La Vida Alcalaína

Now and again you run into people who help restore your faith in humanity with their quiet dedication to making the world a better place.  Salustiano Gutierrez, who succumbed to cancer last Saturday aged just 58, was one of those people. Born and raised in Granada, Salus came to the nearby town of Benalup-Casas Viejas in 1992 to teach at the new secondary school. He hadn't intended to stay long but soon became deeply involved with the town and its people. He was inspired by the American social anthropologist Jerome Mintz, who lived in the town for several years in the 1960s and 70s, studying the minutiae of daily life in Benalup and the surrounding villages. Salus took up the baton and continued researching the town's history and culture.  He published his findings on a blog which he set up in 2007, Desde la historia de Casas Viejas .  The blog also includes many photos and film clips made by Mintz which give a unique insight into the daily life of past decades. Salus continue