Berlitz: Madrid Pocket Guide by Berlitz Travel

Author:Berlitz Travel
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Travel, Spain
Publisher: APA
Published: 2016-08-02T04:00:00+00:00

Valle de los Caídos monument

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Valle de los Caídos

Just around the mountain is another monument of enormous proportions, but far more polemical. After the Spanish Civil War, Franco wanted to build a monument to commemorate those who died during the hostilities. For the site he chose the V-shaped valley called Cuelgamuros known today as the Valle de los Caídos (Valley of the Fallen). The most visible part of the monument is a huge cross standing 150m (492ft) high, set upon the summit of a small mountain. Equally grand is the underground Basilica open to the public (Tue–Sun 10am–7pm, until 6pm Oct–Mar; www.valledeloscaidos.es). Carved 240m (786ft) deep into the granite mountain, using prisoner-of-war labour from the Republican forces, the basilica is reached via a tunnel. The tombs of Franco and José Antonio Primo de Rivera, founder of the Falangist Party, occupy a privileged position, making this a place of homage for his followers. Ossuaries in the crypt (closed to the public) contain the remains of tens of thousands of the dead, of both sides, from the Civil War, making private reburial impossible, despite descendents’ requests.

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