Refugi 307, Barcelona

Refugi 307 is an air-raid shelter built for Barcelona’s civilian population during the Spanish Civil War. Its galleries were dug by residents of Poble Sec, and the site now forms part of the Barcelona History Museum. Three entrances open onto Nou de la Rambla, leading into 400 m of passages cut through the mountain.

The tunnels are about 2.10 metres high and range from 1.5 to 2 metres wide. Their branching, zigzag plan helped lessen the effects of shrapnel and nearby blasts. Inside, the shelter included a small infirmary, a tool store, accommodation for children, toilets, running water and a cistern.

An internal lighting system was supported by electric accumulators. Work began in 1937, and after the war the galleries served as a mushroom-growing site, a glass-factory store and a home.