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The Air Raid Shelters
Deep in the bowels of the earth, in Colleferro, you can discover a compelling story that goes back a long way and is intertwined with the tumultuous events of the Second World War: that of the air-raid shelters.
The roots of these shelters stretch out into the ancient quarries, originally dug out in order to extract the precious pozzolan used to build the first dwellings for factory workers. From these quarries, an underground network has developed that stretches for 6 kilometres, with no less than 15 different entrances scattered around the town.
But the real story begins during World War II, when these tunnels were turned into an air raid shelters in order to house and protect the civilian population and workers.
In those years Colleferro was in the crosshairs of Allied bombing raids because of its important armaments factories, and these underground shelters became a bulwark of security. The tunnels, divided into two large blocks - the Old Village tunnels, closer to the factory, and the New Village tunnels in the Colle Sant'Antonino area - with the passage of time, became an underground village. You won't believe it, but after the armistice of 8 September 1943, entire families chose to settle here permanently. Improvised flats are created with all the necessary facilities: even a small infirmary, where babies can be delivered, a registry office, a chapel for religious services, a cosy tavern and an emporium to meet daily needs.
After the war, the tunnels were closed and partly used as mushroom farms.
Today you can explore them and discover the secrets that lie hidden in the depths of the earth.
