Restoration work in 2014 brought to light a World War II bunker on the coastal road to Paestum. In particular, it is located in the locality of Torre di Mare in Capaccio.
The bunker is composed of two symmetrical buildings, buried, about 3 meters high and 10 meters long, equipped with a fighting room and a loophole, arranged in such a way as to be able to face the advance of enemy soldiers. The bunker is covered with brambles and is located in the area where, according to historical sources, Operation Avalanche, the landing of the 5th American Army, took place on September 9, 1943. It was a militarily strategic area, which allowed the landing of Allied ships and defense against enemy attacks.
“The bunker is a monument that concerns one of the most important historical events that took place in Capaccio Paestum: the Allied landing. – this is what Italo Voza, the mayor of Capaccio Paestum at the time of the restoration excavations, stated – It has been hidden by the undergrowth for years, now we want to bring it to light, make it visitable and include it in the itineraries that retrace that historical period and for which we have signed a memorandum of understanding with three other municipalities“.
Today the war relic, with the exception of the two underground rooms whose entrances are closed by gates, can be visited thanks to some groups and associations that operate in the area and that accompany tourists and visitors to the battlefields of the Salerno area.
“Spiaggia libera del Bunker“, the freely accessible beach on the Paestum coast
The coastal shoreline adjacent to the WWII Bunker is freely accessible. The seaside resort is called, precisely, “Bunker Beach” and allows bathers to spend a relaxing day on the beach.
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