There is already a winning project to redefine the Cuelgamuros Valley. Inaugurated by Franco in 1959 to commemorate his victory in the Civil War, the Franco mausoleum is getting closer to its change. The jury of the ideas competition convened by the Ministry of Housing to choose how it will be done, has already selected the final proposal from among the ten finalists: it will be called ‘The base and the cross’, a project that “proposes a new vision of the monumental complex.”
The Catholic extreme right raises the specter of the destruction of the Cuelgamuros cross.
Cuelgamuros Monument to Feature New,Dialog-Focused Access
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A new access point is being constructed at the Cuelgamuros Monument,designed to foster a sense of meeting and dialogue. The design features a large, open-to-the-sky circumference in the center, providing access to both the basilica and a forthcoming interpretation center. This center will detail the history of Cuelgamuros – its construction, the individuals involved, its purpose during the dictatorship, and its overall significance.
According to representatives from the Ministry of Housing, this new entrance acts as a “threshold” that “breaks with the vertical axis” established during the dictatorship, shifting towards a more “horizontal” approach. The project aims to “redefine the limits and give more priority to nature than to architecture.” While project reports and details regarding the design contest remain unpublished due to its anonymous nature, they are expected to be made publicly available shortly.
“Minimal” intervention in the basilica
The contest began last April with the opening of the deadline to present the plans with which to convert the Cuelgamuros Valley into a place of memory,where more than 33,000 victims of the Civil War and the dictatorship are buried and no poster or panel explains nothing about it. The choice occurred after last August the jury selected ten.
From this moment, as stated in the tender specifications, a service contract will be signed with the proposal and two phases will begin: eight months for drafting the project and another 40 for carrying out the works themselves. The tender for the works is expected to begin in the second half of 2026. In total, the specifications in April estimated a duration of the contract of “around” 56 months (four years and eight months), including the duration of the competition. Even so, the same document admits that it is indeed challenging to “precisely specify” the total duration.
“The complexity of the task”
The ultra-Catholic and extreme right sectors have declared battle against the process of resignification of Cuelgamuros, who spent weeks agitating the ghost of the destruction of the cross of Cuelgamuros.Several of the memorial associations also have been critical with the process, especially due to the pact with the Church that allows the permanence of the monks – although not the priori Santiago Cantera, known for his ultra positions. There are also voices among the relatives of victims of the dictatorship who oppose the resignation as they consider it “unfeasible”.
Going to the Cuelgamuros Valley and not knowing where you are: a visit to Franco’s unexplained mausoleum
The Valley of Cuelgamuros, a place steeped in history and controversy, holds a secret that manny visitors are unaware of: the original mausoleum of Francisco Franco. While the dictator’s remains now rest in the Almudena Cemetery in Madrid, his first burial site remains largely unknown and unvisited, hidden in plain sight within this monumental complex.
Located near the Monastery of El Paular, the Valley of Cuelgamuros was conceived by Franco himself as a place of remembrance for those who fell during the Spanish Civil war. Inaugurated in 1958,it became a national sanctuary,a symbol of the regime’s victory and a focal point for official ceremonies. However, few realise that beneath the basilica lies a crypt that initially served as Franco’s final resting place.
this original mausoleum, a simple yet imposing structure, is often overlooked by those who come to visit the valley. It’s a space that evokes a sense of solemnity and mystery, a stark contrast to the grandeur of the basilica above. The crypt remained Franco’s burial site until 1975, when, following his death, his remains were moved to the temporary location at the Cathedral of Almudena, pending the completion of the basilica in the Valley of Cuelgamuros.
However, with the Law of democratic Memory, the decision was made to move Franco’s remains definitively to the Almudena Cemetery, a move carried out in 2019. This has left the original mausoleum in the Valley of Cuelgamuros as a silent witness to a controversial past, a space that invites reflection on the complex legacy of the Franco regime.
Visiting this hidden crypt offers a unique perspective on the history of Spain and the enduring impact of the Civil War.It’s a reminder that the past is always present, and that even in places of remembrance, there are layers of history waiting to be discovered.For those willing to look beyond the obvious, the Valley of Cuelgamuros reveals a hidden chapter in Spain’s turbulent 20th century.