La Vida Alcalaína

This is a translation of the results of detailed research into Alcalá's municipal archives by historian Ismael Almagro Montes de Oca and his colleagues, on events which took place here during the Spanish Civil War, 1936-39.  The original articles, in Spanish, can be found on the blog Historia de Alcalá de los Gazules: La Historia Silenciada I La Historia Silenciada II Summary:   Although there were no battle-fronts near Alcalá during the Civil War, the overnight regime change in the government of the town immiediately after Franco's military coup affected everyone's lives.  The elected representatives and civil servants who supported the Republic were quickly replaced with Falangist sympathisers, and many were imprisoned or executed, along with other prominent Republicans. Streets were renamed after Francoist generals. Rights and freedoms were curtailed and private property was confiscated, often to the financial benefit of the new regime.  All forms of protest,...

Local artist Alfonso Jiménez Barrera will be exhibiting some of his paintings at the Santo Domingo cultural centre this coming week.  Visitors to the flamenco bar on the Plaza Alta will already by familiar with his signature work, a stunning townscape of Alcalá, painted in photographic detail, which hangs in the dining area. The exhibition is organised by the alumni association of the Sagrada Familia school (SAFA), and is open from 8 pm starting Saturday 11 August. Born in Alcalá de los Gazules in 1959, Alfonso has always been interested in the arts, especially painting and drawing.  Over the past few years he has dedicated himself full-time to his artistic works, and is well on the way to making a name for himself across Spain, winning various awards and participating in exhibitions in Barcelona and Madrid. Alfonso is self-taught, and is now passing on his techniques to local adults and children in classes held his own workshop.  His skill and patience as a teac...

Alcalá has made news this week by submitting a formal request to the Louvre museum in Paris for the return of the Lascut Bronze , an ancient Roman relic discovered here in 1866. The tiny bronze tablet was sold to the Louvre in 1868 by a Polish engineer, who had acquired it for next to nothing from some local labourers who found it on some land just outside the town, an ancient settlement known as la Mesa de Esparragal (or so the story goes). Dating from 189 BC, it is one of the first Latin inscriptions to be discovered on the Iberian peninsula, freeing the inhabitants of Lascuta from servitude as a gesture of gratitude for their assistance in crushing a rebellion in Astia Regia, near what is now Jerez. The first attempt by the Alcalá administration to retrieve its treasure took place in the 1980s, when local councillor Gabriel Almagro wrote to the Louvre.  They didn't refuse outright, but said there was no way they could comply at that time.  They offered instead ano...

Alcalá's annual music festival takes place slightly earlier this year, with the first event on 31 July.  All events start at 10 p.m. and are free unless otherwise stated. Tuesday 31 July, in the castle: Family event with story-telling accompanied by classical music. Wednesday 1 August in the Plaza Alta:  Candle-lit flamenco spectacle with guitarist José Carlos Gómez . Thursday 2 August in the castle: literary readings from members of the public, with a performance by singer-songwriter Juan Luis Pineda. [NOW IN SAFA PATIO BECAUSE OF THE WIND] Friday 3 August in the patio of SAFA (off Plaza Alta): Classical/flamenco pianist Dorantes.   Tickets available at the door: €15 seated, €10 standing. Saturday 4 August, Plaza Alta: Flamenco gala with singer Rancapino Chico  and friends. Sunday 5 August, SAFA patio: Classical concert with a  10-piece orchestra from Seville , including Vivaldi's Four Seasons.  Admission €5 on the door. ...

Alcalá is mourning the death on 3 July of historian Carlos Perales, who dedicated his life’s work to to uncovering the truth about events in and around Alcalá during the Civil War and under the Franco dictatorship, long concealed under Spain's Pacto de Olvido ( Pact of Forgetting ). Carlos died on 3 July, shortly after falling victim to an aggressive cancer.  He was the brother of one of the leaders of the re-emergence of socialism in the province after Franco’s death, the politician Alfonso Perales (who also died prematurely of cancer, in 2006), and was President of the foundation formed in his brother’s honour. He himself was a life-long socialist, joining the PSOE in 1976 as soon as it became legal again after Franco's death. He leaves a wife, two children and numerous other relatives, many of whom live and work in the town. Carlos was born in Alcalá in 1958, and studied Modern & Contemporary History at the University of Cádiz.  Until 1999 he taught at the Val...

A few miles from Alcalá, in an area known as the Mesa del Esparragal, are the remains of an important city of Roman origin, Lascuta,   I blogged about it (and our failed attempt to visit it) a few years ago.   This is where the famous Lascuta Bronze was discovered, the first Roman inscription found in Spain (189 BC).  The original, just 22x14 cm, is in the Louvre in Paris. The Alcalá council have just erected a much-enlarged replica of the Bronze on the Paseo de la Playa, as part of the plan to make the town more attractive and interesting to tourists. Unfortunately there is as yet no explanatory signage (these things don't necessarily happen in the logical order here), so here's an English translation.  I think it's rather nice that the early alcalainos were granted their freedom. “ Lucius Aemilius, son of Lucius, Imperator, decreed that the inhabitants of the Tower of Lascuta who lived in servitude to the Hastensians shall be free. As to the land a...

This is a translation of an article by Pedro Ingelmo in Diario de Cadiz, 10 April 2011. It was written after the sudden resignation of Luis Pizarro from his senior position in the Junta de Andalucía, following differences of opinion with then President José Antonio Griñan.  Pizarro is the father of Alcalá's current mayor, Javier Pizarro, and brother of Paco, owner of the Restaurante Pizarro. The Electrician’s Seed:  How the “Alcalá Clan” was Born The history of the PSOE in Cadiz is linked to a small town in the gateway to the Alcornocales, Alcalá de los Gazules, out of which emerged a group which had a decisive influence on the politics of Andalucía for decades. It is not possible to explain the symbolic significance of the sudden departure of Luis Pizarro from Griñan’s government without a trip into the past.  For many, Pizarro is the end of the line, a perpetual link with the origins of Andalusian socialism.  Luis Pizarro was, and is, the patria...