Stones of oblivion/stones of truth: A semiotic approach to the Valle de los Caídos and the politics of memory in contemporary Spain
Miguel Fernandez Belmonte
Punctum, 5(2): 50-61, 2019
DOI: 10.18680/hss.2019.0022
Abstract
Adding to the few existing studies regarding the Valley of the Fallen and its significance and importance in connection to the politics of memory in contemporary Spain, the article summarizes information regarding the construction of the monument, its architecture and its role relating to the ideology of Franco’s regime, also considering the recent, heated discussions on the burials and the future of the building complex. The article suggests an original analysis of the monument’s iconography in order to flesh out its concrete connection to the architectural and ideological significance of the Valley of the Fallen implied in previous accounts.
| KEYWORDS: | Francoist Spain, Valley of the Fallen, Semiotics of Commemoration, Political Iconography |
