This is the underbelly of the church where Aldo's funeral masses were held.  It was open for public viewing yesterday so we peeked in as we'd heard so many stories about it.  During the war, the area around Carignano was subject to allied bombings, not because it had anything to bomb, but because  Fiat factories were being used to build cannons and tanks for the German military.  The Fiat factories were in an area of Torino called Lingotto which is at least 10 miles away but, unfortunately for Carignano, the bombers at that time were not very accurate.  GP's parents were children during the war and remember hiding in the basement of the church during bomb raids.  Families would claim a space and keep mattresses and blankets stored there.  Children were tucked into the arched alcoves off to the sides as the ceilings in those areas had extra support.  Amalia said that some nights they'd be awoken twice, dragged out of bed to run down the streets to the church.  The people who lived outside the town center would leave their homes and hide down along the river bank.  The children thought it was quite an adventure but somehow I think the adults not so much.  xxoo me