The Valley of the Deceased (Spanish: Valle de los Caídos), besides known as the Valley of Cuelgamuros, is simply a monumental complex located in the Sierra de Guadarrama mountains, close Madrid. It was built at the initiative of General Francisco Franco after the Spanish civilian War as a place of national reconciliation and tribute to the fallen. For years, it was considered a religious, patriotic and architectural symbol. Today, however, it has become the subject of a heated political and cultural dispute.
The construction of the Valley began in 1940 and lasted 18 years. The authoritative beginning took place on April 1, 1959. The monument was designed by architects Pedro Muguruz and Diego Méndez in the neoherrean style, which was to mention to the magnificent architecture of Spain's Habsburg times. The monument includes a immense basilica carved in a rock, a 150-metre-high cross – the highest in the planet – and Benedictine Abbey.
As Franco intended, it was to be an act of national penance and a symbol of reconciliation after the fratricidal war. There are about 33,000 victims of both sides of the conflict – both Republicans and nationalists. For more than six decades, Benedictine served there as a spiritual minister, giving regular Masses and praying for the dead.
The Valley of the Deceased from the beginning was controversial, but tensions increased importantly in the 21st century. For part of society – especially left-wing – this place is not so much a monument to reconciliation as a glorification of the Franco regime. Especially criticized is the fact that Franco himself rested there until 2019, although his burial was originally not planned there. His exhumation after a long and turbulent legal process became a turning point in public debate.
In 2020, the government of Pedro Sánchez (PSOE) presented a draft of the alleged Democratic Memory Act, which aims, among others, at removing symbols related to frankism from public space and transforming the Valley of the Deceased into a secular memorial site. This plan involves eliminating the spiritual function of the complex, removing Benedictines and transforming the basilica into a museum of history.
Government proposals have sparked broad opposition from religious, conservative and right-wing communities. Cardinal Antonio Cañizares and Bishop Juan Antonio Reig Pla publically defended the spiritual character of the Valley, emphasizing its importance as places of prayer and reconciliation.
Benedictine, who signed a contract with you in 1958, came to the court, arguing that the government's actions violated constitutional spiritual freedom and agreements concluded with the Holy See in 1979. Government action can so not only be controversial but besides illegal.
The Democratic Memory Act polarized the Spanish political scene. The governing Socialist organization (PSOE) argues that the aim of the bill is to close historical wounds and advance democratic values. The opposition People's organization (PP) is more cautious about the substance – PP leader Alberto Núñez Feijóo, advocates maintaining the spiritual function of the Valley and preserving its first thought of reconciliation, while at the same time a historical context.
In turn, the VOX party, representing the conservative right, powerfully opposes any change. Its leader, Santiago Abascal, acknowledges the government's actions as an effort to impose a “only fair” version of past and destruct the Christian heritage of Spain.
VOX has found allies in organizations specified as Hazte Oír and Abogados Cristianos, who besides actively argue reforms. The subject became global – the Romanian parliament even made an authoritative request to the Spanish ambassador to defend the cross in the Valley against the “cultural revolution” aimed at eradicating Europe's Christian identity.
Apart from current disputes, the Valley of the Deceased remains 1 of the most crucial monuments of 20th century Spain. The facility, which has visited millions of tourists, is inactive awesome with its architectural scale. The basilica itself is larger than the 1 in the Vatican – it was built in solid stone and the interiors are decorated with monumental sculptures by Juan de Ávalos and Luisa Sanguino.
In the courtyard in front of the basilica there is simply a wide esplanade overlooking the mountains and Madrid. Inside the basilica are crypts with the ashes of the fallen and monumental sculptures of angels and Pietà. A crucial symbol is besides the Frankist eagle placed on the entrance gates.
There is no uncertainty that the Valley of the Deceased will forever stay part of the Spanish identity – both as a memorial site and as a origin of ideological disputes. The key question is: is it possible to reconcile the memory of victims of civilian war with the pluralism of historical narratives, respect for religion and individual freedom?
The government has the ambition to “dissacrate” space and make it a secular monument. For many, however, this means not so much reconciliation as erasure of 1 part of the national memory. Until a cross-party consensus is developed in Spain on how to talk about history, the Valley of the Deceases will proceed to divide alternatively of merge.
