Italians build bunkers at home in the garden

In Italy, the demand for private shelters has increased enormously, according to the few companies that manufacture bunkers, as well as for brokerage sites.

On housing sites such as immobilare.it and casa.it, the desire for places with shelters is noticeable in sharply increased prices for such objects.

Russia's invasion of Ukraine has raised deep fears of a nuclear war and the bombing of large Italian cities.

- I can only say that we had this company for 20 years and built 50 shelters in those years.

In the last month, we have received over 1,000 inquiries, says Giuilio Caviocchili at the company Minus Energie in Mantova.

"He had tears in his voice"

Characteristic of almost everyone who calls is that they have family: children and / or grandchildren and other close relatives, whom they want to protect.

Men often call, on behalf of their wives.

- A man called, he had tears in his voice, I heard it.

That was just when the war broke out.

He said his daughters were panicking and could not sleep and asked me to come right away.

I tried to calm him down, says Giulio Cavvicholi.

The smallest and most cost-effective shelters can be around 30 square meters.

Prices range from around SEK 300,000 and up, even over SEK 1 million.

- It depends on the size and how well equipped you want the bunker to be, says Giulio Cavicchioli.

We get to follow him into a private garden, to a bunker that he is completing.

The door is strong enough to withstand 45,000 tonnes and we get to see the water reservoir and the facility that supplies the bunker with fresh air.

The shelter must be able to withstand both biological weapons and an atomic bomb.

- Here on the left the beds should be, on the right the shelves with food.

Here you see the emergency exit, every bunker must have it, if the usual entrance is blocked, says Caviccihioli.

"The winds of the Cold War are back"

It is the older woman Rosalba Santorio who ordered the job, for herself, the children, her cats and the dog Scott.

- The winds of the Cold War are back, unfortunately.

We prepare the bunker but do it in the hope of never getting value for money and never having to use it, says Rosalba and lets the dog Scott run down the stairs.

He makes a quick tour of the large cold room, deep underground in her spring-flowering garden.

At the same time, the war feels so distant and very close.