The Battle of the Ebro was the decisive episode of the Spanish Civil War. It took place principally in the Terra Alta region. The 115 days of intense fighting destroyed many villages of the region and profoundly damaged the landscape. This battle today still attracts enormous international attention as it did in its day in 1938. Its disastrous effects can still be seen nowadays in the form of hidden trenches or eerie remains.
The battle broke out on 25th July, 1938 and came to an end on 16th November of the same year. The Republican Army’s defeat in this battle meant the beginning of the end of the entire war. The epicentre of the battle was the nowadays legendary mountain ranges known as Pàndols and Cavalls. More and more people are coming to visit these places. For some reason, the Battle of the Ebro has become much more than just a military event.
Air-raid shelters, bombed out houses which were never re-built and abandoned villages are the most obvious mark which the Battle of the Ebro has left on this region. The more invisible one remains in the memory of those who went through it.

Text Author: Roc Salvadó Poy
Text Adaptation: Toni Orensanz
Photos: Rafael López-Monné