Guía Santa Cruz del Valle de los Caídos By José Luis Sancho
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It was a very interesting visit The Spanish recent history of the civil war is still under debate I would not be in favor of demolishing this monument Better would be to add the current view of history on way or another Other monuments or musea do so like for instance in the Nixon presidential library in Yorba county CA Monuments like this make you realise what people are capable of and make you think 60 Reposted from my blog IntroductionAny tourist to Berlin will soon be reminded of its ugly past Monuments to the Nazi movement to the Holocaust to the Berlin Wall and to the Stasi secret police are everywhere This abundance of tragic memorials might be shocking at first even depressing but the very fact that they exist is an encouraging sign The conflict persecution oppression and violent terror that killed so many and ripped the city apart it isn t hidden away but openly discussed commemorated taught to children so that it is not forgotten and never repeated. Guía santa cruz del valle de los caídosk k1 A tourist in Madrid by comparison can be forgiven for never guessing that there was ever a Spanish Civil War at all The most notable monument to that bloody conflict hangs in the Reina Sofia Picasso s Guernica But there are no museums no educational centers no memorials Why Perhaps it is all too recent after all Franco died in 1975 and he had supporters right until the end And yet the Berlin Wall fell even recently in 1989 and Berlin is full of references to its famous barrier So mere historical proximity isn t the answerThis question is taken up in Giles Tremlett s excellent book Ghosts of Spain Spaniards he says are still so divided on the issue of Franco that it is impossible to present the Spanish Civil War in any kind of neutral way Any mention of the war is bound to upset one side or the other threatening to reopen old wounds to aggravate societal tensions that once ripped the country in half. Guía Santa Cruz del Valle de los Caídos kindle unlimited The only solution that seems to satisfy nearly everyone is silence For a long time both sides abided by a pact of forgetting pacto de olvido pushing the war into the half forgotten background letting it collect dust in the basement As we will see later this is becoming less and less true recently but is still very much the norm. Guía Santa Cruz del Valle de los Caídos epubor With the political situation in my own country becoming alarming by the day I cannot afford to be a part of this pact of forgetting I do not think it is wise to forget nor to remain silent especially now We cannot indulge in historical ignorance Averting our eyes away from painful events only makes it likely that they will reoccur With this in mind I traveled to the most imposing monument to Facist Spain El Valle de los Ca dos to hear distant echoes of Spain s silent past. Guía santa cruz del valle de los caídos book online Facts and FiguresEl Valle de los Ca dos the Valley of the Fallen is situated about an hour s drive outside the city of Madrid in the Guadarrama mountains It is a Catholic basilica tunnelled into a hillside its main altar deep underground The basilica is situated in a natural preserve that covers over 13 square kilometers in a picturesque area among woodlands and granite boulders. Guía santa cruz del valle de los caídosc cctv It is not exactly easy to get to using public transportation The first time I tried to visit I took the bus line 664 from Moncloa which stops at the edge of the Valley leaving you with six kilometers to walk after that But I missed the stop completely and ended up in El Escorial The better option I think is to take either the 664 or the 661 to El Escorial from there you can take a special bus that leaves every day at 3 15 pm and drops you off right in front of the monument This bus returns at 5 30 to El Escorial two hours is than enough time to visit and from there you can return to Madrid. Guía santa cruz del valle de los caídos pdf descargar The Valley took nineteen years to complete construction lasted from 1940 to 1959 and cost over one billion pesetas I don t know how much that would be in euros The two principal architects were Pedro Muguruza Ota o and Diego M ndez who consciously built the monument in a Neo Herrerian style a revival of the architectural style of Juan de Herrera the architect of El Escorial But according to this guide book in large part the Valley is a personal creation of Francisco Franco since it was his idea to have the monument crowning the rock where the sepulchral crypt would open that contains the remains of the fallen his is the Program of the Abbey and the Center of Social Studies after overruling the original idea that there would be a military barracks his the choice of the site his the decisions about thousands of little details throughout the construction and finally his the choice of the various