Concrete wayside crosses in Pay Basque

[wellaway]

Hi,
I have just completed the Camino del Norte section from Irun to Bilbao and was intrigued by the numberous concrete crosses lining sections of the route, paticularly on the Zaurut to Guernica-Lomo section. My daughter felt they were Stations of the Cross, but most were bare of numbers or text.
I wondered if they were commemorative crosses for victims of the civil war. Any ideas?

 

[Isca-camigo]

Any photos? It might jolt a memory for forum members. On the Camino Frances there is a large cross on a hill about 2 or 3 km before you get too Vilatuerta ( Navarre), I went up with two walking companions and the shepherd we met said that many republicans had been shot and buried there, the cross was for them.

 

[Felipe]

A picture could help to know, but in many catholic countries a little cross, even a little monument, is erected beside the highway in the place of a fatal accident, with the name and date of the deceased. With time, the inscription fades away.

Edit: Just looked at Wikipedia, "roadside memorial". It seems the practice is common in many countries and cultures.

 

[Magwood]

Here is an image of some of the many series of roadside crosses on this stage of the Norte. Sometimes there were a series of many more than three. I think they were usually at the outskirts of villages. I also was intrigued by them.

 

[SYates]

Via Crucis

Ondo Ibili !

MendiWalker

Nops, for two reasons: Too close together and no numbers (or similar) to indicate the respective station of the cross. Most likely memory crosses of victims of (civil) war or similar. @Castilian to the aid, please! Buen Camino, SY

 

[SYates]

Yes, I know that @MendiWalker - however the Via Cruces crosses I know from my time living in Spain would, at the very least, carry a Roman numeral to indicate the respective station of the cross. Buen Camino, SY

 

[wellaway]

Thanks Gals & Guys for your input, particularly for the photo which was exactly what I was refering to. Over here in Ireland we have a lot of wayside crosses which commemorate Irish victims of the War of Independence and the Civil War, but details of the victim are always present. My speculation is the concrete crosses are civil war memorials but the post war atmosphere forced people to keep the identity off the cross. Our visit to the Guernica Peace Museum was an eyeopener for my two daughters who knew nothing about the Spanish whatever about our own Civil War. So the next few days were taken up with history lessons!!!!

 

[Magwood]

... Our visit to the Guernica Peace Museum was an eyeopener for my two daughters who knew nothing about the Spanish whatever about our own Civil War. So the next few days were taken up with history lessons!!!!

I had a very moving experience when passing through Guernica on 26 April this year, as I crossed the central plaza where the town hall is situated. As I reached the far side of the square I was taken aback by the commencement of an extremely loud siren, wailing up and down. I saw very close by a guy operating the sound equipment and I mimed to him ‘what’s going on?’ He gestured back the impression of something falling from the sky, and I realised that it was something to do with the bombing of the city. The time was exactly 15:45. The siren continued for some time, accompanied by the chiming of bells from the church and I stood still and contemplated the occasion. It was literally hair-raising and very emotional. When the siren eventually tailed off into silence I went over to the guy and asked if today was an anniversary and he told me it was 79 years to the minute that the city was bombed. It is reported that at the time of the attack the city had a population of around 7,000 and 1,654 people were killed.

 

[Anemone del Camino]

I had a very moving experience when passing through Guernica on 26 April this year, as I crossed the central plaza where the town hall is situated. As I reached the far side of the square I was taken aback by the commencement of an extremely loud siren, wailing up and down. I saw very close by a guy operating the sound equipment and I mimed to him ‘what’s going on?’ He gestured back the impression of something falling from the sky, and I realised that it was something to do with the bombing of the city. The time was exactly 15:45. The siren continued for some time, accompanied by the chiming of bells from the church and I stood still and contemplated the occasion. It was literally hair-raising and very emotional. When the siren eventually tailed off into silence I went over to the guy and asked if today was an anniversary and he told me it was 79 years to the minute that the city was bombed. It is reported that at the time of the attack the city had a population of around 7,000 and 1,654 people were killed.

Thank you for that chilling acount that echos what the situation must have been. My mother and her parents, leaving her younger sibblings behind with family members, left Spain on the last ship, the Tregastel, to leavo leave from Santanter to Bordeaux where they lived in camps in refuges for months. The ship had been sent to pick up members of the so called Communist Party, but allowed random citizens to board.

Until she died, some 60-70 years later, my mother used to have nightmares, hearing sirens, then planes, and then bombs. It never leaves you. And war is not about heroism, about patriotism, let alone flag waving, it's about human pain. Not about ribbons, flags, salutes, it's about sympathy, solidarity, tolerance and compasion. And memory and learning for those of us who came after.

 

[Smallest_Sparrow]

Thanks Gals & Guys for your input, particularly for the photo which was exactly what I was refering to. Over here in Ireland we have a lot of wayside crosses which commemorate Irish victims of the War of Independence and the Civil War, but details of the victim are always present. My speculation is the concrete crosses are civil war memorials but the post war atmosphere forced people to keep the identity off the cross. Our visit to the Guernica Peace Museum was an eyeopener for my two daughters who knew nothing about the Spanish whatever about our own Civil War. So the next few days were taken up with history lessons!!!!

Good thought, or maybe the commemoration is for a conflict more recent than Franco (e.g. memorials for either side in the conflict with ETA)