Guernica

Guernica is a town located in the Basque area of Spain. This town represents the cruelty of man and yet stands for peace.
On April 26th, 1937 it was Monday market day. The streets were filled with artisans, men, women and children. Then destruction happened. Planes flew overhead dropping bombs and more were coming in low gunning down as many civilians that they could. Everyone dispersed, running for shelter, as they had been practicing during this the Spanish Civil War. Little did they know this was an combined effort approved by Spanish Nationalist leader Francisco Franco and carried out by Hitler and Italian forces. Most of the town was demolished. Numbers of fatalities range from over 1,600 to 300, depending on who you talk to.

Franco’s army would eventually win the civil war in 1939 and he went on to rule over Spain till his death in 1975.
The remaining civilians in Guernica were encouraged to say that they were bombed by “the planes”.
This atrocity was depicted shortly after in the painting by Picasso entitled
“Guernica”. Picasso painted this as his response to this event for the World Expo 1937 in Paris. It would take him alittle over a month to complete it. This black and white painting portrays the anguish of war and the brutality of man and is known as one of his best works. As per Picasso’s request, this painting did not return to Spain until after Franco’s death in 1975. It now can be found on display at the Reina Sofia museum in Madrid. The town Guernica has a replica displayed in their museum which is dedicated to the remembrance of this tragedy and to peace as their response.