Fifty years since Franco: Spain, the valley and a troubled legacy

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Fifty years after the death of the dictator Francisco Franco, Spain continues to feel its way towards an accommodation between its once-warring factions. And nowhere in Spain is more emblematic of the lasting divisions provoked by the Spanish civil war than the place known for decades as El Valle de los Caidos – the Valley of the Fallen. Built partly with the forced labour of political prisoners, this is a monument that symbolised Franco’s Nationalist victory over Republican Spain. The Valley became a pilgrimage place for people who revered the dictator – especially after he was buried behind the basilica’s altar. But in the 21st Century, the debate has been about the place of such a monument in modern Spain. And since 2018, Spain’s Socialist government has been determined to change the narrative. In 2019, the remains of Francisco Franco were removed. Then the site was renamed El Valle de Cuelgamuros. And just this year - after lengthy negotiations - the Vatican and the Catholic Church in Spain accepted the government’s plans to make the site, ‘a place of democratic memory’, rather than somewhere paying homage to the dictatorship. But it seems no one is happy. Esperanza Escribano and Linda Pressly explore the story, legacy and future of El Valle de Cuelgamuros. Producer/presenter: Esperanza Escribano and Linda Pressly Editor: Penny Murphy Sound engineer: James Beard Production co-ordinator: Katie Morrison Photo: El Valle de Cuelgamuros, previously known as the Valley of the Fallen, completed by Spain's dictator, Francisco Franco in 1959. Credit: Esperanza Escribano)