100 Words a Day 201

The Valley of the Fallen is one of Spain’s most unique monuments. Built under Francisco Franco after the Spanish civil war, it consists of a basilica built inside a mountain, which is topped by an enormous cross. The interior of the basilica is unmistakably fascist; it’s full of statues of dark, sword-bearing angels. Despite this, it retains several distinctly Spanish characteristics. The numerous chapels are dedicated to the Virgin Mary for example. There is a great deal of controversy surrounding the monument’s place in history and that often makes people forget that there truly is no other place like it.