The Department of Historical Heritage and Democratic Memory of Gandia City Council, together with the Alfons el Vell Regional Studies and Research Center (CEIC), have published the work Memòria de l'oblit. La repressió franquista a la Safor. This volume, the result of photojournalist Eva Máñez's work, gathers 48 accounts from relatives of people who suffered Francoist repression, many of whom ended up in mass graves in Gandia's cemetery.
The official book presentation will take place next Tuesday, April 14, at 7:30 PM, at the Casa de la Marquesa, coinciding with the commemoration of Republic Day. The press event was attended by Alícia Izquierdo, Councilor for Historical Heritage and Democratic Memory; the author, Eva Máñez; Juli Capilla, director of the CEIC Alfons el Vell; and Victòria Reig, representative of the Association of Relatives of Francoism's Victims in Gandia.
“"Precisely, it was given the strength, quantity, and value of the texts and testimonies present in that exhibition that it was considered necessary to take another step: to give them continuity and permanence in book format. This is how this publication that we present today was born."
The origins of this publication date back to 2018, with the creation of the Association of Victims of Francoism in Gandia. After three years of research, the scientific association ArqueoAntro located a grave in 2023 with 27 bodies showing signs of violence, still awaiting DNA identification. It is estimated that up to 62 victims were buried in Gandia's cemetery. This photojournalistic work led to an exhibition in 2024 at the Casa de la Marquesa, which later traveled to Luxembourg.
The book collects testimonies from various towns in La Safor and La Valldigna, including Gandia, El Grau, El Real, Benirredrà, Beniopa, Vilallonga, Bellreguard, Almoines, Daimús, Miramar, Oliva, Barx, Ròtova, Xeraco, and Tavernes de la Valldigna. These accounts detail arbitrary arrests, summary trials, courts-martial, torture, and executions, as well as the repression against relatives and specific violence against women during Francisco Franco's dictatorship.
“"This book gathers family stories often silenced for decades that now come to light and accompany each other in a choral narrative that, without anger or nostalgia, remembers against the impunity of those crimes."
Councilor Alícia Izquierdo has reiterated her department's support for initiatives that dignify the memory of the victims, thanking Eva Máñez for her work and the CEIC Alfons el Vell for its involvement. For his part, Juli Capilla, director of the CEIC, highlighted the honor of contributing to the editing of this "essential" work for historical memory. The CEIC will be responsible for the book's distribution, which will also be presented at the València Book Fair, the Plaça del Llibre de Gandia, and in Barcelona.
The Association of Victims of Francoism in Gandia has reminded that DNA results of the exhumed bodies and the location of more remains are awaited, with the desire to create a memorial. In addition to the entities already mentioned, the project has had the collaboration of the Association of Relatives of the Gandia Mass Grave, the ArqueoAntro Scientific Association, the Republican Association of La Safor, and the Coordinator of Associations for Democratic Memory of the Valencian Country. The design and layout were carried out by Tomás Gorria.
