Parco's Secret?

Question

I went to Parco delle Energie last week, expecting a typical Roman park. Boy, was I wrong! It's HUGE, and way more industrial chic than I anticipated. Spent hours wandering around, but I couldn't find the rumored underground tunnels people keep talking about. Anyone know if those tunnels actually exist, or is that just a local legend? Seriously, the place is a maze! It felt like I should have stumbled across something hidden, something...off. Maybe it's just my imagination running wild, after spending so long in the sun...

irmeliehaberland · Answer

those tunnels get exaggerated a lot. whats actually down there is mostly old air raid shelters from the SNIA years, not some secret network, and the city sealed most of them years ago for safety. if you wanna see a piece of that history without trespassing, the little museum at the former SNIA complex on Via di Portonaccio sometimes does guided walks, worth checking their site. honestly the "off" vibe is real though, that whole area has a weird heavy quiet even at midday

annelene · Answer

The tunnels are real, but they're not in the park proper. What you're looking for is the old bunker complex under the Parco delle Energie, built in the 1930s when this was the SNIA Viscosa industrial site. The entrance I know of is off Via di Portonaccio, near the back edge where the park meets the old factory walls, and it's usually fenced or locked so you won't just wander in. The "off" feeling you got is probably the ventilation shafts, you can spot a few concrete caps poking out of the grass on the eastern side if you look carefully.

karenschlick · Answer

If you're still poking around there, the thing most people miss isn't underground at all. Walk the perimeter along Via di Portonaccio and you'll see the old SNIA Viscosa gatehouse and a stretch of the original 1920s brick wall still standing, complete with faded company lettering. That whole edge tells the story better than any tunnel would, since the park only exists because the rayon factory shut down in the 1950s and the land sat abandoned for decades. Go early on a weekday, the light on that brick is worth the trip alone.

verona · Answer

Dunno about tunnels, I just go there for the turtles in the pond.

Neu aus Rome