Book profiles Alcoy during the Civil War

A BOOK has been produced by historians and Angel Beneito and Josep Lluis Santonja; an immense compilation of previously unpublished images of Alcoy in the Spanish Civil War and its aftermath.
Entitled ‘Alcoy: Les Fotos de la Guerra 1936-1939’, it is a pictorial work that is being praised for revealing life as it was experienced during wartime, not only in terms of combat but also the social aspects of surviving conflict.
An exhibition at the Mario Silvestre Cultural Centre, to run until May 30, marks the publication of the book.
Some of the images, such as those provided by the General Staff of the Military Aviation Authority of Italy, show Alcoy under bombardment in real time and have been available to the public for some years. However, others are previously unseen and are presented unedited.
Many of the images capture different parts of Spain from the mountains of Madrid to landings in Cádiz but the majority depict the city and surrounding areas of Alcoy.
Speaking at the presentation, Centre d’Estudis Historics Alcoià and Arqueològics (CAEHA), President Jose Maria Soriano explained that the book was inspired by the 75th anniversary of the conclusion of the Civil War. “It is a valuable and priceless document of the time,” he said.
Historian Angel Beneito noted that “…12 or 14 years ago there were very few images available on this period of Spanish history and a major museum collection has been achieved.”
Readers who are interested in the Spanish Civil War continue to be disappointed at the limited number of photographs available on day-to-day routine between 1936 and 1939.
This book is certainly a museum piece that profiles daily life during the most distressing and challenging times in the history of Spain.