Federico del Sagrado Corazón de Jesús García Lorca, better known simply as Federico García Lorca, is probably one of the most well-known names in Spanish culture. Despite this, there are so many people who, like us, don’t actually know anything about him or are even able to name any of his work. He was born, raised, and came to an untimely end all within the province of Granada. His short life spanned from 5 June 1898 to 19 August 1936. Mystery shrouds his demise as his remains have never been found.
Birth
Lorca was born in the town of Fuente Vaqueros, 20km to the west of Granada. Nowadays his birthplace is a museum where you can learn all about his life. Visiting times are on the website, but it is a good idea to send them an email and let them know you are coming, just in case they are busy. When we visited we were the only visitors which meant our tour was in English. With hourly tours during the day, you might be equally lucky. Our guide was excellent and clearly loves his job. The front of the house is not where you need to go though. First, go round the back and look for the large mural of Lorca. The door will open 5-10 minutes before the tour begins on the hour. You go in there to get a ticket and then make your way to the front of the house to begin the tour.
Photography is not allowed inside the house but you can snap away to your heart’s content in the courtyard and in the temporary exhibitions upstairs in both buildings. First, we were told the story of Lorca’s parents. His father was a wealthy landowner whilst his mother was a teacher and, unusually for a woman in those days, had been to college to train for the profession. There are some old school photos on display and Lorca appears in the front of his mother’s classes even though he was too young to go to school! Our guide also told us that he has recently discovered that his great-great-grandfather is in one of the school pictures. Looking around the house, it is clear that Lorca’s younger days were not ones of hardship.
When Lorca was seven years old the family moved out to Valderrubio, just a few miles away. We didn’t have time to visit, but the family house there has also been converted into a museum. This is the town where he fist went to the theatre, something which was to shape his life.
Fuente Vaqueros
The town of Fuente Vaqueros are rightly proud of their famous son. Wherever you walk you will find statues and quotes. The town hall is even covered in a fabulous mural dedicated to the poet.
Young Life
When Lorca was eleven years old, his family decided to move to the city of Granada. Huerta de San Vicente, the family’s favourite summer house, is now a museum dedicated to his life and works. It is now surrounded by the ever expanding city but it used to overlook his father’s fields with views of the Sierra Nevada and the Alhambra Palace. The gardens bear his name and it’s well worth a stroll around the park before or after visiting the house.
The tour lasts about half an hour but with group sizes restricted to 15 (it’s quite small inside!) you might have to wait. It did seem to be in Spanish only, but our guide spoke very clearly and we did not feel we missed anything. Downstairs is all about the life of the Lorca family and there are some interesting childhood pictures drawn by the young Federico displayed on the walls. Upstairs is a temporary exhibition space.
Death
Political and social tensions greatly intensified in the mid 1930s. Lorca knew that he would be considered abhorrent by the rising right wing for his outspoken socialist views and his homosexuality. Granada was so unstable that it had not had a mayor for months as no one dared accept the job. When Lorca’s brother-in-law agreed to accept the position, he was assassinated within a week. On the same day he was shot, 19 August 1936, Lorca was arrested.
Lorca was executed by Nationalist militia on 19 August 1936. It is thought that he was shot with three others (Joaquín Arcollas Cabezas, Francisco Galadí Melgar and Dióscoro Galindo González) at a place known as the Fuente Grande (‘Great Spring’) which is on the road between Víznar and Alfacar. A bust of Lorca stands in memorial with stunning views of the valley serving as a picturesque background. The truth may never be known though, as several searches to identify Lorca’s remains have proved unsuccessful. Yes, they are still looking for Lorca in Granada.
Legacy
I’ll confess, I’m still not familiar with the works of Lorca despite how much I enjoyed finding out more about his life and death. He wrote many poems and plays, so no doubt I’ll find something that appeals. Gypsy Ballads and Yerma are probably his most famous works but his play, Blood Wedding, sounds intriguing so maybe I’ll be searching in bookshops for English translations!
The Casa de los Tiros in the centre of Granada has several pictures of Lorca in its permanent collection. There’s also a temporary exhibition on the ground floor showing how Lorca invited friends from the literary and musical world of the time to enjoy their summers with him in the city.
Upstairs in the house of Lorca’s birth in Fuente Vaquero is a fascinating temporary exhibition which hopefully will run for some time to come. Most English speakers will be familiar with Punch and Judy puppet shows which were somewhat controversial and of their time but nowadays require major adjustments for politically correct reasons. Lorca was heavily involved in the development of Cachiporrísticos which is pretty much the Spanish version. In the other building an exhibition of the times Lorca spent in Cadaques, Catalunya, visiting Salvador Dalí is waiting for you. It’s particularly unusual because if you visit the Dalí Triangle, there is no mention of Lorca. When we asked about this, we were told that Dalí’s family did not want him labelled as a homosexual because of his friendship with Lorca and therefore they don’t publicise the association.
On the upper floor of the Huerta de San Vicente is a weird and wonderful display of art. Photographs are not allowed, but the modern day illustrations accompanying Lorca’s “King of Harlem” poem will definitely have you scratching your head in bewilderment!
The poem begins:
With a spoon
he scooped out the eyes of crocodiles
and slapped monkeys’ bottoms.
With a spoon.
Eternal fire slept in the flints
and beetles drunk on aniseed
forgot the villages’ moss.
In the centre of Granada you’ll also find the Federica García Lorca Centre which can be visited without reservation. It’s definitely on our list for our next visit! Have you been there, or to any of the places mentioned in this blog? Do you know where Lorca’s remains are??? Let us know in the comments!
