War is Over

This was taken a couple of years ago in a ruined house in Belchite, a village destroyed by the Spanish Civil War. During the fierce Battle of Belchite (1937) in only 2 weeks time the whole village was left to ruins and dictator Franco ordered it to be left untouched as a reminder of the destructive powers of the Republicans.

When I lived in Zaragoza I spent many a sunrise and sunset here alone wandering these haunted streets and buildings, which left an enormous impression on me. In a way I was lucky to be able to walk in whenever I felt like it, because nowadays it seems you can only go in with a guide and you have to pay an entrance fee.
(Here are more of my photos from Belchite)

(1/60, F4.5, ISO800, 21mm)

Tags: Abandoned, Civil, decay, Light, Ruin, shadow, Spain, Spanish, Urbex, War

63 thoughts on “War is Over”

sl4lifestyle on June 7, 2014 at 18:36 said:

Wow – incredible colors!

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- Rondje on June 17, 2014 at 16:37 said:
  
  Danke schön, Sabine 😉
  I miss those Spanish golden sunrays, the light is so strong here in Kuala Lumpur!
  Have a good week, grusse, Ron.
  
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niasunset on May 29, 2014 at 14:53 said:

amazing light and colours… Thank you, love, nia

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- Rondje on June 7, 2014 at 14:12 said:
  
  Thanks very much, Nia, very kind of you to stop by and take time to comment!
  Hope your weekend started great, all the best, Ron.
  
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  - niasunset on June 7, 2014 at 17:30 said:
    
    You are welcome dear Ron, I wish the same for you, love, nia
    
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Dilip on May 22, 2014 at 23:01 said:

The photo and the history are indeed fascinating! Thank you.

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- Rondje on June 7, 2014 at 14:08 said:
  
  Thanks very much for having a thorough look, Dilip, really appreciate it!
  Have a good weekend, greetings, Ron.
  
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vastlycurious.com on May 22, 2014 at 09:13 said:

You are a Master at capturing the light !

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- Rondje on June 7, 2014 at 14:09 said:
  
  Thanks so much, Katrina, thats very flattering to hear!
  hope you´re having a great weekend, greetz, Ron.
  
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natuurfreak on May 21, 2014 at 07:41 said:

Battle of Bechit gives great photo’s but thinking on the people living there I’m touch dieply.

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- Rondje on June 7, 2014 at 13:23 said:
  
  Dank je wel en inderdaad is het een fantastische plek om te fotograferen, maar ook erg indrukwekkend om te zijn en proberen te bevatten wat mensen elkaar aan kunnen doen…
  Fijn weekend, Ron.
  
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noellevignola on May 21, 2014 at 00:00 said:

This photo is absolute magic. Love the atmosphere in all of these pieces.

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- Rondje on June 2, 2014 at 20:12 said:
  
  Thank you so much, Noelle, so great to hear you took a good look, there was a lot of rubbish making the magic happen 😉
  Have a great week, Ron.
  
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Dalo 2013 on May 20, 2014 at 12:11 said:

I think everyone has a magical place that contains a solitude a soul needs, and it seems you have found yours here. Very cool images of this place, with the lighting ~ very emotional.

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- Rondje on June 2, 2014 at 19:14 said:
  
  Hi Randall, very well said and that´s one thing that takes some adjusting for me; there were so many beautiful magical places of desolacy around Spain compared to the chaos around Kuala Lumpur. Thanks very much for the compliment, really appreciate it!
  Greetings, Ron
  
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shabnamphoto on May 19, 2014 at 23:33 said:

When I look at your fantastic images I feel priviliged to have you visiting my space…. thanks Ron for sharing your inspiring images +stories

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- Rondje on June 2, 2014 at 15:06 said:
  
  Hi Shabnam, thats so kind of you to say, but i feel privileged you taking time out to look and read em!
  Hope you have a great week, all the best and thanks for your enthousiasm 😉
  Greetz, Ron
  
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Through My Eyes on May 16, 2014 at 20:46 said:

Fascinating place, interesting history. Love the richness of this image.

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- Rondje on June 2, 2014 at 14:19 said:
  
  Thank you, Norma, interesting and sad, but inspirational as well!
  Hope you´re week´s gonna be great,
  Ron.
  
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rrearick on May 14, 2014 at 14:19 said:

all of your work. stunning. absolutely stunning. texture, color, pattern. all so well done.

