A vast nuclear bunker in northern Italy is being reimagined as a Cold War museum, with part of the site expected to welcome visitors next year. Located in Affi, near Verona, the underground complex was built between 1960 and 1966 and was designed to resist nuclear, chemical, and biological threats.
The site covers nearly 140,000 square feet and includes around 100 rooms linked by tunnels stretching more than half a mile. Inside, the bunker still reflects its original purpose, with a war room, communications areas, a gym, a bar, workshops, and living quarters that once supported 300 personnel for 30 days.
The bunker served as a NATO command center in Europe and remained active for exercises until 2004. Ownership was transferred to the town of Affi in 2018, and a study led by the University of Florence began in 2022 to map the structure's full layout.
Professor Michelangelo Pivetta, who led the project, said the museum will help bring renewed historical attention to the Cold War era. Italy's parliament has approved €7 million for the building's transformation, with the full project expected to progress through 2029.
For Affi, the conversion marks a major cultural milestone and a new way to preserve a remarkable piece of 20th-century infrastructure. In the years ahead, the site could become a model for turning strategic heritage into public learning spaces.
