In the 60s, during the Cold War and the Berlin Wall era, a series of tunnels was built in Affi into the forest-covered rock wall of Mount Moscal. This led to the creation of an American base, used by the NATO as a command and radio center for Southern Europe.
At that time, Affi was a small place with old houses on the mountainside, two magnificent villas, and a church at the foot of the mountain; the highway with its toll station was going to be built much later, as was the shopping center. The area was considered structurally weak (according to a special law), and there was nothing around except wide fields.
The structure was built within a few years and started operating in 1966 under the name 'West Star', as opposed to the Red Star, the symbol of the then-USSR.
As Wikipedia reports: 'With its 13,000 square metres, it was the largest bunker in Italy and, in wartime, it could have housed about 500 people, including civilians and soldiers. The facility was intended to serve as a command center in case of nuclear, chemical, and biological attacks. The base was also equipped with electromagnetic protection devices (EMP) to ensure communication security. It was meant to provide a protected refuge for the joint operational command in northeastern Italy (based in Verona) and thus could safely accommodate the military general staff. Even in peacetime, it was operational 24/7 hours.'
In the following decades, the global environment changed, and the base was permanently closed in 2007. Only in recent years have steps been taken to make the facility accessible to the public.
In this context, the cultural initiative at the West Star Base was created, resulting from the collaboration between the municipality of Affi and AS.MA.VE. The title is impressive: „West Star & Stone – From rock to form “.
Carved directly out of the rock itself, this very stone serves as the foundation while also providing solid protection – natural stone has always been at the heart of ancient, historical, and deeply rooted economic activities in this region. Even though today other materials like marble, granite, and quartzite are also processed locally, the connection to the deep roots of the millennia-old culture and the local traditions remains alive.
In the exhibition, which is open from September 7 to 27, 2026, a series of panels with lots of photos and documents tell the story of the West Star base. Besides, there are displayed works of local artists and craftsmen, as well as creations made by students from the professional school San Zeno (art and marble automation), the art school Paolo Brenzoni, and the State Art College of Verona. The exhibition also features design pieces made entirely out of stone.
A great opportunity to literally kill two birds with one stone: visiting a U.S. base and discovering local handicrafts.
“West Star & Stone – From rock to form”
The exhibition has the following opening hours:
In the morning only by appointment: 10.00 am – 1.00 pm
Afternoon: 4.00 pm – 7.00 pm
Saturday and Sunday: 10.00 am – 7.00 pm
For information: AS.MA.VE: Tel. 045 6862369, E-Mail: info@asmave.it
