THE CNT CIVIL WAR HOSPITAL IN VILLAJOYOSA

Villajoyosa is a beautiful town. You can get there in about forty minutes on the tram from Alicante and it's a few short stops before you get to the terminal in Benidorm. Set into a large gorge carved out by a river it's famous for its chocolate museum and also the colourful houses that cling to the steep sides of the old river bed. Stunning, but I was here on Civil War duties and that meant searching out some relics from the conflict. I didn't have to look far. In the centre of the town you will find the tourist office, it's a beautiful building with lovely shaded gardens but during the Civil War it served a different purpose and was requisitioned by the anarchist CNT as a hospital. From the exterior I doubt much has changed in the past eighty years. Digging deeper into some old records there are reports that the anarchists in Villajoyosa were in regular conflict with other groupings on the Republican side and were accused of hoarding weapons and dishing our random assassinations. Divisive and damaging stuff when the enemy is banging at the door. I managed to find a contemporary picture of Villajoyosa's 72nd Mixed Brigade from the Republican side - if I can find a picture credit I will post it up.