Bomb at Montebello Vicentino, 8th Paratrooper Engineers Regiment Folgore intervenes

The disposal of an explosive device dating back to the Second World War was successfully completed yesterday. It was discovered on March 17th inside a high-speed rail construction site in Montebello Vicentino. The 500-pound (over 225kg) aerial bomb, a potentially still lethal war remnant, was first defused on-site and then safely transported to a quarry in the municipality of Alonte (VI), where it was detonated in a controlled manner.

The delicate operation was carried out by the bomb disposal experts of the 8th Paratrooper Engineers Regiment “Folgore” based in Legnago (VR), a highly specialized unit of the Italian Army in explosive ordnance disposal operations, even in high-risk scenarios.

A not isolated discovery

The discovery of the aerial bomb occurred in an area already affected by previous war clearance activities. In recent months, in fact, the Army specialists had operated several times in the same area, characterized by intense infrastructural activity for the construction of the new high-speed railway line (TAV). The frequency of discoveries confirms how the Italian subsoil, especially in areas of historic bombings, still holds numerous unexploded ordnances dating back to the Second World War.

The initial assessment and securing

After the discovery on March 17th, the bomb disposal experts of the 8th Paratrooper Engineers Regiment “Folgore” promptly arrived at the high-speed rail construction site to conduct an initial technical assessment. The analysis focused on the condition of the device, the type of bomb, and the presence of active triggering systems. Given the danger of the device and its proximity to strategic road infrastructures, the construction of a containment structure was immediately ordered, designed to minimize damage in case of accidental explosion and reduce the evacuation radius.

This measure also allowed for limiting the impact on civil activities and traffic, enabling a reduction of the evacuation radius, although it was necessary to order a temporary suspension of circulation along a section of the A4 Brescia-Padova highway.

Coordination between institutions

The entire operation was managed with careful coordination between various institutions. The Prefecture of Vicenza, in synergy with the Comando Forze Operative Nord of Padua, led the operations on the ground, ensuring compliance with safety protocols and guaranteeing maximum transparency towards the population.

Alongside the Army soldiers, the Police Headquarters of Vicenza, the Fire Brigade, the Italian Red Cross, and the emergency medical personnel operated with professionalism and dedication, ready to intervene at every stage of the operation.

Once the defusing was completed, the activation systems were separated from the bomb body, rendering it harmless. The device was then loaded onto a specially equipped military vehicle and transported to the quarry in Alonte, where it was finally neutralized with a controlled detonation, without causing damage or disturbance to the local population.

A daily commitment in service of the Nation

The intervention at Montebello Vicentino is just one of the numerous operations that the Engineers Corps carries out every year across the national territory. In the first three months of 2025 alone, the 8th Regiment completed about 100 clearance operations, destroying over 200 war devices of various types and calibers: aerial bombs, artillery shells, mines, grenades, and other explosive remnants.

Numbers that highlight the importance of a competence that, even eighty years after the end of the conflict, continues to be crucial for public safety and the development of the country's infrastructure.

The role of the 8th Regiment “Folgore”

The 8th Paratrooper Engineers Regiment “Folgore” represents one of the excellences of the Italian Army. Composed of highly trained personnel and equipped with cutting-edge technology, the Regiment is capable of operating in complex scenarios, both nationally and in international missions, with tasks ranging from war clearance to combat support, and including humanitarian operations and civil protection.

The activity of explosive ordnance disposal not only concerns the past but is also an investment in future safety. Every defused bomb, every operation completed without incidents, is a step forward towards a safer territory for all.