Belchite, a remnant of the Spanish Civil War
Belchite, a remnant of the Spanish Civil War

Belchite, a remnant of the Spanish Civil War

Belchite, a remnant of the Spanish Civil War

Visit of ruins

Belchite, Spain

We are in September 1937 in the small village of Belchite located about 50 kilometers from Zaragoza. The Spanish Civil War has been raging for a year already and thousands of Spaniards died. By the end of the conflict in April 1939, they will be more than 500,000 deads.

While the village is the site of many battles between nationalists and republicans, Belchite will be conquered and reconquered throughout the Spanish Civil War. On April 1, 1939 while the noise of the bombs stopped, the village is completely destroyed, a victim of the madness of soldiers.

The new dictator, Francisco Paulino Hermenegildo Teódulo Franco y Bahamonde, or simply Franco decided to leave the ruins untouched and rebuild the village few meters away. His goal? Give his people a live monument of the civil war. The latter is also used symbolically this place as irrefutable proof that the Republicans was the cause of this horror.

Today, the site is open to the public and guided tours are possible. The area have also been the scene of shooting various films, such as The Adventures of Baron Munchausen by Terry Gilliam (Brazil, The Fisher King, etc.) and Pan's Labyrinth directed by Guillermo del Toro .

Related content

The old jail of the county

Project ideas abound for this old provincial jail today abandoned. The building has been closed in 2001 following the construction of a larger and more modern correctional center. More than a dozen projects have been launched in the air: a...

The gate that looks like a flying sister
Sainte-Brigide d'Iberville, Quebec (Canada)

Located near Highway 10, camping Martel, also known as the Gite du passant, is abandoned for a long time. Moreover, I had to discuss with the old villagers to know the name of that place. I tried to learn more by sending an email to the city, but...

The old Minas de Riotinto locomotives
Minas de Riotinto, (Spain)

We are talking about over 5000 years of mining history in this area. The landscape has been changed forever, and it looks at some places like a alien planet where red, yellow, purple mingle with green, gray and ocher.

The ten abandoned...

The abandoned boys institute
Cecil County, Maryland (United States)

Located at the north of Baltimore, this Beaux-Arts influenced Gregorian Revival style by N.Y. architects Boring and Tilton buildings was one of the oldest school of Maryland before its closure in the 90s. The 330 acre campus is constituted of...