My excursion with my class this past weekend was to Real Monasterio de San Lorenzo de El Escorial and Valle de los Caídos. In the most basic form, both structures are tombs.
El Escorial functions as a royal crypt, monastery, royal palace, museum, and school today. It is one of the largest buildings in Spain and is absolutely incredible. My class spent roughly two hours quickly walking through rooms and only focusing on very specific artifacts and we only got through about one-fifth of the enormous structure.
The necropolis was the section that I found most interesting. In the 16th century, King Felipe II had El Escorial built to hold the remains of his parents, himself, and his future descendants. Today the tomb is home to 13 rulers and 13 royal consorts, who parented a monarch. Every king except two since Felipe II are buried in El Escorial. The exceptions are: Felipe V who chose to be buried in La Granja, the palace he had built to resemble his home in Versailles, and Amadeus, who chose to be buried with his first wife instead of the wife who beared his prince. In addition to the Pantheon of the Kings, there is also a Pantheon of the Princes, where royal children are buried.
Although a crypt, the royal necropolis did not feel somber or dark. Instead, it was a beautiful series of rooms made from marble, bronze, and gold. To me, it felt like a tribute to the respect and admiration these rulers gained throughout their lives. Instead of a place to mourn, it seemed more of a place to celebrate the kings and queens who helped form Spain into the beautiful country it is today.
While at El Escorial, we were lucky enough to see part of King Felipe II's collection of relics, an opportunity not afforded to many. My professor said this was the first time in her life she was able to see the vast collection and she visits El Escorial at least once a year. King Felipe II was downright obsessed with his relics. His collection exceeded 7,500 primary and secondary pieces. They are now held in enormous cabinets that were created for the sole purpose of housing the collection during the construction of the Basilica. I was able to see porcelian heads painted with faces of saints that held their craniums, glass boxes displaying arm, hand, and leg bones, as well as some other artifacts I was not able to identify. Without a doubt this collection of relics was the creepiest, most awesome thing I have ever seen.
Valle de los Caídos was a whole different kind of creepy. Valle de los Caídos translates to Valley of the Fallen. This monument was built in 1940 by the Spanish dictator, Francisco Franco. It is an extremely controversial monument amongst the people of Spain. Franco had the bodies of many fallen civilians and soldiers from the civil war buried in the valley just outside of the enormous monument. He claimed the structure to be a national "act of atonement."
Sounds innocent enough. The controversy comes from a few different angles. Franco had the bodies buried there without gaining permission from the families and as far as I know, there is no sort of monument listing the names of the fallen. Also, Franco used the labor of many political prisoners in the construction of Valle de los Caídos. The exact numbers are up in the air as I received contradictory information from my professor and online research. Lastly, it is controversial because Franco himself is currently buried there. The wounds of the civil war and of Franco's rule are still fresh in the minds of the Spanish people. A large portion of Spaniards want the monument destroyed, saying it promotes dictatorship and celebrates the hardships of Spain's recent past. Others argue it is a reminder of an ugly piece of the past that cannot be forgotten. Also, it was a step in establishing the democracy Spain has today.
The basilica in Valle de los Caídos was a depressing atmosphere. There were almost no people there. The structure was dark and cold. It is built about 150m into a small mountain so it naturally gives off a dark vibe. The natural granite ceilings, marble floors, and bronze statues were absolutely stunning, but not in a way that made me admire them. The craftsmanship was meticulous and beautiful, but lessened due to the monument. I am thankful for the expereince and cultural insight I gained from this stop on the excursion.
While sitting outside of Valle de los Caídos, I saw an older man stumble and almost fall down the steps. At the same time, his hat flew off into the wind. I ran after and retrieved his hat for him. He thanked me and explained how he had almost fallen down the steps (in Spanish.) When he finished, he asked if I understood any of what he had just said to me. I told him yes, I understand Spanish well, but have a little bit harder time speaking. He asked me if I was British, German, or North American. I told him I was from the United States. He said he didn't like the US, so I asked him why. He told me that Kennedy was the only president he ever liked. The rest have gotten us involved in too many wars. I wasn't sure how to respond to his blunt honesty regarding my home country. In my head, I responded with "if I remember correctly, Spain has been initiated a war or two." But decided to keep my snarky comments to myself. The man ended the conversation by thanking me again and saying that America has "malos presidentes y chicas lindas" (bad presidents and kind girls.)
