Peralada Democratic Memory Route

We propose a route to discover different facilities, spaces and places in Peralada that played a particularly important role before, during and after the Spanish Civil War and the Republican exile. A journey that allows visitors to explore the history of the municipality and understand its role during years marked by conflict, the Retirada and exile.

During the Spanish Civil War (1936-1939), Peralada experienced the effects of the conflict firsthand and became particularly important during the final months of the war. The municipality hosted facilities linked to the Republican army and also became a place for the protection and safekeeping of artistic heritage.

In this context, Peralada Castle housed several consignments of artworks evacuated from the Prado Museum, which remained there until they were evacuated to Céret and Geneva on 3 and 4 February 1939. The castle also hosted the Presidency of the Republic for several days, led by President Manuel Azaña (1880-1940), who arrived on 25 January and left on 31 January heading towards La Vajol.

This route helps preserve and highlight these sites of democratic memory and offers an insight into events that form part of the history of Peralada and the Alt Empordà region.

To learn more about these events and the phenomenon of the Retirada and Republican exile, visitors can also explore, in La Jonquera and Agullana, different sites linked to the Museum of the Exile (MUME).