Instead of the usual 10 am start to the day, El Valle de los Caídos (The Valley of the Fallen) allowed us to meet at 11:30. With the extra time, some people enjoyed a longer breakfast, while I enjoyed a long sleep from experiencing the city the night before. Our group met in the lobby to start our journey to Spain’s most controversial site. We have learned about The Valley of the Fallen, discussing it and writing about its recent history, such as the exhumation of Francisco Franco’s corpse, now it was time to see the real thing. The Valley of the Fallen is about 30-45 minutes away from Madrid. With a late start to the morning, our group hopped on a bus and went out to see the structure built under Francisco Franco’s order. We passed through a gate allowing us to enter the mountain territory. The bus navigated up a road that snaked through the mountain toward the structure. Going up, you could see the cross above the site among trees. Every event, excursion, exploration, and discussion has been interesting, providing more of an understanding of Spain. Despite the many different experiences to expect, of all the events, I was thinking of this one. I was not expecting to see much, but because of the history and story we learned behind the site, I wanted to see it. People have talked and still do about what the Valley of the Fallen represents, creating a divide in opinions over it. The forgotten history of Spain was something attached to this massive structure which brings it to reality to some extent. The building and cross are deep in the mountain, surrounded by forest. The view from the front courtyard is beautiful as you can see Madrid in the valley surrounded by mountains. Our group had a tour guide who told us more about the architecture of the building, facts about the structure and answered questions.

The Valley of the Fallen base level to the top of the cross is similar in height to the Eiffel Tower, and the cross is the largest in the world. Mass services are held daily within the building and the four statues at the bottom of the cross are Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. In addition, the legal loophole they used to remove Franco’s remains was that he did not die in the war but of old age. Because the monument was built to bury those who died in the Civil War, they could legally exhume Franco and others like that. The building and structure itself are compelling. Seeing the 2,000+ ton cross above the mountain is mind-grabbing, especially when you realize the inside is hallowed out to create the building. The large paintings, angel statues, painted dome, and gateway inside the site had fascinating value. This monument would probably be something delightful if it occurred as ordinary, sadly, this is not the case. As we learned before and again on the tour, this site is one of the most controversial sites in Spain. The different opinions derive from those who supported Franco and those who see the location as a reminder of the tragic cruel past, or the victims buried there against family wishes. Knowing the story behind the monument and the potential number of lives lost in creating this initiated a dampening feeling that put me in a particular mindset. Regardless of the controversy and the unsettling nature, it was great to see a historical creation of Spain’s history unknown to most of the younger generation.

Viewing this historical monument was not the only use of the day. Being the trip was not that long, and we came back around 2 pm, we had the rest of the day to explore and enjoy the city of Madrid. Along with a portion of our group, we ventured off to Bean Burrito, a delicious place that creates Burritos such as “Legendario”. We ate together, discussing plans for tomorrow, the Premier League games, La Liga games, the night before, and what we were doing later that night. Many of us went to museums, watched movies, and enjoyed walking around the city. To end the night, I went to a luxury store with two others and ate nachos with tuna shrimp dip to finish the night. I will end the night earlier than usual to recuperate after several nights’ outs. Madrid is a city filled with history which built personality for the country. From the Valley of the Fallen to eating Nachos, it was a blessing once again to experience the culture of Spain.