for the Spain they believed to be better: in Solsona

in Solsona: Monument a la Pagesia Placed in  the Plaça dels Camp (Solsona) the Monument to the Peasantry / Monument a la Pagesia (which was a tribute to the “emboscats”) was erected by the Francoist mayor of the municipality, Josep Serra i Forn, in 1966.  According to Esther Miralles “unique for its characteristics, the monument pays homage to deserters, those who during the war  were called up and did not appear, either because they did not share Republican ideology as people in the region were mostly right-wing, traditionalist and very religious, or simply because they tried to avoid the war. The monument emphasizes the decisive role of the neighbors of the farms, especially women, who were in charge of providing the necessary logistical support for hundreds of young people to live in the forests, basins and other hiding places in El Solsonès. In this way monument show women carrying bread and drinks." The Catalan term “emboscat” is used to designate men of military age who, during the Spanish Civil War, did not attend the call of the Spanish Republican Army to avoid going to the front. The number of “emboscats” was very high, and regions such as El Solsonès or La Garrotxa hosted many (especially during the spring of 1938, when Catalonia was already a battle front) thanks to its lush forests and its proximity to the French-Spanish border -. The life of the “emboscats” was not at all easy: they had to live hidden - either in the woods or in some other farmhouse that hosted them - and they could only leave in the evening.They were often armed and sometimes they attacked Republican people. On  18th August 1938, Juan Negrín, president of the government of the Republic, promulgated an amnesty for the “emboscats” that surrendered from that day to 16th September. Some of them, however, preferred to wait for the entrance of the Francoist troops to join the National Army of the Francoist government. The project Solsonès, terra d’emboscats / Solsonès, land of hand-outs, driven by the Democratic Memorial of the Generalitat, aims to publicize the history of the “emboscats” in this region, signaling the different notable spaces of the region. The Solsonès is the region where there was more proliferation of “emboscats” during the Civil War. These photos were taken in July 2018 and show some views of the Monument to the Peasantry.