Last Friday, April 17, the Museu de l'Horta Sud in Torrent was the setting for the first public tribute to a neighbor executed by Francoism in 1939 and buried in an unmarked mass grave in Paterna. The event, promoted by the feminist association Un Torrent de Dones, began with a performance by the Cor Dona Veu and brought to light the unknown history of this woman.
“"This process has brought us joy, even though it is a very sad story."
A relative of the honored woman, accompanied by other family members, expressed gratitude to Un Torrent de Dones for uncovering their grandmother's story. They reported that the family has undergone DNA testing and, if they manage to recover her remains, they will hold a mass in her honor. The relatives received bouquets of flowers, commemorative parchments, and a publication detailing the Francoist summary trial sentence by which she was executed for "adherence to the rebellion".
The event was attended by about twenty family members, as well as leading Valencian memorialist entities and institutional representatives, including the vice president of the Diputación de València and the mayors of Alaquàs and Aldaia. Descendants of two other women executed in Paterna in the post-war period also attended.
“"We have carried out our particular act of recognition, but we will not stop here. We want institutions to recognize her and, for this reason, we will ask the city council of our city, which was hers, to dedicate a public space to her memory."
The president of the collective announced the intention to ask the city council to dedicate a public space to the woman's memory. For her part, the vice president of the Diputación de València highlighted the importance of recovering this history, calling it "terrifying" so that "the injustice committed is known," and encouraged memorialist groups to continue their work.
A director of Un Torrent de Dones reconstructed the woman's family tree and explained the details of the summary trial and the family's circumstances. She revealed that her husband and one of her brothers were imprisoned, and that she went to the Torre de Torrent to visit another brother, where the incident that led to her arrest occurred. Furthermore, it was revealed that the woman was pregnant at the time of her execution, leaving two young children orphaned.
The event included the sale of books on democratic memory by NovaLlibres de Torrent and had the collaboration of various activists and entities, such as the Mancomunitat de l'Horta Sud and the Torrent City Council. The Cor Dona Veu, directed by Beatriu Lafont, closed the tribute with a repertoire that included songs by republican prisoners and a Valencian version of a well-known song.
