Outside the focus of the Valley of the Fallen, immersed in the “resignification” process driven by the Government under the Democratic Memory Law, the application of this regulation now extends to Almería’s Cathedral of the Incarnation. In this case, the Diocese itself has requested guidance from the Regional Government of Andalusia on how to proceed with the possible removal of several Franco-era symbols present in the temple.
The diocese’s inquiry follows the Ministry of Territorial Policy and Democratic Memory opening a file concerning an inscription carved with the name of José Antonio Primo de Rivera and the yoke-and-arrows emblem—elements the Government considers contrary to the Democratic Memory Law.
According to Vida Nueva, the diocese has expressed its willingness to comply with current legislation, yet has sought assistance from the regional administration to determine how the intervention should be carried out, given that the cathedral is listed as a Property of Cultural Interest (BIC) in the Monument category.
Heritage protection conditions any action
The Cathedral of the Incarnation enjoys the highest level of heritage protection; therefore, any modification of its architectural or decorative elements requires administrative authorization and must comply with historic-heritage conservation regulations.
For this reason, the Diocese had previously submitted an inquiry to the Regional Government of Andalusia after receiving, months earlier, a communication from the Secretary of State for Democratic Memory, Fernando Martínez, informing them of the procedure initiated by the Ministry. That request, according to the same sources, received no reply.
The Ministry considers there to be an exaltation of Francoism
This week the Ministry announced the inclusion of the inscription in Almería Cathedral in the official catalogue of symbols and elements contrary to Democratic Memory.
The resolution maintains that the inscription constitutes an “expression of exaltation of the 1936 military uprising, the Spanish Civil War, the Franco dictatorship and its connections with other totalitarian regimes.”
Likewise, the Government holds that these elements respond “to the policy of exaltation promoted by the Franco dictatorship” and amount to an honorary tribute to José Antonio Primo de Rivera in a building declared a Property of Cultural Interest.
A new file under the Democratic Memory Law
The technical commission that examined the case concludes that the symbols retain a “meaning of symbolic legitimization” of the dictatorship and one of its principal ideological figures, and therefore considers them incompatible with the Democratic Memory Law.
The resolution adds that the building’s heritage protection does not cover the preservation of elements deemed to exalt Francoism and reminds the competent public administrations of their duty to cooperate in ensuring their removal.
Pending instructions from the Regional Government of Andalusia, the file continues its processing, and it will be the administration responsible for heritage matters that must determine how, if applicable, actions may be carried out on one of the city of Almería’s principal historic and religious monuments.