A Journey Through Memory: Industrial History and Air Raid Shelters
Among the most unique attractions in the province of Pistoia, the S.M.I. Museums and Air Raid Shelters of Campo Tizzoro represent a fascinating example of industrial archaeology and historical memory. The complex houses the only underground air raid shelters in Italy built by a private company for its workers—an unparalleled work of its kind.
The museum, inaugurated in 2010, tells over 100 years of history of the Italian Metallurgical Society’s war production, active not only in Campo Tizzoro but also in other Tuscan plants such as Livorno, Florence, Fornaci di Barga, Ferriere di Mammiano, and Limestre.
The heart of the route is the air raid shelters, a system of underground tunnels over 2 km long, carved into the rock at depths between 15 and 30 meters. These spaces were built to protect employees from aerial attacks during wartime: for the company, the workforce was its most precious asset.
The guided tour lasts about an hour and a half, and in the spring and summer months the experience can be enriched with excursions to the plant’s defensive lines and to Villaggio Orlando, the workers’ village named after the Orlando family, industrial promoters of the area’s development.
👉 Info and bookings: www.irsapt.it/en/smi