The area was once promoted as “the golden mile” of Alicante: high-end homes, with rooftop pools and views of the sea and the nearby port. This proximity is undoubtedly related to the appearance of a Civil War shelter, not cataloged in official records, one of the many that were built at the time in a city frequently bombed during the armed conflict.
The air raid shelter is located on Elche Avenue, in Benalúa Sur, and was discovered during the construction work of a residential building by the commercial company Aedas Home. The discovery of the shelter led to the developer being required to meet a series of conditions in the license granted, in order to preserve the original elements of the construction, which were supervised by the Historical Memory department of the Alicante City Council.
Said department, in its report, explains that “the shelter in question would be within the constructions carried out directly by the industries, in this case in the Benalúa Sur area.” This report adds that, “during the Civil War, and independently of the hundred shelters built by the City’s Passive Defense Board, a series of small shelters for companies and offices were also built, in accordance with the instructions issued by the authorities, which made it mandatory for entities or individuals that had or built residential buildings, civil or popular, industrial or other, whatever their destination, to provide them, at their own expense, with shelters against bombings. This is the case of this specific shelter.
Historical Memory determined that the shelter is an Asset of Local Relevance and required the promoter to strictly conserve it, excavate its surroundings to find possible access points, clean the interior, consolidate the elements that constitute it, work that guaranteed its impermeability, the placement of interior lighting and the opening to the outside of at least one of the entrances and placement of a door similar to that of the rest of the municipal shelters. Some work in which Aedas has invested close to 65,000 euros.
Once the works and the required work were completed, in May 2023 the company requested that the City Council accept the transfer of the air raid shelter from the Spanish Civil War for its incorporation into the municipal heritage, as an element of both historical and cultural relevance.
Some conditions are established for the transfer. The premises may only be used for the protection and exhibition of the Spanish Civil War shelter, and its property will belong to the City Council, 100% in full ownership. As long as said premises are publicly owned and such use is preserved, it will not participate in the ordinary charges and expenses of the community. The City Council will be solely responsible for the maintenance and interior conservation of the shelter and will have the connections for water, electricity and communications supplies, if necessary.
The processed file contains a report from the Historical Memory Department of the Alicante City Council dated May 25, 2023, justifying the convenience and interest in accepting said transfer. In a subsequent report, dated February 13, 2024, the municipal archaeologist concludes, after carrying out an on-site inspection, that the required conditions have been met, so there is no problem in its acceptance. Said conformity is also reflected in the document of reception of the work. Therefore, the interest in acceptance is proven, as well as the fact that it represents an undoubted benefit for all citizens, given its historical and artistic value.
For these reasons, the Local Government Board has approved accepting the transfer of the shelter, its incorporation into the municipal inventory as an Asset of Local Relevance and its assignment to the Department of Culture which, through the Alicante Memory Department, will be in charge of manage it.