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- Rondje on June 2, 2014 at 14:12 said:
  
  Wow, thats so great to hear, thank you very much, rrearick, very happy you enjoyed them!
  Hope I´ll keep it up 😉
  Have a great week, Ron.
  
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Documenter SandyW on May 14, 2014 at 12:46 said:

Stunnng work and thank you for the context!

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- Rondje on June 2, 2014 at 13:32 said:
  
  Hello Sandy,
  Thank you so much for showing an interest in the story behind the photo and the compliment!
  I really enjoy your view on decaying buildings as well,
  Greetings, Ron.
  
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  - Documenter SandyW on June 3, 2014 at 12:52 said:
    
    Hi Ron,
    
    Thanks for visiting and for your returned compliment.
    
    Best’est ~ Sandy
    
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LB on May 2, 2014 at 08:31 said:

The colors are gorgeous, and the lighting and composition are wonderful (so sorry that the end result was because of war)

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- Rondje on June 2, 2014 at 13:27 said:
  
  Thank you so much, Laurie! I totally agree with it being a shame this was because of a horrible war that was fought there, but hopefully people that get to see places like this are touched by it (like me) and take it with them in the way they treat and judge other humans!
  Hope you have a great week, Ron.
  
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65luna on May 2, 2014 at 01:09 said:

Wow!!! Smile,65Luna

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- Rondje on June 2, 2014 at 13:11 said:
  
  Thanks very much 65Luna! Hope the photo tells a bit about the story behind it…
  Have a great week, Ron
  
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mariayarri on May 1, 2014 at 19:15 said:

Hi Ron ! … This is a great post with fantastic photos of a place with such sad and violent history …
I think this war, were among other terrible things that were going on at that time … A practicing for Germany and Italy to make themselves ready for World war II …
The bombing of Guernica in 1937 and the bombing of Barcelona 1938 …

I have been reading that such a famous politicans as sir W Churchill refused to admit that there were no other European countries that were involved in the Spanish civil war …
// Maria 🙂

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- Rondje on June 2, 2014 at 13:09 said:
  
  Hello Maria, thanks at first for your compliment; good to hear he photo tells some of the (hi)story!
  So true about the involvement of other countries, also during the civil war just before WOII there was allready lots of interest and help from other countries on both sides! Like Meho said in his comment down here, there was much more at stake for foreign politics than they were willing to admit!
  Hope you have a great week and thanks again for your interest,
  Ron
  
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Richard Guest on May 1, 2014 at 13:57 said:

Beautiful shot. And a great title.

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- Rondje on May 30, 2014 at 18:25 said:
  
  Thanks Richard, wanted at least a little bit of positivity to contradict the photo 😉
  Have a good weekend, Ron.
  
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sedge808 on May 1, 2014 at 12:00 said:

fab title.
excellent photo.

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- Rondje on May 30, 2014 at 18:24 said:
  
  Thanks very much, Gavin!
  Have a good weekend and come back with some great shots,
  Ron
  
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  - sedge808 on May 30, 2014 at 18:27 said:
    
    I will.
    
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Journey Photographic on May 1, 2014 at 09:06 said:

Incredible – that light, and those colours are impressive by themselves, but to combine with such a moving subject is stunning.

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- Rondje on May 30, 2014 at 22:44 said:
  
  That´s very kind of you to say, Erin, thank you very much! It is an unbelievable history, great to hear some of that shined thru in my photo!
  Have a great weekend,
  Ron
  
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Lisa Gordon on May 1, 2014 at 07:53 said:

Truly powerful images.
Magnificently captured.

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- Rondje on May 30, 2014 at 18:22 said:
  
  Thank you very much, Lisa, such a powerful history, so glad you saw some of that in this photo!
  Have a great weekend, Ron.
  
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Louis on May 1, 2014 at 04:32 said:

A powerful image and a dramatic reminder of the horrors of the Spanish Civil War.

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- Rondje on May 30, 2014 at 18:13 said:
  
  Thanks, Louis! Very unknown war to me before I left to Spain, but the effects and influence on the people made a huge impression on me…
  Have a good weekend, Ron.
  
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My Heartsong on May 1, 2014 at 04:02 said:

I thought that this was a fire at first as I scrolled down my e-mail. The light and shadow playing off one another and the complementary colours create such a dramatic effect. Somehow it fits with the history which I appreciate you sharing. It is good that these ruins are left as a reminder.

