Despite the declaration of an abandoned factory as an Asset of Cultural Interest (BIC) last Wednesday, The Executive of the Community of Madrid, chaired by Isabel Díaz Ayuso, continues in its refusal to protect the Valley of the Fallen. While waiting for the Madrid Justice to dictate his suitability and after repeated requests from VOX to declare the enormous architectural complex of the Sierra de Guadarrama BIC, Ayuso has not shown his support for the proposal.
Now, however, the matter returns to the attention of the Madrid Assembly, since VOX has invited an expert architect to the regional chamber to list all the reasons why the Valley of the Fallen should be considered BIC. Member of the Association for Truth and Historical Reconciliation, The expert is Ismael de la Barba, who has explained numerous reasons in the Culture Commission of the Assembly.
“I will try not to go into the aspects that deviate from its architectural interest, since the controversy that accompanies many buildings, with the passage of time and the distance from events, gives way to their authentic cultural value,” began Ismael de the beard. According to the architect, the Valley of the Fallen “It is the largest building complex with the greatest imprint on the landscape of the entire Community of Madrid.”
Precisely for this reason, in the words of the invited expert, “it is undeniable that it is a huge project, which required an incredible technical and economic effort and which demonstrated, without a doubt, the capacity of its creators.” Of all the reasons he listed, “numerous detailed studies and books by prestigious writers and historians account for them; “On the importance of its creators, just read the names of the architects, engineers and sculptors, and their religious importance.”he added.
Thus, Ismael de la Barba explained this week that el Valle «it is an impressive work that constitutes a magnificent complex, of international importance. This importance, lowered in recent years due to issues unrelated to its cultural and religious values, is what is intended to be recovered with the proposed classification of Asset of Cultural Interest. A competence that, despite Ayuso’s refusal, corresponds to the Community of Madrid, as established in article 4 of Law 8/2023.
According to the aforementioned law, the characteristics that BICs must meet are: Artistic, Monumental, Historical, Paleontological, Archaeological, Architectural, Ethnographic, Industrial, Scientific and Technical. According to de la Barba, “It will not be difficult to justify that the monument can be classified into at least seven of these categories.”: Artistic, Monumental, Historical, Architectural, Ethnographic, Scientific and Technical.
