Huerto Calixto y Malibea

I have made mention before of certain well known writers who have planted their roots in Salamanca. Being a city built around its university, it is little wonder that so many famous writers come from this place. On a larger scale the same could be said of the region of Castile & Leon, where Salamanca is located. Several authors, particularly those of the Generations '98 and '27, have come from the Castile & Leon area, including Unamuno, Garcia Lorca, and Azorin.

Perhaps, it’s the environment here that has served to inspire both poet and lover alike. At the southern part of historical Salamanca there is a garden called “Huerto Calixto y Malibea“. It is named after one of the greatest works of Spanish literature, “La Celestina”, and is a public park for any who would like to visit. “La Celestina” is a tragic tale of two lovers, Calixto and Malibea, whose forbidden love caused them to arrange a secret meeting in “El Huerto”.

In the Huerto of Salamanca there is a statue of “La Celestina” standing guard over the garden. The landscaping is beautiful and provides incredible views of the city in the north and the River Tormes in the south. However, the Huerto’s most extraordinary trait is the well at the center of the garden. The arch over the well is covered with locks and below, in the depths of the dark water, lay their corresponding keys. Tradition has it that whenever someone falls in love in the city of Salamanca they attach a lock to the well of the Huerto and throw away the key symbolizing their commitment.

This is yet another example of the deeply rooted tradition in Spain. It is a tradition founded in literature, in poetry, in the deepest parts of the Spanish culture; and, in a symbiotic twist, it is this tradition that serves to inspire another generation of writers.

Franco and Unamuno

Today commemorates the 75th anniversary of the start of the Spanish Civil War. The conflict would last for three years and prove victorious for one Francisco Franco, dictator of Spain from 1936 to 1975. It is difficult to interpret the sentiments of the Spanish people toward the Franco regime. As a foreigner, one must tread the waters of the Franco regime carefully as it is a subject that cuts to the heart of Spain. For some, it was a reality that they lived with for the greater parts of their lives and therefore not easy to express or digest. For most, it is simply a reality of Spain’s personal history and identity.

There is a story concerning Franco and a well known author in Salamanca named Don Miguel de Unamuno. Like the famous Fray Luis de Leon, Unamuno was a rector at the University of Salamanca in addition to being a world renowned writer. His diverse writings spoke to the splendor of Spain and her traditions.

During the Franco regime, government delegates, or Franquistas, visited Salamanca, and Unamuno, as rector, had the responsibility of welcoming the generals. At a meeting with the heads of state, Unamuno began to argue with a Franquista general named Millan-Astray. Unamuno claimed that Millan-Astray was trying to cripple Spain's culture and people.

"You will win, but you will not convince," Unamuno said. "...because to convince means to persuade. And to persuade you need something that you lack: reason and right in the struggle. It seems to me useless to beg you to think of Spain.”

Some time after his meeting with the Franquistas, Unamuno passed away. His coffin was draped with the Franquista flag. As he predicted, Unamuno remaind unconvinced and Franco won, leaving a symbol of his victory with the interred rector. And in the Plaza Mayor in Unamuno's town of Salamanca, Unamuno's likeness stares across at a similar carving of Franco, challenging Spain's dictator even in death.