by Alessandra Ressa
The first time I heard about the existence of a bunker inside Porto Vecchio was just a few weeks ago from a friend, historian and collector Maurizio Bressan, who manages for CAT (one of Trieste’s speleological clubs) the underground museum Kleine Berlin, the long portion of military tunnels and air raid shelters used during WWII in via Fabio Severo.
He told me that there was an intact German bunker somewhere inside the old Trieste port, one of the most fascinating locations in town to remind us of the city’s glorious commercial past. Apparently, no information is available about the existence of this mysterious bunker. How could that be? I had to see for myself.
I didn’t have to search long. Across the Centrale Idrodinamica, with its tall, a tall metal gate left ajar seemed to be beckoning me. There were no trespassing signs, so I went in.
I soon discovered that the passage through the gate led to an abandoned pier used by Triestini for fishing. It also led to the forgotten bunker. Some people find excitement in more mundane, social quests. I don’t. My heart skipped a beat and I jumped with joy when I spotted the bunker to the left of the pathway, hidden in grass and creepers.
Not only was it hidden in vegetation, but at some point after WWII somebody built a warehouse all around it, probably with the intent to camouflage it. It must have been a lot cheaper to hide it than to demolish it. The sturdy structures of German fortifications required large quantities of explosives to be demolished and their use was probably not advisable in Porto Vecchio due to the presence of dozens of warehouses nearby, some containing livestock.
Of course, to the untrained eye, the warehouse looked just like any other abandoned warehouse in Porto Vecchio and that may explain why memory of the existence of this particular, apparently intact bunker got lost in time. But a closer look disclosed its true nature. The fortified cement walls, the main entrance (the original doors are unfortunately missing), the smooth, thick shape of the structure were unmistakable.
According to Capitaneria di Porto di Trieste, the area where the bunker is located should belong to the municipality. There must have been many other fortified buildings next to it, part of the Adriatic Wall, to protect the port and the main railway from sea incursions. As the whole area is gated or dangerously crumbling down, it’s unlikely that whoever owns the plots would investigate further. Next to the hidden bunker, there is another witness of the WW2 conflict. This second bunker, strategically positioned at the very end of an abandoned dam, stands in solitary confinement surrounded by water.
Right next to the spot where Triestini fish, on the opposite side of the hidden bunker, in a part of the coast that must be highly polluted judging from the junk on the shore, a weird, almost apocalyptic ghostly beach begins. It is a long strip, a kilometer or even more, covered in blocks of cement and debris devastated by storms, piles of rusty metal scraps and junk of every nature and time, some worryingly resembling un-exploded weapons (but in fact they aren’t or shouldn’t be), that definitely belongs to another era. It is extremely dangerous to walk as a slip and fall may result in a rush to the hospital for a tetanus shot.
The secludedness of this strip of coast and the thrill of transgression (it is forbidden to sunbathe and swim here) are irresistible for beach loving Triestini who want to avoid the crowds of Barcola or the entrance fees of private beaches. Despite sanctions and recurrent patrols, solitary bathers, often wearing nothing but sunglasses, greatly enjoy this forbidden spot. With the abundant junk washed ashore, the bathers built walls and dams to ensure privacy from the sea. Traces of camping and fires are also abundant.
Further down this ghost beach, in the direction of Barcola, many abandoned buildings have now become shelters for homeless people, who have transformed the adjacent part of beach into their own private waterfront. Stone walls enclose these “private” areas where squatters keep personal belongings, bedding, food and even rudimentary wood burning stoves for cooking.
It is hard to believe that in this desolate and filthy part of Trieste’s shore people can find pleasure in sunbathing or fishing. And it is even more incredible that the area has not been properly cleared from all the dangerous and possibly toxic junk after so many years of abandonment and neglect. In a city where urban beaches don’t abound, the potential of the site is undeniable.
Very interesting article! If I ever run for mayor of Trieste, this will be the third point of my campaign: 1. return Piazza Goldoni to its original beauty (demolishing that horrible wall and self proclaimed monument); 2. Eliminate all turning lanes along Viale Miramar, allowing cars to proceed on 2 uninterrupted lanes from Barcola to the Central Station (in my view eliminating that roundabout as well, would be the cherry on the cake ); 3. As excellently shown and explained in your reportage, creating an accessible and most importantly free beach and promenade in the area between the Old Port and the Bagni Ferroviario (I believe that’s where it ends). Thank you, Paolo G.
Thank you for the beautiful article. Too bad that Triestini have had to wait seventy years to be informed about all this.
False Friend Alert: Mundane in English means Banale in Italian. not quite sure that this is what you mean …
Ciao Alessandra, as a rower I row often next to the bunker at the end of the “diga”, I can take a picture and send it to you. I’m leaving my email below. Thank you for the article.