NPR

Spain Plans To Remove Franco's Remains From A Memorial, Angering His Supporters

More than four decades after his death, the dictator Francisco Franco remains a divisive figure. His tomb is situated at a memorial outside Madrid that has become a pilgrimage site of sorts.
The Valley of the Fallen, outside Madrid, includes Gen. Francisco Franco's tomb.

Dozens of people are holding a Roman Catholic Mass in the underground basilica of Spain's Valle de los Caídos, the Valley of the Fallen. The vast complex outside Madrid includes a monument and a church that leads to the tomb of Spain's 20th century dictator, Gen. Francisco Franco. The cavelike place is dark and full of fascist-era architecture: rigid lines and imposing statues.

On a recent Saturday, Franco's tomb is covered in flowers with red-and-yellow ribbons depicting the Spanish flag. Several people kneel and

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