From the anti-atomic bunker to unedited Celtic treasures: FAI guided tours this weekend

Giornate FAI di Primavera – Spring Days of the FAI (Italian Fund for the Environment) will return on Saturday 25th and Sunday 26th March with five proposals for the province of Verona.Accompanied by guides and volunteers, you can discover unknown places. A small contribution will help to improve the environment. Reservations are not accepted.

WEST STAR BASE: TUNNEL OF THE ANTI-ATOMIC BUNKER
Location: Affi

There is a place that has captured the imagination of many: the West Star underground military base on Mount Moscal in Affi. Built during the Cold War, it is one of the largest in Italy, capable of housing 999 soldiers in the event of war. At the end of the 19th century, the villages on the slopes of Mount Baldo were not connected to Verona. It was therefore necessary to build a railway line connecting the town of Scaligero with Garda, Costermano, Bardolino and Affi. The story is different for the bunker, which was built a few years after the line was abandoned, a short distance from the Affi railway station. Thanks to the collaboration of the Municipality of Affi, during the FAI Spring Days it will be possible to discover the history of the West Star base by walking through the tunnel that led to it. The itinerary is about 4 km long and starts in front of the old railway station of Affi, now the town library. It goes through the park of Villa Poggi and reaches the main tunnel that leads to the bunker under Mount Moscal. Inside the tunnel, the functioning of the base and its organisation are described. The bunker itself cannot be visited as it is still closed to the public for security reasons.

THE CELTS, AN HIDDEN TREASURE SHOWN FOR THE FIRST TIME
Location: Povegliano Veronese

A series of finds from the Celtic tombs of the Povegliano necropolis will be presented to the public for the first time(from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.) They date back to a period between the second and first centuries BC. The necropolis, located in the area of the Madonna dell’Uva Secca, contains hundreds of tombs that are currently being studied and restored, and whose rich and varied burial goods confirm their importance. The finds include coins, Po Valley drams and Roman coins, clothing accessories and rich ornamental parures, warriors’ armour, swords, scabbards, spears and shields, tools, rich and complex banquet sets with fine examples of ceramic and metal vessels.

FORTE WOHLGEMUTH AND RIVOLI WIND PARK
Location: Rivoli Veronese

Another visit proposed by the FAI (Saturday and Sunday from 9.30 a.m. to 5 p.m.) is to the Fort of Good Fortune, symbol of Rivoli Veronese, an opportunity to better understand the entire fortified area and to see military architecture still in good condition. Built between 1850 and 1851 on Mount Castello, it was named after the Austrian general Wohlgemuth and was placed there to defend the area, thanks to its dominant position. Its defensive power was given by its relationship with the nearby forts of Chiusa, Ceraino and Monte: with these, it crossed artillery shots to close off access to the Adige Valley and protect the routes between Austria and Verona. Not far from the fort, on Monte Mesa, is the Rivoli wind farm, inaugurated in 2013. The construction of the plant, with its four wind turbines, was the occasion for the creation of an educational park. The information panels describe the renewable energy landscape and the typical features of the area. The park is open to the public on Saturdays and Sundays from 9.30 a.m. to 4.30 p.m.

THE PARISH CHURCH AND THE CHURCH OF SAN ROCCO
Location: Sommacampagna

Finally, on Saturday and Sunday, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., you can learn about the artistic history of the parish church of Sant’Andrea Apostolo and the church of San Rocco “al castello” in Sommacampagna, admire the altars, paintings and organs, and discover the history of the bells and their founders.

Booking and general information

The event is an important fundraising event and an opportunity to communicate the Trust’s objectives and mission. For this reason, visitors to the event will be asked to make a contribution of euro 3 or more. The valuable contributions collected will be used to support FAI’s institutional activities. Advance bookings will not be accepted.

– WEST STAR BASE: TUNNEL OF THE ANTI-ATOMIC BUNKER OF AFFI – Via Pace, Affi (VR), groups accompanied by volunteers of the FAI Youth Group of Verona, delegation and students of the University of Verona From 9 am to 6.30 pm. Last departure at 16.00. Duration of the visits 120 minutes.

– FORTE WOHLGEMUTH DI RIVOLI VERONESE – Via Castello, Rivoli Veronese (VR) Groups accompanied by volunteers from the Verona FAI Youth Group, delegation and students from the University of Verona From 9.30 to 18.30. Last departure at 17.00. Visit duration 60 minutes.

– RIVOLI WIND PARK: ENERGY, HISTORY AND LANDSCAPE – Via Montalto Gaium, Rivoli Veronese (VR) Groups accompanied by volunteers from the Verona FAI Youth Group, delegation and students from the University of Verona From 9.30 am to 6.00 pm. Last departure at 16.30. The visits last 90 minutes.

– I CELTI, IL TESORO NASCOSTO DI POVEGLIANO VERONESE – Piazza IV Novembre, Povegliano Veronese (VR), groups accompanied by the Apprentice Tour Guides of the Carlo Anti of Villafranca. From 10 a.m. to 5.30 p.m. Last departure at 5 p.m. Duration of visits 50 minutes

– ART AND FAITH IN SOMMACAMPAGNA: THE PARISH CHURCH AND THE CHURCH OF SAN ROCCO – Piazza della Repubblica, Sommacampagna (VR), groups accompanied by the Carlo Anti di Villafranca’s Apprentice Tour Guides. From 10 a.m. to 5.30 p.m. Last departure at 5 p.m. Duration of visits 60 minutes.