Valley of the Fallen

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Apologies - currently unable to restore. If you have a backup please edit this entry and save/publishI´m in Madrid visiting Beltran, Eduardo and their families. Beltran and I went to the Valle do los Caidos, Valley of the Fallen. Its an amazing place and has two very different stories to it and history hasn´t decided yet which will endure.

FAUST / old ways
After Franco won the civil war in 1939, he "hired" the losing side, the Republic, paid each person one pesta a day to carve a church in to the side of a mountain, all solid stone. The "employees" worked 10 hour day six days a week for 18 years to complete the project. Inside the church the shape is like one long arch, 50 feet high 400 feet long, to support all the rock surrounding it. It has all the typical church themes in art, statues and mosaics along with a section dedicated to the army, navy and airforce - no surprice there - churches for centuries have had their armies. Franco is buried there behind the altar like all great supporters/martars.

The place was named Valley of the Fallen as a monument to those who died in the civil war but the winners believe it was more for them. Franco had
protected their way of life and the church survived; does this sound familiar?

Republic / new ideas
The republic was made up of socialist, communist and anyone else who didn´t quite agree with Franco. To them the choice was to build the church or die, so they went to work. The irony is most of the workers were intellectuals who didn´t believe in the church and now they were building one. To slave away for years for you disbliefs, a certian kind of hell I´m sure. Many died in the process. A certian part of the Spanish believe that since they died building the church it is a monument for them.

Valle de los Caidos is worth seeing. I left with the same feeling I have felt at all war memorials I have visited, the feeling of sorrow for all those who have suffered in war and wondering why we still wage war.

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Photos

Valley Entrance
Entering the Valley of the Fallen

Church Entrance
Square at the entrance of the church, it was carved into soild rock, took 18 years.

Angel
Angel comforting the Fallen

Cross
View of Cross and Monestery from up hill

Statue
Statue of Man with Lion, lion is the symbol of Spain

Statue
Man with Eagle, eagle was Franco´s symbol

Cross
The Cross took five years to build

Statue
Statue of Angels playing harps

Statue
Statue of Man with Bull at the base of the cross

Castle
Beltran took me down the road to the Castle of Manzanares.

Castle
The Spanish government leased the Castle for 60 years and restored it.