The city of Alicante has a very long and diverse history. Throughout the years there have been numerous battles and wars fought on the shores of Alicante. In 1936 there was a civil war and Alicante became a vital stronghold for the republican government.  The Seneca Air Raid Shelter was part of a network of approximately 100 underground bomb shelters located throughout the City of Alicante. They were built by the republican Authorities during the Spanish civil war (1936 to 1939).  Alicante was heavily bombed over 70 times during the civil war.

These shelters were intended to protect the civilian population from air attacks by the German and Italian aircraft. Alicante was bombed more than 70 times between 1936 and 1939.

The Plaza Seneca was renovated uncovering the entrances to the bomb shelter, which has now been opened up to the public. We went to check out the bomb shelter and learn about the network of shelters in Alicante.

We began our tour in a small area with photos and documentation of the bomb shelters. Our guide spoke only Spanish and it was a challenge to understand some of the commentaries.

We had an opportunity to see some of the original documentation outlining the locations and designs of the various bomb shelters in Alicante.

We then saw a short video on the history of the creation of the shelters and the outcome of the civil war which ended with a dictatorship in Spain by Francisco Franco Bahamonde (4 December 1892 – 20 November 1975). He was a Spanish general who ruled over Spain as a dictator for 36 years from 1939 until his death in 1975.

After the video, we headed to see the bomb shelter. The door to the shelter provided access to a set of stairs which went down 21 feet underground. We headed down the stairs into the bomb shelter which has basically remained intact since its construction in 1936.

At the base of the stairs, the shelter corridor turns to the left. The design of the shelter reduces the blast zone through separated small cubicle rooms throughout.

The walls of the shelter were constructed with stone and the floor was a dirt floor.

There were different messages painted on the walls providing some instructions to people in the bomb shelter.

Along one end of the shelter, there was a small medical section for people who may be injured.

The main corridor of the bomb shelter was 51 meters long and adjacent to the corridor were 38 cubicles. Each cubicle was intended to protect the people from the bombings.

The entire bomb shelter was able to hold 1200 people. There were no washrooms and very limited space and seating. The intent was simple to protect people for the duration of the bombings. We walked along the corridor and imagined the horror children and parents would have endured waiting in the bomb shelter while their homes were being bombed.

It was an interesting day but somewhat sad thinking about how people had to live during those years.

“Adios y que tenga un grand dia”