A historic place with a special and unique energy 📷 Malaga – Spain

There are certain special places that have a special vibe, which perhaps not everyone can feel, but for me it has been very strong.

Although Spain is very large and I haven't travelled all over it, exploring the city where I live has led me to learn a lot about the history of this country and how many things have happened. I have visited many of these places, as well as museums and tourist attractions, but the one I am bringing you today has had a profound impact on me.

I wanted to explore this place on my own, because although I didn't know what it was like or what I was going to find, I knew that some very powerful events had taken place there. Being alone allows you to experience these kinds of things in a different way.

The San Rafael Cemetery was formerly located in a rural area, an agricultural field, and was used to bury those who could not be accommodated in the historic San Miguel Cemetery due to lack of space. Later, it was used for people with low incomes. The cemetery was inaugurated in the 19th century, but in 1987 it was closed and San Rafael Park was built, which I have already mentioned. If you would like to read more about it, here is a link.

The only thing I knew before arriving at the site and seeing it for the first time was that there had been a cemetery there, that at some point the bodies had been exhumed and placed in mass graves, and that the cemetery was part of the history of the Spanish Civil War. But what I felt when I arrived at the site and walked around gave me goosebumps.

When I arrived, I saw a huge wall that I walked along from start to finish, a wall with gates, but which are practically ruins and where, if you get close enough, you can see the holes left by the bullets after many people were shot there during the civil war. A large number of people from Malaga were in that situation. It was like taking a trip back in time, closing my eyes and having very strong feelings.

In a secluded corner closed to the public is the historic old Jewish cemetery, which I could only photograph through the bars there. Perhaps the place lacks maintenance, that's true, but at least I was able to see it that way.

Then I began my walk through the vast terrain full of paths where I could see green grass, pine trees and various other trees everywhere. The sun was intense, and there was little or no shade in that area.

In the distance, I saw a monument and walked over to see what it was. It should be noted that the place is very well maintained, with the grass cut and everything in good condition. The monument was dedicated to the military personnel who died in the line of duty between 1910 and 1965. A fitting tribute and reminder for all of them.

From that area, I could see the entire cemetery and wondered where the graves were. I continued walking along the paths until I came to large green areas where I could see what looked like plaques or large metal plates on the ground.

These plaques were not in numerical order, but I think they were placed according to where the graves were made, without any pre-established order. Each of the metal sheets or plaques had a number, the number of levels and the number of bodies in that grave.

I walked around the whole large area, passing by each of the plaques, and the feeling was very intense, knowing that beneath my feet there were so many people and that many of them had been killed in the civil war, even shot against that wall I showed you at the beginning.

What I felt as I walked around was a great deal of sorrow; it was like feeling the pain and anguish of those people in the moments before their death, knowing that they were going to die. I have been to cemeteries before, and they all gave me a feeling of peace and serenity, but this case was very different. I assure you that I felt like crying.

It is a powerful story, and at that moment there was no one else there. That didn't matter to me because I am not averse to cemeteries. On the contrary, being alone allowed me to let myself feel whatever came up. I assure you that it was a unique experience. Thinking about the way they died and that they are all there still gives me chills as I write these lines.

In the last part of the cemetery, I could see the most decorative part of it, the pine trees, seats, places that I suppose were once water fountains or something similar. It was the place with the most shade. I rested there for a while, looking into the distance at the path I had travelled and taking in everything I had experienced, which was very interesting and fascinating.

Thank you all very much for accompanying me on this unprecedented exploration. I send you my warmest regards. See you soon.
Amonet.