Valle de los Caídos
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Roger Warwick
Dec 10, 2010, 7:02:45 AM12/10/10
to trave...@googlegroups.com
According to an article in El País today (http://goo.gl/mRKZL), the valle de los Caídos will reopen again on December 19th.
Mac recently recounted how he had problems visiting this monument during his visit to Madrid.
The problems were due to problems with the statue called "La Piedad", representing the Virgin Mary with Christ in her arms, and located just above the entrance.
Apparently, this has now been secured with some sort of netting.
Roger.
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Mac
Dec 10, 2010, 1:46:40 PM12/10/10
to Travel Spain
A very full account of the closure here
http://www.libertaddigital.com/sociedad/valle-de-los-caidos-cerrado-por-orden-gubernativa-1276406927/
which I missed at the time as it was published on the very day we
arrived in Spain. There appears to have been a groundswell of public
opinion against the closure, not least in this article and the ensuing
comments, and perhaps the Government, local and national, is trying to
save face.
Mac
> http://www.GoMadrid.com- Madrid City Guide for Touristshttp://www.LisbonApartments.com- Quality Lisbon Apartments for Tourists
http://www.libertaddigital.com/sociedad/valle-de-los-caidos-cerrado-por-orden-gubernativa-1276406927/
which I missed at the time as it was published on the very day we
arrived in Spain. There appears to have been a groundswell of public
opinion against the closure, not least in this article and the ensuing
comments, and perhaps the Government, local and national, is trying to
save face.
Mac
Mac
Dec 11, 2010, 12:10:57 PM12/11/10
to Travel Spain
Just posting again to say that the re-opening is provoking as much
controversy as the closure did! Well over 100 comments on the El Pais
news item, both for and against. One poster comments that comparing
the Segovia aqueduct and all the castles and cathedrals in Spain to
the Valle de los Caidos is like comparing Gran Reserva wines to cheap
plonk in a tetrabrik! An entertaining read.
controversy as the closure did! Well over 100 comments on the El Pais
news item, both for and against. One poster comments that comparing
the Segovia aqueduct and all the castles and cathedrals in Spain to
the Valle de los Caidos is like comparing Gran Reserva wines to cheap
plonk in a tetrabrik! An entertaining read.
> According to an article in El País today (http://goo.gl/mRKZL), the valle de
> los Caídos will reopen again on December 19th.
>
> Mac recently recounted how he had problems visiting this monument during his
> visit to Madrid.
>
> The problems were due to problems with the statue called "La Piedad",
> representing the Virgin Mary with Christ in her arms, and located just above
> the entrance.
>
> Apparently, this has now been secured with some sort of netting.
>
> Roger.
>
> ---------------------------------------------------------------
>
> http://www.GoMadrid.com- Madrid City Guide for Touristshttp://www.LisbonApartments.com- Quality Lisbon Apartments for Tourists> los Caídos will reopen again on December 19th.
>
> Mac recently recounted how he had problems visiting this monument during his
> visit to Madrid.
>
> The problems were due to problems with the statue called "La Piedad",
> representing the Virgin Mary with Christ in her arms, and located just above
> the entrance.
>
> Apparently, this has now been secured with some sort of netting.
>
> Roger.
>
> ---------------------------------------------------------------
>
Roger Warwick
Jun 8, 2011, 4:27:22 PM6/8/11
to trave...@googlegroups.com
Mac, correct the if I'm wrong, but "knowing" you, I'm pretty sure you meant to send this to the group.
Roger.
---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: "Mac" <M...@macwolfelee.plus.com>
Date: Jun 8, 2011 9:03 PM
Subject: Re: Valle de los Caídos
To: "Roger Warwick" <ro...@gomadrid.com>
Travelling through Surrey (England) on my boat on the river I was
amazed to find in a village newsagents a copy of (today's!) El Pais,
which of course I immediately bought. A two-page spread on El Valle
reveals that the problem rumbles on.
There is general agreement that the place should be preserved, but
the main problem.is what to do with the bodies, principally those of
Franco and Primo de Rivero. Franco's remains could be transferred to
a cemetery on the outskirts of El Pardo, beside his mother and other
members of his family, but Primo de Rivero is regarded as a victim of
La Guerra Civil, and as such is entitled to stay where he is, with the
other 'caidos'.
The authorities are still tiptoeing around the problem. A Commission
has been set up (a delaying tactic if ever I saw one), but it
illustrates how deeply even now, after nearly forty years of
democracy, the issue still has the power, if not to divide Spain,(it
has other greater problems), then to evoke strong reactions.
Mac
From: "Mac" <M...@macwolfelee.plus.com>
Date: Jun 8, 2011 9:03 PM
Subject: Re: Valle de los Caídos
To: "Roger Warwick" <ro...@gomadrid.com>
Travelling through Surrey (England) on my boat on the river I was
amazed to find in a village newsagents a copy of (today's!) El Pais,
which of course I immediately bought. A two-page spread on El Valle
reveals that the problem rumbles on.
There is general agreement that the place should be preserved, but
the main problem.is what to do with the bodies, principally those of
Franco and Primo de Rivero. Franco's remains could be transferred to
a cemetery on the outskirts of El Pardo, beside his mother and other
members of his family, but Primo de Rivero is regarded as a victim of
La Guerra Civil, and as such is entitled to stay where he is, with the
other 'caidos'.
The authorities are still tiptoeing around the problem. A Commission
has been set up (a delaying tactic if ever I saw one), but it
illustrates how deeply even now, after nearly forty years of
democracy, the issue still has the power, if not to divide Spain,(it
has other greater problems), then to evoke strong reactions.
Mac
Mac
Jun 9, 2011, 4:24:09 PM6/9/11
to Travel Spain
Yes, of course! My excuse was that I was in too much of a hurry to
get off to the pub outside which I was moored. The 'Reply' and 'Reply
to author' are right next to each other. Actually, on re-reading the
piece, I see that the proposal is to reinter Franco next to his wife,
not his mother. Never heard reference to Franco's wife. Was she kept
firmly in the background?
> Mac- Hide quoted text -
>
> - Show quoted text -
get off to the pub outside which I was moored. The 'Reply' and 'Reply
to author' are right next to each other. Actually, on re-reading the
piece, I see that the proposal is to reinter Franco next to his wife,
not his mother. Never heard reference to Franco's wife. Was she kept
firmly in the background?
>
> - Show quoted text -
Roger Warwick
Jun 9, 2011, 5:43:23 PM6/9/11
to trave...@googlegroups.com
Hi Mac,
Not at all! Franco's wife, Carmen Polo, was known as "La Collares" (the necklace woman) by the populace because she liked wearing so much jewellery. Legend (or truth!) has it that when they spent their Summer holidays in San Sebastian the jewellers there started shaking in their boots, because although she visited all the shops and bought a lot of gems, necklaces, etc, she always said they had to send the invoices to "El Pardo" (the official Franco residence), and of course the jewellers were much too scared to do any such thing.
She was msot definitely the First Lady of the regime.
Roger.
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