Adventures in Madrid, Spain

Hello everyone! 

My name is Serah Bogale, and I am currently completing the Spanish Memories, African Hopes, Through Literature & Film Global Seminar program in Granada, Spain. In week 4, my class had a three-day field trip to Madrid so we could visit and learn about historical sites that were quite significant during the Spanish Civil War era. We also saw an NGO and a famous museum in the center of Madrid that had most of Picasso’s work. I will talk about the places we visited in detail below. I hope you enjoy reading my blog as much as I enjoyed writing it. 

Friday, July 22, 2022, at 9:45AM, Visiting an NGO

We started the day by attending a local NGO specializing in immigration issues. This NGO is called Convive: Fundación Cepaim, and its mission is to help immigrants that come to places like Spain to have the resources and means to survive in their new environment. They help immigrants get their paperwork which often includes work permits, visas, and even permanent citizenship documents. In their presentation, they mentioned that they get many Africans that cross the border and the Mediterranean Sea to get to Spain, so most of the people they work with are Africans. However, they have recently had a few projects focusing on helping Ukrainian immigrants settle into life in Spain. Overall, this NGO is known for its national-level projects, including creating community-level enrichment programs to fight against hate crimes or decreasing the crime rates against immigrants. Their target audience is primarily young people, such as teenagers and young adults, so they do a lot of outreach events and presentations by going to local high schools and universities to get people to volunteer and be part of their projects. 

One thing that stood out to me from their presentation was when they were explaining what would happen to immigrants that are minors. First, they said that the ministry only sends them immigrants that are more than 18 years old, so they do not work with minors. However, from what they know, they said that if the immigrant were indeed a child/minor, they would contact the authorities (in this case, the police), and the minors would be sent to a local shelter until they reach adulthood. Then once the children turn eighteen, the authorities decide whether to let them go or continue to support them. Sometimes when minors are no longer eighteen, their work permits and papers would get taken away by authorities, and they are left to fend for themselves on the streets. However, new legislation now allows minors (young adults) to keep their paperwork even after they turn eighteen. 

Friday, July 22, 2022, at 12:00PM, Exploring the Reina Sofia Museum 

Our second and last visit for today was the Reina Sofia Museum (Figure 1: Top left). I have learned that it was originally a hospital, then it was transformed into a museum in the 1990s. This museum holds the Guernica, a famous painting by Picasso. Fun fact: you are not allowed to take pictures of Guernica in this museum as it is a heavily guarded piece of art, so I suggest googling what it looks like. I have learned that the Spanish government commissioned Picasso for Guernica, and they acquired it in 1937. However, when WWII broke out, Picasso relocated the painting to New York’s Museum of Modern Art to guarantee its safety. Moreover, Picasso did not want the painting to come back to Spain until democracy was established, and in 1981, Guernica was finally able to come back to Spain. 

I also saw other paintings by Picasso, such as the Woman in Blue (1901), in which Picasso painted a prostitute wearing noble women’s clothing (Figure 2: Top Right). Then it was the Head of a Young Woman (1906), which is said to be inspired by his mistress Fernande Olivier (Figure 3: Bottom Left). On the other hand, a painting by Diego Rivera called Flower Vendor (1949) was one of the pieces that stood out to me (Figure 4: Bottom Right). This painting centers on a woman carrying a big load of flowers on her back while three young children pass her more flowers to take. In the paintings, we also see others carrying flowers, fruits, and other plants on their heads. This painting caught my attention immediately because I have seen people do business like this in downtown San Diego and even areas near the border. Overall, Rivera’s painting symbolized the hardships of life and the importance of having a strong community/family with you to have a better chance of survival. 

Saturday, July 23, 2022, at 10:00AM, 2nd Republic: Civil War & Dictatorship Guided Tour

On today’s tour, we walked around the city of Madrid while learning about the significance of certain streets, buildings, and influential figures that played a vital role in the civil war and the history of Madrid. For instance, we visited a building in Madrid that has been there since the beginning of the civil war. This building started as a church and school. Specifically, the school was on the right side of the building, mainly dedicated to the poor citizens of Madrid, while those from wealthy backgrounds had to pay a fee to receive an education. However, the church got a new owner during the peak of the civil war, so it stopped providing its educational services to the community. This church is now a public library for the general public, and it has been one since 2007.

We also had the chance to see the Fuente De Cabestreros. This fountain was made in 1934 and is currently located in the Lavapiés neighborhood. It has an engraving on it that says “REPUBLICA ESPAÑOLA — AYUNTAMIENTO DE MADRID.” It translates to “SPANISH REPUBLIC — MADRID CITY COUNCIL.” This means that this is a “republican” fountain from the civil war days, and it was made by order of the republican government. I was amazed to see this fountain in such an open area because I had assumed this historical architecture would be somewhere in a museum so it could be protected and better preserved. Nonetheless, I realized my mistake because this fountain in the Lavapiés neighborhood adds to the city’s charm. After all, how can you not be surprised when walking past artifacts or communities where significant historical events occurred? 

Thank you for your time and attention! 

Best, 

Serah Bogale 

Granada, Spain Global Seminar '22