Cuelgamuros documentary reveals forensic work in Spanish Civil War crypts

RTVE has released a documentary titled ‘Cuelgamuros, entre lo difícil y lo imposible’ (Cuelgamuros, between the difficult and the impossible), providing the first visual documentation of the interior of the crypts at the former Valley of the Fallen. The site contains the remains of more than 33,800 victims of the Spanish Civil War, approximately 12,000 of whom remain unidentified.

Forensic teams, led by Paco Etxeberria, are working within the crypts to locate and identify individuals using DNA testing and anthropological studies. The process is complicated by the physical state of the site, where remains are stored in deteriorating boxes embedded within the walls of the chapels, high humidity, and a lack of natural light.

The documentary highlights the technical and administrative challenges of the exhumation process. It notes that requests for exhumation come from various sides, including families of those linked to the Franco regime as well as Republican victims seeking recognition. The project aims to humanize the forensic work and bring visibility to the families seeking answers.