On Sunday, March 30th, thousands of Spaniards flocked to the Basilica of the Valley of the Fallen in Madrid, gathering in defiance of the Sánchez government’s recent efforts to alter the monument’s historical significance. Their show of solidarity came in the form of a packed Mass, standing against plans to “resignify” the site.
Constructed between 1940 and 1959 under Franco’s directive, with Republican prisoners of war among its laborers, the Valley of the Fallen was intended as a place of national reconciliation. The vast mausoleum holds the remains of 33,000 individuals from both sides of the Spanish Civil War and has been home to a Benedictine abbey for over six decades.
A social media campaign with the slogan “El Valle no se toca” (“The Valley is not to be touched”) rallied supporters to attend the Mass. The turnout exceeded expectations, forcing organizers to hold an additional service at 1 p.m. after the initial 11 a.m. ceremony reached capacity.
The protest stems from a controversial February 25th agreement, which seeks to expel Father Santiago Cantera, the abbey’s prior—whom the government labels as “Francoist”—and to transform up to 90% of the complex. Among the targeted features is the site’s massive cross, the largest in the world, a symbol that many view as central to the monument’s role in remembrance and reconciliation.
A significant portion of Spain’s Catholic faithful feels abandoned by the Church’s willingness to comply with the government’s demands. The perceived passivity of the Episcopal Conference and even the Vatican has sparked outrage, with critics accusing religious institutions of enabling the left-wing administration’s political agenda under the guise of the Law of Democratic Memory.
Luis Felipe Utrera-Molina, a lawyer actively defending the Valley’s current status, argues that the site qualifies as an “asset of cultural interest,” a designation that would legally protect it from alteration. However, he laments that there is no political will to take this step. He also condemns the Church’s concession to government pressure, calling it “intolerable” and denouncing the Vatican’s stance as “cowardly.”
For those in attendance, the Mass was not just an act of worship—it was a statement of defiance against what they see as an ideological assault on a sacred and historical landmark. While the government pushes forward with its plans, the battle to preserve the Valley of the Fallen, both in the courts and in the public sphere, is far from over.
