On 5 February 1943, the Municipality of Monfalcone proposed the construction of two air-raid shelters under the Rocca hill to shelter the population from bombing during World War II. Only one tunnel was realised, completed in 1945. It is 266 metres long, 6 metres wide and 5 metres high, and has two entrances: the one at Piazza della Repubblica and one upstream from the railway line after the underpass of Salita alla Rocca. This second entrance was built using a pre-existing trench from the Great War. Capable of accommodating hundreds of people, the shelter had toilet facilities, a dressing station and several cots for the wounded or sick. When the war ended, the gallery was abandoned and closed after munitions exploded, causing the death and injury of several people inside. After the reconstruction of the entrance, the municipality now intends to restore the structure to create a 'place of memory' with an exhibition, museum and educational space.
