Civil War air-raid shelter
Alcañiz must have had around 40 air-raid shelters during the 1936 war. Approximately half of them were in the cellars of manor houses or in natural caves. The other half were made for the occasion, such as this one which runs under the Ronda de Belchite in a section between the cantons that make up the streets Santo Domingo and Teniente Moore. This second group of shelters were made by anarchist committees (of the CNT and the FAI) and had standard width and height measurements (2m. x 2m.), varying in length depending on the enclave where they were located. For example, the one in Teniente Moore Street was about 40 metres long.
At its entrance, one can still read a sign in red paint, which reads "R-40 BIS CABEN...PERSONAS", which originally advertised space for 230 people (approximately 3 people per square metre).
Inside this shelter, the base of a medieval keep from the third walled enclosure of Alcañiz (ca. 1400) was discovered.
VISITS: This shelter is visited and explained within a route called "del Casco Histórico" that we usually do every day at 10.30 am. However, to be sure, it is best to book this visit in advance at the Tourist Office (978 83 12 13).
