It was hard to motivate ourselves to hit the road on this cold December morning, with temperatures of -29 ° C. But the destination was worth it: a 130-year-old abandoned prison. Moreover, I had a special permission for a photo session inside....
Urban and rural photographic exploration
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 .
Photo gallery
Interested by this place? Here are more pictures of Belchite, a remnant of the Spanish Civil War.
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About Urbex playground
First of all, Urbex Playground is about urban and rural photography lovers. It is the respect of the places we have visited and to whom we have a great admiration. Of its contents, Urbex Playground wishes to preserve the memory of these abandoned, destroyed or dilapidated places who have made the glory of our fathers and which today we have, alas, not enough compassion.
We are not vandals or people necessarily involved in the preservation of these places. We do not pretend to believe that our pictures will change anything in the future of these churches, factories, homes and other abandoned buildings. We're just passionate about the image in the perpetual quest for new photographic challenges.
Urbex Playground is not a photo club, any more than we are touristic guides for these forbidden places. Moreover, in any case, Urbex Playground do not invites you to visit these places without the consent of its owners. These places are dangerous and by entering into these places, legal actions can be taken against you.
However, if you have pictures or information about any abandoned places, do not hesitate to contact us. We will be glad to publish them on the site, including your credit with your name and your website. Like this, our visitors will be able to visite your own website. Do not hesitate to contact us if you have any questions.
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