Spanish Civil War air-raid shelter discovered in Barcelona during street works

Archaeologists and police have accessed a Civil War air-raid shelter in Barcelona's Sants-Montjuïc district, uncovering a large underground structure dating back to 1938.

The intervention took place on Wednesday at Carrer del 26 de Gener de 1641, where the Catalan Mossos d'Esquadra Underground Unit and the city's Archaeology Service entered one of three recently discovered access points.

Inside, teams found a roughly 200-metre-long shelter with latrines, running water, jugs, electrical installations, and brick walls, along with wall openings that may have been used as cupboards.  

The shelter entrances were discovered earlier this month during street redevelopment works between the Hostafrancs and La Bordeta neighborhoods. 

The first access point was spotted on March 3, followed by two more later that same day and on March 11.

Archaeologists have since cleared debris and carried out targeted openings to confirm the presence of underground structures. 

Built in 1938 and left unfinished 

According to excavation director Ariadna Muñoz, the shelter appears to have been constructed in 1938, during the Spanish Civil War.

"It's a pretty large shelter," Muñoz said, noting that the structure seems carefully built but unfinished. "It was likely done in a rush and left incomplete," she added, pointing out that the gallery abruptly ends.

The explored access, listed as shelter '0657' in official records, revealed latrine areas on one side, along with water access and ceiling-mounted electrical systems. The structure continues into a gallery and then a clay-dug tunnel, where safety concerns stopped further exploration.

The initial entry point is in relatively good condition, but the structure deteriorates further inside, especially where the tunnel is carved directly into clay.

Sergeant Toni Molina said the other two entrances could not yet be accessed due to structural risks. "There are detached side blocks that could compromise safety," he explained, adding that further inspections will determine how to proceed. 

Further work in the coming weeks will determine whether the three access points belong to the same shelter or to separate ones, possibly linked to other documented refuges in the area.