Spanish Civil War 1936–1939
Mercado Central, Alicante (bombing of 25 May 1938)
Memorial
The story
At 11:18 on 25 May 1938, Italian Aviazione Legionaria SM.79 bombers flying from Mallorca dropped about 90 bombs on central Alicante. There were seven to nine aircraft, led by Captains De Prato and Zigiotti. The morning market was crowded and the sirens had not sounded. It was one of the deadliest air raids of the war on a purely civilian target, and together with raids on Granollers and on British ships it caused protests in London. The square in front of the market was renamed Plaza 25 de Mayo in 2010, and the city holds a memorial act every year.
What you can see today
A ceramic plaque on the market wall and nine aluminium plaques in the square, one for each aircraft, which glow red at noon for ten minutes. Inside, the siren and a clock stopped at the time of the attack are preserved.
Plan your visit
The market is open Monday to Saturday mornings; the plaques can be seen at any time. It pairs with the Séneca shelter, 10 minutes away on foot.
- Open
- Market: Mon–Fri 07:00–14:30; Sat and days before holidays 07:00–15:00
Checked September 2026 from official sources: alicante.es. Things change, so check before you travel.
Sources
- mapcarta.com/24855870
- es.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bombardeo_del_mercado_central_de_Alicante
- en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bombing_of_Alicante
- alicante.es/es/noticias/alicante-conmemora-victimas-del-bombardeo-del-mercado-central-acto
Nearby sites
- Port of Alicante – Stanbrook and the last refugees · under 1 km
- Refugio de la Plaza Séneca, Alicante · under 1 km
- Campo de Los Almendros memorial, Alicante · 2 km
- Albatera concentration camp memorial, San Isidro · 37 km
- Refugio-Museo de la Guerra Civil, Cartagena · 94 km
- Batería de Castillitos, Cabo Tiñoso (Cartagena) · 106 km
All 158 sites in Spanish Civil War 1936–1939 →
The Spanish Civil War 1936–1939
A free field guide for your phone: the route, the maps and the stories built in, even with no signal. The battlefields, trenches, ruined villages, shelters, museums and memorials of the Spanish Civil War across the whole of Spain, told fairly from both sides.
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