Freaky Franco Tomb Tour

Senor Stag isn't usually that big on monuments, castles, cathedrals etc. Even though Spain's rich abundance of sights to see is undoubtedly second-to-none, stags weekending in Madrid usually look towards the nocturnal sights, and tone up during the day with team activities or televised spectator sports. However, there is one bizarre and eerie sight that Senor Stag believes should not be missed: General Franco's Mausoleum, a vast cross and tunnel cut into the granite of the Madrid mountains. Supposedly a monument to those who died in the Spanish Civil War, you'll see that it has more to do with only one bloke who never got that near the front line. Franco's Mausoleum is generally regarded as a crude piece of monumental self-aggrandisement in the awful architectural taste of the twentieth century's most crackpot megalomaniacs and dictators. It's a Must Visit when in Madrid! Imagine St Peter's Cathedral in Rome mocked up in the studios of Flash Gordon. This is neo-classicism gone seriously comic book. The architect, Diego Mendez (who went on to become a household name in his household) aimed to blend potent symbols of the two pillars of Franco's doctrine: Catholicism and military might. You will see grotesque angels with swords, cowled biblical figures with hands like Sepp Maier (with gloves on), and vast eagles built from granite blocks (amongst a catalogue of other faux pas). Death is certainly evoked, but at the hands of the Ming Dynasty! And Franco himself was anything but Flash! Walk the 250m into the basilica that was chipped out of the granite by prisoners of war and you'll see Franco lying at rest. Above him towers an equally bizarre and oversized granite cross (about 100m high) that points towards Madrid and can be seen from the city itself. Although he didn't get the trains to run on time, some Franco apologists argue he held the Spanish nation together under the threat of political and moral fragmentation. Also, Real Madrid won the European Cup six times under "Tio Paco". Judge for yourself!

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