The Naples 19th Century Secret Tunnel Full of Vintage Cars and Motorbikes – The tunnel was once used to be an escape route for the king, but with the passage of time, it has converted into the vintage graveyard of cars and motorbikes. Naples has a rich history of being home to a mysterious warren of tunnels carved into 16th-century aqueducts. The mesmerizing tunnel is 100 feet below ground all more intriguing is that they were built by a king.
In the 1950s the tunnel became a place for discarded motorbikes rusting vintage cars and water tanks which were then long forgotten. Moreover, it is accessed via an 18th-century staircase not far from the Piazza del Plebiscite in central Naples, in the early 2000s locals re-discovered and transformed the passageways into an eccentric tourist attraction. Therefore, it is believed that the Bourbon tunnel was actually designed for King Ferdinand II of Bourbon. He used the tunnel as an escape route interlinking the royal palace and the army barracks in 1853.
Thus, the enigmatic passageways were actually designed in response to the spate of revolts the monarch faced during his volatile reign. Eager to make use of the city’s prehistoric aqueducts, a plan was developed to build the structure in the cisterns of the Bolla and Carmignano aqueducts. Unluckily the King was died before the tunnel completed.
Hence, after that the regal route was no longer required, the tunnels served several purposes over the years, with this ample space providing storage and protection to the few citizens privy to its existence. Therefore, the passageways and aqueducts offered refuge as a military hospital and bomb shelter during World War II and then became converted into a warehouse for impounded vehicles from the 1940s until the 1960s. Moreover, visitors crawling through the tunnels nowadays will be sure to encounter the dusty relics of vintage cars and retro motorcycles that have been abandoned underground.
Thus, after reviving these unbelievable passageways, Galleria Borbonica planned three different types of tours to sate the curiosity of locals and tourists alike. So, on a standard tour, visitors can walk inside the tunnel, can see the bomb shelters and water tanks. However, the high-octane adventure tour includes a raft ride in a subway tunnel, which has become flooded with water.
Lastly, the speleo tour permits guests to relish a hands-on gritty familiarity crawling through the tunnels in helmets fitted with torches. Nevertheless, before anyone starts to fantasize that they have been transported back to the days of King Ferdinand II, they will have the chance to ride a zip line, which is sure to thrust them back into the present day. Source: Dailymail
