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Valley of the Fallen (Valle de Cuelgamuros)

The Valle de Cuelgamuros (Valley of the Fallen) is a monumental complex in the Sierra de Guadarrama, in the municipality of San Lorenzo de El Escorial. It consists of an underground Catholic basilica carved out of the granite rock, a Benedictine abbey, a guesthouse and a 150-metre-high cross, the tallest in the world, set on a crag overlooking the valley. The basilica, declared as such by Pope John XXIII in 1960, is larger than St Peter's Basilica in the Vatican and houses monumental sculptures by Juan de Ávalos and Luis Sanguino. Buried inside are 33,847 combatants from both sides of the Spanish Civil War, making it Spain's largest mass grave. The complex was built between 1940 and 1958 on the orders of Francisco Franco, mainly using the labour of republican political prisoners and hired workers. Franco was buried in the basilica from 1975 until his exhumation in 2019, and José Antonio Primo de Rivera until 2023. The site covers 1,365 hectares of coniferous woodland and granite formations, at altitudes between 985 and 1,758 metres. The visit takes in the underground basilica, the esplanade overlooking the valley, and access to the funicular linking the basilica with the base of the cross. The complex is managed by Patrimonio Nacional and receives between 150,000 and 500,000 visitors a year.

Things to do at Valley of the Fallen (Valle de Cuelgamuros): 6 missions

• Valley of the Fallen GuesthouseThe guesthouse is part of the monumental complex and offers accommodation to visitors near the abbey and the basilica.
• Visit the Valley of the FallenVisit the Valley of the Fallen in El Escorial and get to know the place in person.
• Visit the Basilica of the Holy Cross of the Valley of the FallenSee the Basilica of the Holy Cross of the Valley of the Fallen, carved out of a granite ridge.
• Take in the spiral staircaseThe spiral staircase and a lift connect the inside of the cross, but their use is restricted to maintenance staff.
• Benedictine Abbey of the Holy Cross of the Valley of the FallenThe Benedictine abbey, located on the other side of the mountain, is home to monks who celebrate perpetual Masses for the souls of those who fell in the Spanish Civil War and later wars.
• Ride the funicularThe funicular connects the basilica with the base of the cross.

Near Valley of the Fallen (Valle de Cuelgamuros)

Source: Fuentes verificadas