by InTrieste
For decades, they lay undetected beneath layers of sediment at the small harbor of Barcola, a silent hazard hidden just below the surface. More than 80 years after the end of World War II, at least a dozen unexploded ordnance devices have been discovered on the seabed—unearthed only now by long-delayed dredging operations.
The works, commissioned by regional authorities, were launched in response to requests from local concession holders, including Sirena, Società Velica Barcola e Grignano, and Amici del Bunker. The dredging, aimed at removing decades of accumulated sediment, is part of a broader effort that also includes reinforcing the harbor’s breakwater to protect against increasingly severe storm surges.
The discovery has prompted a coordinated response from military specialists. Army engineers from Udine will conduct an initial assessment of the explosives to determine the size of the area that must be secured. A subsequent clearance operation will be carried out by divers from the Italian Navy, though the timeline remains uncertain.
Fabio Scoccimarro, the regional councillor for the environment, visited the site following the discovery and sought to reassure harbor users. The return of boats had been scheduled between April and May, at the start of the spring season. “We will ensure safety and work to provide alternatives so that boaters are not left without moorings,” he said.
Regional officials indicated that temporary solutions will be arranged to accommodate vessels while the clearance proceeds. Additional funding may also be allocated to complete both the removal of the ordnance and the dredging works, advancing a project that had been awaited for decades.