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- Rondje on May 30, 2014 at 18:17 said:
  
  Hello, Jane, thanks for taking a better look! It´s always hard for me to imagine how these places looked before, but from all the vagued out colours it must have been bright! And I agree it is good that its there as a reminder now, but Franco´s reason was to scare the opposition and made the prisoners of war rebuilt their village next to it 😦
  Have a good weekend, Ron.
  
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Sandra on May 1, 2014 at 02:54 said:

Beautiful. Wish I had visited when I was in Spain . . .

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- Rondje on May 30, 2014 at 18:05 said:
  
  Hola Sandra, you should have asked me 😉
  No, definitely recommended, but there´s so much to choose from, me personnaly I´m mostly more impressed by empty, desolate places like this than the more touristic spots.
  Thanks for your enthousiasm, have a great weekend,
  Ron
  
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  - Sandra on May 31, 2014 at 00:23 said:
    
    Me too. . . !! Some day I’ll go back. . . .
    
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Mark Simms on May 1, 2014 at 01:59 said:

Lovely shot of a very sobering subject

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- Rondje on May 30, 2014 at 18:02 said:
  
  Thanks, Mark! Very sobering and impressive place to be; with this house being clowed down now I do feel a bit lucky I got this shot before…
  Have a good weekend, Ron.
  
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donnaevaligia on May 1, 2014 at 00:33 said:

Was this the place where el laberinto del fauno was done ?
Very evocative and i would add of Franco’s cruelty and total lack of humanity

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- Rondje on May 30, 2014 at 18:01 said:
  
  Hello Donna, thats indeed the place where El Laberinto del Fauno starts, incredible movie by the way!
  Also way earlier Terry Gilliam made ´The Adventures of Baron Munchhausen´ there.
  Totally agree about Franco´s cruelties; as a foreigner I couldnt understand, even after many discussions, why lots of Spaniards still defend him…
  Thanks for stopping by and showing an interest!
  Have a great weekend, Ron.
  
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Leïla Bloop on April 30, 2014 at 23:05 said:

Wow, so great !

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- Rondje on May 30, 2014 at 17:40 said:
  
  Thank you very much, Leïla! Not such a great history, but very photogenic nonetheless.
  Have a great weekend, Ron.
  
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Rajiv on April 30, 2014 at 20:21 said:

Fantastic image

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- Rondje on May 27, 2014 at 21:06 said:
  
  Thank you very much, Rajiv! I hope it tells a little of the history!
  Greetings, Ron.
  
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Mr Bennett Kent on April 30, 2014 at 20:15 said:

Terrifically moody and atmospheric lighting – a very poignant shot

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- Rondje on May 27, 2014 at 18:35 said:
  
  Thank you, James, thats very nice of you to say! Glad the impact the scenes there had on me shine thru!
  Have a great week, Ron.
  
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logphotography on April 30, 2014 at 19:59 said:

Very nice lighting. Lots of drama

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- Rondje on May 27, 2014 at 18:32 said:
  
  Definitely a dramatic place to be and shoot! In a way I was lucky because the last visit the house was boarded up for security reasons.
  Thanks for stopping by and commenting, Luis!
  Greetings, Ron.
  
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Malin H on April 30, 2014 at 19:53 said:

Fantastic image, Ron.
I’m very moved by this post…

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- Rondje on May 27, 2014 at 18:08 said:
  
  Thank you, Malin, it´s a very impressive place and history. Wandering around this ruined city before dawn left a huge mark on me in a good way I think…
  All the best to you, Ron.
  
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  - Malin H on May 27, 2014 at 18:21 said:
    
    My pleasure, Ron. I know what you mean…
    
    I wish you a wonderful day.
    
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Meho on April 30, 2014 at 19:46 said:

This « war » is not enough known. A collaboration between western country and the Nazi (one more). A proof that Nazi and Western countries wanted the same thing at the end. They wasn’t really ennemies…

Good capture!

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- Rondje on May 27, 2014 at 15:05 said:
  
  So true, I wasn´t taught anything in Dutch school about this war and it´s connection to WOII….
  It left such huge scars in Spain, proof is everywhere unfortunately!
  Thanks for compliment and taking a look, Meho
  Greetings, Ron.
  
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