The search for the body of one of the world’s most influential poets, Federico García Lorca, continues. The residents of his home town of Granada, the tourists to the city and the students who study Spanish in Granada are hooked on the story, which coincides with the famous Lorca Poetry Prize. Read all about the developments here…
After publishing our post about the hunt for Lorca’s body just a few short weeks ago, more details have come to light which have added even more fire to an already mysterious story.
Federico García Lorca, one of the world’s most important and significant poets, was killed by Nationalists during the Spanish Civil War. From an incredibly fertile period, his contemporaries included Luis Buñel and Salvador Dalí and his work continues to be the subject of much study and respect throughout the world of poetry.
Lorca, Dalí y Buñuel together, with José Moreno Villa and José Rubio Sacristán.1927 - Madrid, Spain
In September this year, land analysers began to search for anomalies in the ground where his body was believed to lay, hoping to start excavation on finding land with signs of being interfered with by man. The retrieval of his body would be a great relief for his family, the people of Granada and poetry lovers throughout the world.
Now however new news has come to light, thanks to the excavation team, that his grave was interfered with just a short time after his death. It is a conclusion based on the geo-radar evidence of the excavation team which has been thoroughly searching the area during the last month.
The most significant anomaly lays round a piece of land which lies alongside the grave. The technical images show a break in the surface which, although not noticeable at a superficial level, is highly significant to the trained expert eye. They reckon the disturbance to have taken place just a short time after the death – and because it is such a precise place where the moving of ground has taken place – right next to the grave – experts assure that whoever removed the body of Lorca knew exactly where to look, there would have been very little searching involved. Ian Gibson, famed biographer, is said to be very affected by the news, a story which he has been following more than anyone.
Photo from the www.ABC.es report, all rights reserved.
The findings come at a relevant time for those interested in poetry, and specifically Lorca. The International Federico García Lorca Prize will be given out tomorrow, with a sum of 100 000 Euros! It’s the sixth edition of the prize giving and is an event highly anticipated by the poetry crowd. One of the favourites to win is the Argentinian poet Alfonso Nassif – though competition’s tough, it will certainly be an exciting finish!
It’s also a significant time for Lorca fans because of a recent film, starring British actor Robert Pattinson. The film, Little Ashes, is set in 1922 and tells the tale of Salvador Dali, Luis Buñel and Federico García Lorca meeting at university in Madrid – at a time when the once repressed Spain began to flourish under the influence of new art, music and ways of thinking. A historic tale which shows how the artistic lives of these three renowned artists met, it’s a great picture for anyone interested in learning about Spanish culture.
Granada, Lorca’s home city, really is a truly magical place with so much history. To learn Spanish in Granada really is a fantastic experience! Being something you’ll never forget!