projects of the Cross and the architects My translation from the Spanish edition The Valley took so long and cost so much money to build because of the massive engineering challenge of building it The mountain had to be hollowed out and careful calculations had to be made regarding the vertical and lateral stability of the rock The rock that was excavated to make the basilica is the same rock that paves the large terrace out front. Guía santa cruz del valle de los caídos book download Aside from the feat of engineering the Valley is impressive simply for its size If part of its interior had not intentionally been left unconsecrated to avoid competition with the mother church it would be a bigger Basilica than St Peter s in Rome Even striking is the cross atop the monument which is the largest cross in the world it stretches to 150 meters 500 feet in height and is visible from a distance of 32 kilometers 20 miles A funicular which wasn t working when I was there takes visitors up to the base of the cross Inside the cross is an elevator and a stairway which lead up to a hatch in the top but tourists aren t allowed here. Guía santa cruz del valle de los caídos book online The Valley is officially meant to commemorate the fallen combatants of both sides in the Spanish Civil War On the opposite side of the mountain from the basilica is a Benedictine Abbey where the monks hold a perpetual mass to the dead I m not sure if this abbey can be visited Interred somewhere within the complex I think in chambers connected to the side chapels are the fallen soldiers According to the Spanish language Wikipedia page there are 33872 combatants buried there. Pdf guía santa cruz del valle de los caídos pdf My VisitWhen I walked off the bus I was surprised to see snow on the ground This was the first time I d seen snow from up close in Spain The atmosphere was dense with fog a mist that seemed to suffocate all sound leaving the surroundings in an eerie silence There were about twenty of us on the bus mostly younger people mostly Spanish. Guía Santa Cruz del Valle de los Caídos kindle unlimited We followed the signs towards the monument walking down a simple road passing a caf towards a large hill that loomed overhead its top was totally shrouded in fog The scene gave me a sense of foreboding the jagged rocks jutting from the hillside the pine trees laden with snow the opaque air the absence of sound The landscape seemed to be whispering an unintelligible something. Pdf guía santa cruz del valle de los caídos pdf I walked on and suddenly a form emerged through the fog a concrete arch about thirty feet high This was the front of the monument Soon the path opened up into a large empty space a flat terrace covered with snow I walked into the middle of this terrace my feet scrunching in the snow leaving a lonely trail of footprints From there I could see the monument s fa ade A semicircular row of arches curved around me in a massive embrace In the middle was the door and above that a piet or lamentation showing the Virgin Mary bent down over the dead Christ s body. Guía santa cruz del valle de los caídos pdf gratis There was something cold and sterile about those concrete arches lifelessly repeating in perfect order like a row of tombstones in a military cemetery They impressed at first but had nothing behind them doorways leading nowhere meaning nothing The dreary grey of concrete was only drearier in the fog I moved towards the door and looked up at the statue The Virgin looked so absolutely alone out here in the wilderness up on the mountain amid the rocks and snow petrified grief forever mourning. Guía santa cruz del valle de los caídose entradas I passed through the door decorated with bas reliefs of the Life of Christ and went inside This was the basilica built in the mountain s belly A long tunnel stretched out before me dimly lit I could hear the soft mechanical hum of ventilation Footsteps and conversation softly echoed in the cavernous space A sign on the wall told me to be silent for I was entering a sacred place Through another doorway and I was standing in another tunnel this one much larger In the hallway yellow bulbs glowed like torches their light was reflected on the polished surface of the floor making every surface shimmer with a pallid glimmer I was deep in the earth now buried under a mountain of rock far from the sun s rays and the cool breeze. Guía Santa Cruz del Valle de los Caídos booklet Along the walls tapestries were hung I looked and saw scenes of chaos warriors on horseback attacking crowds multi headed hydras trampling people underfoot angels with swords held aloft fire and smoke and rays of light battles and beatific visions and always God enshrined with light watching from above This was the apocalypse depicted in eight sequential images along the hallway the Antichrist the four horsemen the beast and the final judgment In small nooks underneath giant bas reliefs altars hung from the walls