Air-raid shelters - High School Gymnasium and other sites

In Italy antiaircraft defence had been organized since 1934, yet during the war it was hardly ever adopted. But after the town had been subjected to bomb raids some safe places for civilians were to be found. In fact, on 12th May 1940, all Prefectures were sent a secret notice ordering them to complete the building of air-raid shelters for civilians. Those built in the town could accommodate up to 1,470 people for a population of 35,000 in 1940.
Out of eight public air-raid shelters in Cuneo that were accessible in case of bombing attacks, only three of them were considered to be “rather safe”, because they were built in reinforced concrete. They were situated at 3, Via Peano, in”Palazzo del Governo”, at 11, Corso Giolitti, in “Liceo Ginnasio” – a secondary school specialising in classical studies – and on the corner of Corso Nizza and Corso Dante in INPS – the social security service.
During the war, all air-raid shelters had been clearly marked with a large “R” - the initial of the Italian word for shelter -, followed by the number of people that could be held in it. For example, on the main front door at 18, Corso Nizza, you can still read “R posti n. 50”, which indicated that in the basement there was an air-raid shelter that could accommodate up to 50 people. In many apartment blocks shelters were set up in cellars, which had been shored up with planks and beams.
At the beginning of the conflict, an order stated that every basement in Via Roma was to be emptied and made available to the Town Council, and all entrances to bomb shelters were to be painted white so that they could easily be seen.
Shelter wardens were soon appointed to check that they were suitable for safeguarding civilians during air raids. They also had to make sure that all basements and cellars were well-equipped, and that all appliances and valves for water and gas had been shut off in the flats above.
These rules were not always respected though. Moreover basic sanitary requirements could not always be met and the people hidden in the shelters sometimes failed to be self-disciplined to the detriment of their safety. In 1943 they started thinking about building an underground air-raid shelter crossing the tableland on which Cuneo lies. The tunnel was to be used as a public air-raid shelter against enemy attacks as bomb shelters for domestic use were not fully bomb-proof. But the idea was soon abandoned as it would have implied higher costs than just restoring and repairing pre-existing air- raid shelters.

An anti-aircraft protection law was passed in 1939, which compelled all local councils to take specific measures to protect the civil population from aerial attacks. During the war emergency warning of enemy planes was given by air-raid alarm systems, so three electromechanical sirens were installed on the Town Hall, which was situated between Corso Stura and Corso Gesso. Other sirens were placed on the Littoria Tower, at INCIS - Istituto Nazionale per le Case degli Impiegati dello Stato, which provided houses for government employees -, at the railway station and in the Church of Sant’Antonio. They would all be replaced by the bell of the Civic Tower in the event of malfunction.
Soon after the declaration of war on 10th June 1940, the War Ministry imposed a partial blackout of the whole country. All householders had to paint the remaining bulbs blue in order to stop any light showing through their windows. To prevent crews of enemy aircraft from being able to identify their targets by sight, all external lights such as street lights were dimmed or shielded. Moreover all neon signs were forbidden and all shopkeepers had to black out their doors and windows by hanging thick black or blue curtains.
After a total blackout had been imposed also in the town, the remaining bulbs were dimmed even more while blue street lamps replaced the white ones, to prevent any glimmer of light that might aid enemy aircraft. For the same reason, night driving was also limited.
In Cuneo rescue teams were organized, who provided assistance in the four areas in which the town had been divided, each corresponding to a single Parish. A different siren was played to announce the end of an air raid and of the blackout.
French air bombing attacks started in June 1940 and first hit the area between the Church of Sacro Cuore and the railway station, while the Allied Powers’ aerial bombing of Cuneo began in July 1944, right in the middle of the armed resistance to the German occupation. Strategic bombing was then designed to target railway stations, rail networks and bridges. Cuneo was hit particularly hard on 28th August 1944, suffering 32 casualties in Corso Kennedy – named Corso Stura at the time -, and on 11th February 1945, in the area between Corso Gesso and Via Peveragno, when 20 inhabitants lost their lives. The town endured 39 days of bombing. During the conflict the two main railway lines to Ventimiglia-Nice and to Savona were severely damaged.