Valley of the Fallen!
Although the valley contains Nationalist and Republican graves – several former Republicans' bodies were moved there from temporary graves at the end of the war – the tone of the monument is distinctly Nationalist and anti-Communist, containing the inscription "¡Caídos por Dios y por España!" (to "Those who fell for God and for Spain"), reflecting the close ties of Franco's Nationalist regime to the Roman Catholic Church.
Additionally, Franco's timing of his announcement of the decision to create the monument left no doubts: on 1 April 1940, the day of the victory parade to celebrate the first anniversary of his triumph over the Republic, Franco announced his personal decision to raise a splendid monument to those who had fallen in his cause.[1]
Today, Spain's Socialist Government has been debating plans to redesignate the Valley of the Fallen a "monument to Democracy" or as a memorial to all Spaniards killed in conflict.[2]











