Episode28 - Franco and Compostela

The Generalissimo Francisco Franco ruled Spain for the better part of four decades and had a profound impact on the country over that time. He also had a tremendous impact on the Camino de Santiago. Indeed, his time in power coincides with the acceleration of the Camino's rebirth, which kicked off in earnest in 1879 and culminated in the Jubilee year of 1993. Dr. Stanley Payne is one of Franco's biographers and in this episode he shares his expertise on Franco's rise to power and relationship with the Church, with some specific consideration of Franco's impact on several places relevant to the Camino: El Ferrol, Guernica, and the region of Galicia. He's followed by Dr. Sasha Pack, who focuses more specifically on Franco's role in the reemergence of the Camino de Santiago, and his very tangible impact on the pilgrimage that we see--and walk--today.