telling the story of the Virgin Mary the annunciation the visitation the adoration of the Magi. Pdf guía santa cruz del valle de los caídos pdf My phone was in my hand and I was busy taking pictures when a woman dressed in black walked by and yelled No fotos caballero I continued on pausing here and there to examine a tapestry and an altar but feeling somehow distracted maybe even drained There was something oppressive about the space Like the fa ade outside this hallway seemed sterile lifeless inhuman The perfect symmetry of the decoration the tapestries and altars arranged in exactly regular intervals opposite one other repeating and repeating and the mathematical precision of every line and angle there was no warmth in it no life only calculation and design. Guía Santa Cruz del Valle de los Caídos epubs air I ascended a staircase and found myself among rows of pews Overhead on platforms along the walls were four statues of shrouded figures Before me was the main altar Christ hung from a crucifix made from tree trunks staring up at the ceiling in merciful agony Now I stared at the ceiling too as I stepped into the center of the basilica. Guía santa cruz del valle de los caídos ebook gratis Over me was an enormous dome golden and flooded with light It was magnificent Christ sat enthroned in the center by far the largest figure while dozens of believers ascended up towards him in a mountain of men and women I walked around the circular space agape at the sight slowly making my way to where I began Then I walked around again this time pausing to investigate the small chapels on either side They were dedicated to the fallen In one chapel a man was kneeling in prayer Who was he What was he praying for In my third pass around the space I noticed something on the ground I approached and saw these words written on a concrete slab Francisco Franco So this was it this was the dictator s tomb I paused for a long while and stared down at the grave Here he was the man who kept Spain under his boot for forty long years And what was he now A pile of dust underneath a concrete slab But he was not forgotten A bouquet of white and red flowers sat above his name neatly arranged The flowers looked fresh Who left them here And why As I stood there looking down at the grave a strange feeling began to take hold of me An icy hand gripped my insides and twisted my knees felt weak sweat ran down my back Was this a dream Suddenly a sound snapped me out of the trance NO FOTOS yelled the woman in black at a tourist and her words carried by her strong voice filled up the space and broke for a moment the suffocating silence. Guía santa cruz del valle de los caídos book download I walked around the room once and then I fled walking through the tunnel through the door and back into the open air I went down the front stairs and into the courtyard In a corner someone had built a snowman The poor fellow was already starting to melt It was the best thing I d seen all day. Guía santa cruz del valle de los caídos pdf download I turned to look at the monument once again The fog had receded somewhat giving me a better view of the mountainside Up above breaking through the mist like a ship pushing through stormy waves was the cross It was just an outline a faint silhouette in the semi darkness vain in its fruits It was human vanity spurred by that eternal illusion of earthly power immortality But all stone cracks and all metal rusts and everything human turns to dust Nothing of this world will last not wealth not glory not power For all its permanence this stone sarcophagus might as well be that snowman melting in the sun. Guía Santa Cruz del Valle de los Caídos ebooks free ControversyThe third most visited monument under the direction of the Patrimonio Nacional the Valley is undoubtedly the most controversial Indeed how can it not be Whatever Franco may have said or thought about its ostensible purpose commemorating both sides of the war indifferently the Valley is an obvious monument to Spanish Fascism nationalistic Roman Catholic Falangist megalomaniac. Book guía santa cruz del valle de los caídos pdf Added to this is the uncomfortable fact that part of the labor that went into the Valley s construction was done by Spanish prisoners of war of the defeated side Granted from what I can find it seems that these prisoners constituted a rather small percentage of the workforce what is the labor was voluntary and allowed prisoners to commute their sentences Nevertheless the thought that Republican soldiers contributed their sweat and toil to a monument celebrating their defeat can t help but inspire discomfort. Guía santa cruz del valle de los caídos book pdf This is not to mention Franco s tomb Francisco Franco is the only person interred in the Valley who didn t die in the Civil War What is for such a widely despised figure he is given quite an honorable burial right in the center of the Basilica still carefully adorned with flowers There