Franco’s body being moved today

An interesting fact, Suzie, that will bypass many people.

Not me I’m here in Spain and different factions within the town still don’t speak to those on the opposing side all these years later.

I must confess that I haven't been following this story and when I hear 'headlines' about it my reaction is 'Why is he being moved?'

Anyone care to explain (or shout at me for not knowing..)?

Nor me. I read about it in the local English paper here in Spain last week.

The civil war caused such deep divisions-splitting families and communities.

It’s referred to as a ‘pact of forgetting’ it was the only way to move on.

40 years after Franco’s death, the legacy of his 36 years of unopposed rule still casts a long shadow over Spain.

As far as I can make out MaizieD (and I’m mindful of my neighbours sensitivities on this), the socialist government want the valley of the fallen to be a shrine for the victims of war rather than a gathering place for fascist supporters.

Thanks, Pantglas.

He was hardly one of 'The Fallen', was he? Lived to a ripe old age and died of natural causes...

Does the 'Valley' contain the 'fallen' of both sides?

www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-46048514

This is a.good explanation - note particularly that the far right gathered there

Sorry Pant missed your point on that

The other thing that still hurts is that so many of his victims are in unmarked graves.

Yes suziewoozie that is a source of distress for one of my elderly neighbours - she doesn’t know where her brother’s body is.

On one of journeys through Spain we stopped to look at it as I was reading Victoria Hislops book, The Return.

I agree with what some have said, it's 'still there' particularly in the older population.

I started reading about Franco when I first started to support the charity, Plan, as they came about because of the atrocities under Franco.

I’m glad this thread has been resurrected - I think it’s such an important part of European history ( and not that long ago) it’s not possible imo to understand Barcelona and the whole Catalan debate without knowing something of this evil man and what he did. It’s said that when he died, Barcelona drank itself dry. When I heard the news, I was glad that at least Spain could start to move on and enjoy freedom ( and also glad that I could now go on holiday there).

A few years ago I had a holiday in Ceret very near the Spanish border and visited the mountainous areas where the Spanish refugees fled to France ( la Retirada) in the winter of 1939. I also visited the now golden sun kissed beaches where then some of those refugees ( mostly women and children) were interned in makeshift tents in freezing conditions ( later to be joined by Jewish refugees)

The French in general were truly unwelcoming and it was another period of French history swept under the carpet which is only now being acknowledged. I visited La Maternite Suisse in Elne which was where a doughty Swiss woman set up a maternity unit for some refugees to give birth ( the maternal and baby mortality rate on the beaches was dreadful). On reading some of the individual testimonies, I literally burst into tears.

petra is VH’s book worth a read?

I’m not a fan, having also read her book about Spinalonga and the leper colony off Crete, titled The Island.

I thought from the title is what about La Retirada but see now it’s about the Civil War in general. * Pant* could you say why a bit more ?

Interesting historical perspectives obviously but a little too contrived and overly long storyline IMO but I have a friend who loves her books so it’s just a matter of taste. Give it a go!

I read The Island just after I'd visited Spinalonga and I must say found it very poignant.

Perhaps I will 'give that one a go' as I realise that I know little about the Spanish Civil War apart from reading the media reports published after he died.

I have long found Spain a fascinating country too. 'Ghosts of Spain' by Giles Tremlett, published in 2006, and 'The New Spaniards' by John Hooper published in 1986 are both good reads. Both explain the tragic civil war, and much else.

Pantglas
As you say ^ it's just a matter of taste^ I found The Island one of the saddest books I've read.

Suziewoozie
I love all her books. I loved this one as it combined the history of the Franco repression and flamenco, which I love.

Franco and flamenco - some combination ! I’ll add her to my Christmas present wish list. Thanks

Back in 1970 we stayed in a hotel in Spain near Calella and noticed there was a large armed presence around one of the nearby villas. It seemingly was the home of Franco's daughter. Didn't know much about the history of the Spanish Civil War back then apart from the fact that many Scottish men travelled to Spain to fight against him.

The flamenco connection is closely linked to the awful treatment of Gipsies by Franco. If you visit Grenada, Hislop's book is really interesting- although out of all of them- this is the one I found less weel written and the 'plot' too predictable- but the history fascinating. Anyone going to the Alambra will see the hill with the troglodyte caves where the gipsies used to live, and now taken over by 'new age travellers'.

The repression that Franco practised on the Catalans was horrendous. I once met a young man called Joan this is apparently a very old Catalan man's name which Franco banned. Boys had to be callled Juan. When Franco died oe of the first thngs the young man's dad did was to legally change his name to Joan.

Does anyone remember Portillo going to visit his uncle in Spain. He fought for Franco, and Portillo's dad died fighting against him. Very moving and never saw Portillo with the same eyes again.