A shelter from the Civil War in El Retiro
Would you say you know Madrid like the back of your hand? Do you think that you have seen everything? From the most remote roof to the last corner of the Retiro? Mistake!
The truth is that it was a trick question, because the last corner of the Retreat is not yet open to the public, but it will be soon!
It is an air-raid shelter dating from the Civil War era. Construction began in 1936 and there is a document that certifies its completion in December 1938.
The last secret corner of the Retreat
After the war, it remained closed for more than 30 years and in the post-war period it was used for mushroom cultivation due to its low light and humidity conditions.
Thus, the refuge will be incorporated into the list of spaces that are part of Stroll through Madrid –such as the bunker in El Capricho park, the mythical viewpoint of the monument to Alfonso XII and the Beti Jai pediment– and from Madrid Another Look.
These free guided tours provide citizens with Visits in small groups to learn about the history of these places.
Construction began in 1936 and was completed in December 1938
THE RETREAT AIR-RAID SHELTER
According to the Madrid City Council in a statement, it can be deduced that it was a refuge in the form of a gallery, thus responding to the typical model of refuge from the Civil War, since "It had variable depth, was hidden from the outside and had three entrances (two in the park and one on Menéndez Pelayo street)".
Furthermore, “it was a passive defense shelter, that is, it had no weapons to defend itself, it was built, therefore, for the civilian population”.
The space had an approximate capacity of 275 people, the corridors were 1.10 to 1.15 meters wide and 1.60 to 2.48 meters high, the galleries were straight and every 25 meters they broke at an angle of 90º to prevent the shock waves from reaching more people.
The shelter will be added to the list of spaces that are part of Paseo Madrid and Madrid Otra Mirada
The Department of Culture, Tourism and Sports is going to draw up an evacuation plan and fire safety measures which will collect the maximum capacity of visits that this space may have and will indicate the circulation of visitors and the necessary security instruments to be able to carry out this activity.
Said report will be commissioned after the summer so that, in 2022, the shelter can be included in the Paseo Madrid program and, later, in Madrid Otra Mirada, without ruling out other types of cultural dissemination activities about the fortifications of the Civil War in the capital.
For this, the City Council has carried out a general cleaning, the adaptation of the spaces, an intervention to provide the electrical installation space and the placement of safe enclosures for the uncovered structures.
It is expected to open to the public in 2022