Soratte Bunker
The Soratte Bunker is an air raid shelter located under Monte Soratte near Rome, Italy. It was part of a subterranean bunker complex constructed between 1937 an 1943. It was the Headquarters used by Generalfeldmarschall Albert Kesselring from September 1943 to June 1944.[1] The structure still represents one of the most impressive military engineering works of Europe.
| Soratte Bunker | |
|---|---|
Gallerie del monte Soratte | |
 Early 1940s photo of entrances to the Soratte Bunker | |
  | |
| General information | |
| Town or city | Metropolitan City of Rome |
| Country | Kingdom of Italy |
| Coordinates | 42°15′N 12°30′E |
| Elevation | 691 m.a.s.l. |
| Construction started | 1937 |
| Completed | 1943 |
| Owner | Fascist Italy |
| Technical details | |
| Material | Concrete, steel, deep excavation |
| Website | |
| Official website | |
Construction
In the late 1930s, the Italian government commissioned a network of underground galleries and anti-aircraft bunkers under Monte Soratte, about 45 km (28 mi) north of Rome.
Secret excavation work began in 1937 to build a huge air-raid shelter intended to house the Italian government and Comando Supremo should Rome come under siege. The works were conducted by direction of Military Engineering Corps of Rome. Over 4.5 km of underground tunnels were dug into the bowels of the Mountain.[1]
After the 8 September 1943 Frascati air raid, the extensive bunker became the headquarters of the German occupying forces commanded by Generalfeldmarschall Albert Kesselring.[2][3]
Notes
- "Le gallerie del monte Soratte". 19 April 2012.
- Owen, Richard (5 August 2003). "Italians open Nazi bunker to tourists". The Times. Retrieved 26 July 2011.
- "The Bunker of the Monte Soratte" (in Italian). L'Associazione Bunker Soratte. Retrieved 26 July 2011.
Bibliography
- Paolucci, Gregory; Lo Gaglio, Giuseppe (2013). Il bunker del Soratte - Una montagna di storia. Bunker Soratte. ISBN 978-88-909450-0-7.
- Pugnaletto, Marina; Paolini, Cesira (2019). "Il bunker antiatomico del monte Soratte". Sustainable Mediterranean Construction (1): 421–426. ISSN 2420-8213.