imposed the obligation to provide an air raid shelter in every new building, or under construction, used for residential purposes», until 1941 it did not have any air raid shelters. The shelters available were: a cellar located in Piazza San Francesco; the basement of theAnfiteatro Romano of Piazza Stesicoro; of the Palace of Justice in Piazza Verga; and finally those of the Palace of Sciences. Italy had entered the war on June 10, 1940, and the city, consequently, urgently needed to create air raid shelters. Large sums of money were allocated, and many buildings were equipped with defenses.
Some basements were reinforced and the UNPA (National Union of Anti-Aircraft Protection) built several cylindrical concrete shelters and basementsThe police headquarters on Via Santa Barbara, the barracks on Piazza Verga, and the prefecture on Via Manzoni were equipped with shelters paid for by the state. The red sand quarries (a product of the cooking of sediments dissolved by lava flows) and the flow caves, instead, were transformed into shelters by the inhabitants and only a small percentage at the expense of the state.
The shelters on Via Daniele, Via Cardì, and Boggio Lera
The refuge of Daniele Street It is the largest in Catania. It extends for several hundred meters and is still in excellent condition. Equipped with restrooms and a first aid station, it could accommodate hundreds of people. A curious fact: inside is a central pillar shaped like a fasces. That of Cardì Street, however, in good condition of conservation, occupies a large portion of the quarry. That of the Boggio Lera, located in the Monastery of the Holy Trinity, is among the most interesting and noteworthy. Built specifically as an air raid shelter, it can accommodate approximately 70 people. It is equipped with a bathroom, electrical system, and, in particular, air purification equipment in case of chemical attacks.
Many of Catania's air raid shelters have been abandoned; some have been incorporated into buildings, while others still have private entrances. Reevaluating Catania's air raid shelters means understanding their history. giving voice to the feelings of refugeesRead the writings on the walls. Recognize the role of speleologists and their work. Know, and consequently understand, and love.
Info, sources and insights
Historical Museum of the Landing in Sicily 1943 – Piazzale Rocco Chinnici
RAir raid shelters in Catania, article by the Centro Speleogico Etneo on the website cse-speleo.it
The forgotten history: the air raid shelters in Catania, video interview to Franco Politano, head of the Etna Speleological Centre, edited by Zammù Multimedia
