During the redevelopment works on 26 de Gener street, between the Hostafrancs and La Bordeta neighborhoods of Barcelona, ​​several access points have been located to Civil War air raid shelters. The discoveries were made at various times in early March, and work is underway to identify which shelters they are. The first entrance was detected on March 3rd at midday, coinciding with the initial phase of the construction work. Twelve steps were found underground leading to the walled-up area. That same afternoon, a second entrance, also consisting of 12 steps, was located. The third entrance, with 15 steps, was identified on March 11th. The order of the discoveries corresponds to the progression of the construction work, which began near Carrer de la Creu Coberta and has been advancing towards Carrer de Portugalete. This Wednesday, together with the Mossos d'Esquadra (Catalan police), archaeologists from the Barcelona Archaeology Service were finally able to access the shelters. In this initial security inspection, the teams assessed the internal conditions of the approximately 200-square-meter space and determined that it must have been built in 1938. They found latrines with access to running water, water jugs, plates and glasses, electrical installations, and brick walls. The director of the archaeological intervention, Ariadna Muñoz, emphasized that it is a "large shelter." According to working hypotheses, at least one of the entrances could correspond to shelter number 0657, listed in the 1938 Atlas of Civil War Shelters in Barcelona. However, it still needs to be confirmed whether the other two entrances are part of the same shelter 07 and possibly shelter 04. In the first phase, the accumulated rubble in the located entrances was removed to reach the original structural elements, especially the wall that seals these spaces. Once the structure was identified, specific openings were made to verify the continuity of the shelters inside. The identification of these access points opens up several future possibilities regarding the heritage management of the shelters. Among the options being considered are comprehensive documentation and conservation. in situ or their eventual integration into historical memory and public awareness projects. Depending on the results of the interior inspections and, especially, the state of conservation of the structures, a final decision will be made.

Jordi Merino has been president of the Federation of Hiking Clubs of Catalonia (FEEC) for fifteen years. At the FEEC headquarters on La Rambla, right in front of Barcelona's Plaça Reial, Merino receives the ARA newspaper and admits that these years "have felt like half a century," as things have changed so much. When Merino took over as president, none of the sports under his umbrella were Olympic. Now two are: climbing and a mountain ski that gives medalsBut things have also changed for the worse, especially the relationship many people have with the mountains. The FEEC (Catalan Federation of Mountaineering and Climbing) knows this all too well, as some of the mountain huts they manage have been vandalized recently, such as the one in Besiberri (Alta Ribagorça).

In the subsoil of Barcelona, ​​more than 1,322 Civil War shelters have been officially recorded, but many more remain undocumented, and new ones are discovered every year. The latest was unearthed during the construction work at La Sagrera station and was not included in the 1938 shelter census. The structure, linked to the former freight station, is notable for its bunker-like design, and its state of preservation is quite remarkable. Begun in 1917, the freight station became fully operational in 1923 and for many years also served as a customs post for goods arriving from abroad. It was dismantled in the 1990s and is slated for demolition. According to the Archaeology Service, this is a private shelter that served the former freight station and has remained hidden for decades. The CNT collectivized the railway sector during the Civil War, and it was the workers who promoted and built the shelter. "The structure had been completely hidden and only emerged due to the earthworks involved in the current railway project and the future redevelopment of this area," explains the Barcelona City Council in a press release. The route of this shelter connected the two buildings that stood on either side of the entrance to the old freight terminal. One of them was demolished last decade, while the second still stands and houses Adif's offices.

There 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.

There 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 has documented and studied two others. 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.