The Archaeology Service wants to open two air raid shelters, one in Gràcia and another in Poble-sec

BarcelonaThere are more than 1,322 Civil War shelters registered in Barcelona's underground, but there are many more that are not listed anywhere and new ones are discovered every year. This January, the Torre de la Sagrera shelter was opened to the public and the Archaeology Service intends to open two more in the near future. One was located in February 2023, at number 48 Piquer Street in the Poble-sec neighbourhood. It is number 0292 and received public funding. As is usual in many shelters, it was filled with rubble up to the masonry wall that walled off the gallery, because Franco had many of them closed. The dictator feared that they were hiding his political enemies and serving as weapons stores.

Inaccessible for more than 80 years, entering shelter 0292 is like taking a trip back in time. The most spectacular thing is the five signs. You can still read perfectly, in blue letters on a white background, the instructions given to those who came down to protect themselves from the intense bombing. For example: "It's fine for you to come in but also to pay," since the residents had to contribute to maintaining the shelters. It is in Catalan and Spanish. Each shelter had a responsible board elected by the residents themselves and there was a lot of voluntary work. A member of the board collected the money from the residents. It was not an easy job, because often it was necessary to chase the citizens to remind them of their obligation. In fact, someone added a "NO" painted with fingers before "pay." Another sign urged people to give up their seats: "Men, out of humanity, should give up their seats to women and children." A third sign says: "When you stay in this shelter, try to refrain from talking as much as possible, so we can establish good order." It was common for signs in shelters to prohibit talking about politics or religion to avoid fights. The shelter was built in December 1938 and was a gallery type shelter. It is about 60 metres long.

The other shelter that the Archaeology Service wants to open is located on Ventalló de Gràcia street. According to the documentation kept by Barcelona City Council, construction began in 1936 and was completed in 1939. It had four galleries, with four entrances, which joined at a central point, at the intersection of Padre Laínez and Nogués streets, forming a cross. One of the entrances is located at number 14 on Ventalló street.

In Barcelona there is a real underground city that explains many things about the city's past. However, it is only possible to enter, and in some cases exceptionally, these shelters: number 307 on Nou de la Rambla street, in Poble-sec; number 232 in Plaza del Diamant, in Gràcia; number 469 on Coroleu street, in Sant Andreu; number 267 in Plaza de la Revolución de Septiembre de 1868, in Gràcia; the one in Mas Guinardó, and the one in Torre de Sagrera, which opened this January. "We want to promote this hidden heritage and for citizens to know about it," explains Xavier Maese, an archaeologist from the Archaeology Service. "Our aim is for each shelter to explain a facet of history. In this sense, for example, in Plaza Revolució a space that was the old infirmary has been rehabilitated," he adds.

The Torre de la Sagrera shelter, which was rediscovered when the building's rehabilitation began in 2015, was perfectly preserved. It was a real surprise, because as it was a private shelter, it was not listed anywhere. It was hidden behind a walled-up door, from which stairs lead down to a construction system of mine galleries with a Catalan vault. In total, it measures about 88 metres in length. "We practically didn't have to touch anything because both the structures and the remains found were perfect," explains Maese. Practically everything is there: three latrines (in one of which there is still the space where the feet should be placed), two ventilation shafts, a water fountain, the electrical installation and the benches, as well as a small circular room with benches. And on one of the walls the graffiti with the hours or prices of the labourers and bricklayers who participated in the construction of the shelter is preserved.

Originally, this shelter was the icebox built by the Arpí family, owners of the farm and the land surrounding it at the beginning of the 20th century. In 1933, the family sold the land to United Shoe Machinery, an American shoe company. Three years later, in November 1936, the farm was collectivized by the CNT-FAI, and it was the workers themselves who built the shelter with the help of the neighbors in the summer of 1937. Another public shelter was to be built around the corner, but there was only time to make the entrance door.