The Republican naval base at Cartagena was, predictably, a major bombing target that was repeatedly battered by Hitler and Mussolini's planes swinging in from the Med.Like other cities along the Costa Blanca that were key targets, the resilience and bravery of the local people is extraordinary. In Cartagena that bravery is marked in a fantastic museum set in an air raid shelter that held over 5000 people. This museum is regarded as a model of the way that historical memory from the Civil War period can be marked. Hewn from rough stone, and with an interactive soundtrack and contemporary film footage dating back to before the 1936, the museum succeeds in its objective of transporting you back in time to get at least a feel and glimpse of what life was like in these communities under repeated fascist bombardment. If you get a chance to make the trip to Cartagena you should take it, not just for the Civil War museum but also to take a look at the extraordinary remains of the Roman ampitheatre excavated in the centre of the town. You will not be disappointed.
