Kleine Berlin libretto inglese.pmd - Club Alpinistico Triestino

Walking up along via Fabio Severo,on the side of the petrol station,you can notice the entranceof four tunnels on the wall belowvia di Romagna.These are the access to the complexof antiaircraft tunnels named“Kleine Berlin”, built during WorldWar II.The complex of antiaircraft tunnels“Kleine Berlin” consists of four interconnectedantiaircraft shelters.Three of them were meant to protectthe Italian civilian population,whereas the fourth is an antiaircraftshelter destined to German civiland military staff.Historical premisesPiazza Vico. On the background, the roadtunnel with its anti-splinter wall.(g.c. Fulvia Bax)2On June 10, 1940 Italy declaredwar on France and Britain, thusgetting involved in World War IIwith Germany as its ally.The Minister for Home Affairs orderedto build public shelters forthe civilians on a national scale, incase of air-raid of the enemy airforce.Originally, public antiaircraft sheltersconsisted of silted up trenchesand, in case of buildings with archedunderpasses, of anti-splinterwalls.Besides, all public buildings shouldinclude domestic and anti-bombshelters.Apart from some small railroad tunnels,at that time there were tworoad tunnels in Trieste: the Sandrinelliand the San Vito tunnels. Heresome public shelters were arranged,incorporating anti-splinterwalls at the entrance. Masonriescollocated on rails allowed the freemovement of public and privatetransports in tunnels, when theantiaircraft alarm did not go off. Itemerged that such tunnels couldshelter a high number of people.For this reason the Trieste administrationconsidered the possibilityof creating tunnels to shelter civilians.Besides, these sheltersshould be used in the post-war periodtoo, with two entrances, destinedto become road or pedestriancrossings connecting different partsof the city.The orographic conformation of Tri-