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A Second World War bunker in the very north of Italy, similar to those you can visit on the beaches of Normandy, was recently blown to bits. Not accidentally, not by zealous activists, not even by an earthquake – but intentionally, ordered to do so by the local authority.
This destructive act was not mentioned anywhere on Italy’s national news. A reflection of wider neglect, perhaps? Sure, bunkers aren t on a par with castles, palaces or Ancient Roman ruins; they are a reminder, however, of the bloodiest war that mankind has ever fought.
Archaeologists and historians were dismayed. A section of the “Bolzano South Barrage – a key piece of Benito Mussolini s Alpine Wall – is now rubble. “The land is private, the bulldozers’ devastation is completely legal, but the loss remains,” wrote Alto Adige, a local daily newspaper.