Something to Remember and Something to Forget

Day trips from Madrid are a given. Typically, one travels to these places with friends or family. This time, however, I decided to go it alone. On June 15, I went to the burial places of Spanish rulers: El Escorial monastery and Valley of the Fallen.

The first place on the tour was El Escorial monastery, where all of the Spanish kings, queens, and other royal figures are buried.

 

The monastery was nice from the outside, but the inside was incredible. Naturally, photography was not allowed inside the monastery or the royal palace. 

The monastery is home to Benedictine monks and the burial of the Spanish monarchs. A basilica, the altar is directly over the bodies of the kings and queens. Every Mass said in the monastery is for the deceased rules of Spain.

 

To have a wedding in the monastery, there is a two-year waiting list. As you can imagine, it is extremely expensive. The sheer detail is incredible. (Seriously, look up the optical illusion/physics of the structure behind the altar. Very cool.)

After exiting the lovely views at El Escorial, the trip bussed a few miles away to Valle de los Caídos, or the Valley of the Fallen. 

The Valley of the Fallen is the burial place of dictator Francisco Franco. After the Spanish Civil War, Franco ordered the construction of the cross and church to honor the deceased soldiers from his side. Furthermore, many POWs were forced to build the structures within the hill. The cross is absolutely enormous--the tallest memorial cross in the world at about 152 meters. It looms over all and can be seen quite far away.

 

In addition, the bodies of tens of thousands of fallen soldiers from the Spanish Civil War rest in the church. A typical person cannot enter the tombs. One must show proper documentation that a family member resides there. 

For all the reasons above, the site is extremely controversial, many demanding its destruction. Overall, there is a very eerie feeling throughout the church. Therefore, it felt kind of strange to be crashing a wedding on that day:

I would rather get married at El Escorial, personally. Either way, there are beautiful views.

In the end, the two burial locations proved extremely interesting, albeit different. With the Spanish monarchy revered and cherished, El Escorial is a place where one is proud to be Spanish. On the contrary, the Valley of the Fallen is a reminder of a dark time in Spanish history.

To remember the monarchy, but to forget the dictatorship. Just another great example of the depth of Spanish history.