are many who think his remains should be removed and others who think they should at least be moved to the mausoleum on an equal footing with the rest of the deceased The Right counters that this gesture would be pointless purely symbolic and would needlessly disturb the populace So his remains remain. Guía santa cruz del valle de los caídosf fm I should also mention that the other twentieth century right wing dictator of Spain Jos Antonio Primo de Rivera is buried in the center of the Basilica too Unlike Franco he did die in the Civil War but this does not explain why his tomb is honored above the others. Guía santa cruz del valle de los caídos ebook pdf In his book Ghosts of Spain Tremlett describes a Falangist rally that he witnessed inside the Mausoleum The flag and symbol of Franco s party were proudly waved and Franco s daughter was even in attendance These rallies were formally outlawed in 2007 as part of the Historical Memory Law In 2009 and 2010 when Spain was in control of the socialist party the monument was closed several times This was ostensibly for safety reasons though the Right saw it as a sign of suppression When the socialists were voted out of power in 2011 masses resumed in the Basilica. PDF Guía Santa Cruz del Valle de los caidos del The most pressing question it seems to me is what should be done with the monument At present the Valley of the Fallen is presented as just another historic Catholic Basilica like El Escorial with informational plaques about its artwork and design A visitor totally innocent of Spanish history can conceivably visit the monument and never guess that it was connected with a Fascist government and have no inkling of the controversy that now surrounds it I think this is not an acceptable situation. Guía Santa Cruz del Valle de los Caídos bookworm In 2011 an expert commission was formed under the socialist government to give advice on the future of the monument They proposed setting up an interpretive center to explain to visitors why it exists They also suggested that remains of the soldiers be identified and their names inscribed on the terrace outside and that Franco s remains should be removed completely These seem like sensible and good suggestions to me but the conservative government upon their ascension to power announced that they had no intention of following them. Guía santa cruz del valle de los caídos pdf I think this situation needs to change and soon As one of my students said if you see the monument with non political eyes it is a beautiful and astonishing work But there is no separating the Valley from its politics and any attempt to do so is itself a political act one that tacitly approves of what the monument stands for History can t be swept under the rug especially now it must be confronted interpreted understood and taught Reframing the Valley will be a challenge but it is also an opportunity for Spain to come to grips with its past. Guía Santa Cruz del Valle de los Caídos epubor AfterthoughtI went to the Valley in part to gain perspective on my own country What I found troubled me Surprisingly it was not the monument s political ideals profoundly conservative that did so nor was it the religious element As I hinted above the most disturbing part of the Valley for me was the megalomania that inspired its creation. Guía santa cruz del valle de los caídos pdf gratis The impulse to erect a giant cross on top of a mountain and to carve out the world s biggest basilica underground strikes me as the same impulse in different form as the one that spurs people to fight about their inauguration audience size or to constantly boast about their wealth and intelligence It is the urge to be admired to demonstrate power to dominate others This urge does not seem to me primarily political but psychological perhaps even primal. Guía Santa Cruz del Valle de los Caídos ebook reader It is amazing to see how the petty insecurities and lusts of the powerful are translated into physical form into the Valley of the Fallen or into Trump s Tower What do these constructions tell us about tyranny To me it seems that the real danger is not and has never been an ideology however much I find some ideologies disgusting The real danger is the ascension to power of a certain type of person usually a man self aggrandizing bullying egotistical and ruthless A man who is afraid of what he doesn t understand who sees everything through the lens of his own sensitive self who regards all agreement as a sign of submission and all disagreement as an impudent challenge to be squashed. Guía santa cruz del valle de los caídos pdf descargar Such men can do and have done lasting harm to democracy The Valley of the Fallen is a monument to this fact one that we should keep in mind 60
| Guía Santa Cruz del Valle de los Caídos By José Luis Sancho |
| Spanish; Castilian |
| 60 |
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Standing far up above everything in the surroundings