Valley of the Fallen
Description:
The Valley of the Fallen is a monumental complex that is located on an area of 1365 hectares, in the mountains of the city of Guadarrama, 58 kilometers from Madrid. This memorial, built in memory of those killed in the civil war, was inaugurated in 1959.
The monument consists of elements of giant size, which are placed on the rock. Four monolithic granite columns of Juanelos of the 15th century are installed on the mountain road. At the top of the cliff stands the Holy Cross 150 meters high, decorated with statues of apostles and Christian virtues - the ascent inside the cross is carried out by elevator. In the rock carved a huge basilica length of 262 meters, decorated by Spanish sculptors and artists - here are the graves of F.Franco, Jose de Rivera, as well as the remains of more than 33 thousand victims of the Spanish Civil War.
Behind the rock is a Benedictine monastery serving the basilica and a small hotel.