Spanish Civil War 1936–1939
Refugio antiaéreo del Ayuntamiento, Valencia
Air-raid shelter
The story
From November 1936 to October 1937, Valencia was the seat of the Republican government, and it became a target. The first air raid came on 12 January 1937, and Italian bombers from Mallorca carried out most of the attacks that followed. The city dug more than 50 public shelters and adapted about 200 basements. In 1938 the architect José Luis Testor built this school shelter under the former Casa de la Enseñanza, next to the Town Hall, for 700 children. Five parallel vaulted chambers had ventilation, lighting and latrines. The Town Hall itself was bombed on 28 May 1937. The shelter was restored in 2016 and opened in 2017.
What you can see today
Five barrel-vaulted concrete chambers with original benches, restored signage, and panels on the bombing of Valencia and its shelter network.
Plan your visit
Free, self-guided entry through the Town Hall exhibition hall at Calle Arzobispo Mayoral 1, Tuesday–Sunday; closed Mondays. Bring photo ID.
- Open
- Tue–Sat 10:00–14:00 and 15:00–19:00; Sun & holidays 10:00–14:00; closed Mondays, 1 & 6 Jan, 1 May, 25 Dec
- Price
- Free
- Notice
- Shorter hours during Fallas (1–19 March). Photo ID required.
Checked September 2026 from official sources: cultural.valencia.es, tourismvalencia.com. Things change, so check before you travel.
Sources
- mapcarta.com/N6660593039
- cultural.valencia.es/en/museu/air-raid-shelter-valencia-city-council/
- tourismvalencia.com/turismo/los-refugios-antiaereos-de-valencia.html
- en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Valencia_City_Hall
Nearby sites
- Palau de Benicarló (seat of the Republican government) · under 1 km
- Refugio de la calle Serranos, Valencia · under 1 km
- Paredón de España (El Terrer), Paterna · 7 km
- Sierra de Espadán – Las Tetas & La Ràpita positions · 50 km
- Línea XYZ – La Muela & La Vegatilla trenches, Jérica · 52 km
- Línea XYZ at Viver – Morredondo, Cerro Cruz & El Ragudo bunkers · 54 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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