{"id":89788,"date":"2023-12-20T12:12:54","date_gmt":"2023-12-20T11:12:54","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/icac.cat\/?p=89788"},"modified":"2023-12-21T16:01:41","modified_gmt":"2023-12-21T15:01:41","slug":"the-forgotten-battle-of-the-spanish-civil-war-recovering-the-archaeology-of-the-fight-at-turo-del-balis","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/icac.cat\/en\/actualitat\/noticies\/2023\/the-forgotten-battle-of-the-spanish-civil-war-recovering-the-archaeology-of-the-fight-at-turo-del-balis\/","title":{"rendered":"The forgotten battle of the Spanish Civil War: recovering the archaeology of the fight at Tur\u00f3 del Bal\u00eds"},"content":{"rendered":"
A <\/span>new<\/span> study<\/span>, <\/span>led<\/span> by<\/span> the<\/span> Landscape<\/span> Archaeology<\/span> Research<\/span> Group (GIAP) of <\/span>the<\/span> Catalan <\/span>Institute<\/span> of <\/span>Classical<\/span> Archaeology<\/span> (ICAC-CERCA), <\/span>unveils<\/span> new<\/span> details<\/span> about<\/span> the<\/span> battle<\/span>field<\/span> of <\/span>Tur\u00f3 del<\/span> Bal\u00eds, <\/span>one<\/span> of <\/span>the<\/span> last<\/span> R<\/span>epublican<\/span> resistance<\/span> episodes<\/span> in Maresme (<\/span>Catalonia<\/span>) <\/span>at<\/span> the<\/span> end<\/span> of <\/span>the<\/span> Spanish<\/span> Civil <\/span>War<\/span>, <\/span>and<\/span> proposes <\/span>the<\/span> preservation<\/span> of <\/span>the<\/span> archaeological<\/span> site<\/span>.<\/span><\/span><\/h6>\n

The<\/span> Francoist<\/span> offensive<\/span> in <\/span>Catalonia<\/span> began<\/span> in <\/span>late<\/span> December<\/span> 1938 <\/span>and<\/span> extended<\/span> until<\/span> early<\/span> February<\/span> 1939. <\/span>The<\/span> Republican<\/span> Army<\/span> was<\/span> nearly<\/span> defeated<\/span> after<\/span> the<\/span> Ebro <\/span>battle<\/span> and<\/span> the<\/span> prolonged<\/span> w<\/span>ar<\/span> effort<\/span> of <\/span>the<\/span> front in <\/span>the<\/span> Pallars<\/span> region<\/span>. <\/span>However<\/span>,<\/span> it<\/span> attempted<\/span> to <\/span>reorganize<\/span> the<\/span> Catalan front in <\/span>successive<\/span> defense<\/span> lines<\/span> and<\/span> fought<\/span> the<\/span> invasion<\/span> o<\/span>n <\/span>several<\/span> battlefields<\/span> across<\/span> the<\/span> country<\/span>. <\/span>Some<\/span> of <\/span>these<\/span> clashes<\/span> have<\/span> left<\/span> material <\/span>remains<\/span> that<\/span> have<\/span> only<\/span> recently<\/span> been<\/span> excavated<\/span>, <\/span>such<\/span> as <\/span>the<\/span> battle<\/span> of <\/span>Ordal<\/span><\/a> or <\/span>the<\/span> trenches<\/span><\/a> of Abrera on <\/span>the<\/span> Llobregat River.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

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Although<\/span> the<\/span> intense<\/span> fight<\/span>ing<\/span> impacted<\/span> the<\/span> oral <\/span>memory<\/span> of <\/span>many<\/span> villagers<\/span>, <\/span>the<\/span> battlefield<\/span> ha<\/span>s<\/span> almost<\/span> gone<\/span> unnoticed<\/span> until<\/span> today<\/span><\/span>.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

Between<\/span> January<\/span> 28 <\/span>and<\/span> 29, 1939, <\/span>Republican<\/span> troops<\/span> established<\/span> a <\/span>new<\/span> front <\/span>between<\/span> Sant Vicen\u00e7 de Montalt <\/span>and<\/span> Caldes d’Estrac<\/span>. <\/span>They<\/span> fought<\/span> against<\/span> Italian<\/span> and<\/span> Spanish<\/span> troops<\/span> of <\/span>the<\/span> <\/span>Corpo<\/span> Truppe<\/span> Volontarie<\/span><\/span><\/em> advancing<\/span> along<\/span> the<\/span> Maresme <\/span>coast (Barcelona)<\/span>. <\/span>The<\/span> Bal\u00eds <\/span>battle<\/span><\/strong> took<\/span> place<\/span> during<\/span> the<\/span> coastal<\/span> campaign<\/span> that<\/span> began<\/span> just <\/span>after<\/span> the<\/span> Francoist<\/span> military<\/span> occupation<\/span> of Barcelona on <\/span>January<\/span> 26. <\/span>The<\/span> Italian<\/span> divis<\/span>i<\/span>onal forces of <\/span>the<\/span> Blue <\/span>Arrows<\/span> encountered<\/span> the<\/span> R<\/span>epublicans <\/span>entrenched<\/span> on <\/span>the<\/span> top of<\/span> Bal\u00eds<\/span>‘<\/span>hill<\/span>. <\/span>Although<\/span> the<\/span> intense<\/span> fight<\/span>ing<\/span> impacted<\/span> the<\/span> oral <\/span>memory<\/span> of <\/span>many<\/span> villagers<\/span>, <\/span>the<\/span> battlefield<\/span> ha<\/span>s<\/span> almost<\/span> gone<\/span> unnoticed<\/span> until<\/span> today<\/span>.<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

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Figure<\/span> 01. <\/span>Route<\/span> of <\/span>the<\/span> CTV-Blue <\/span>Arrows<\/span> during<\/span> the<\/span> Catalonia<\/span> campaign<\/span>, <\/span>indicating<\/span> areas<\/span> where<\/span> the<\/span> most notable <\/span>fighting<\/span> occur<\/span>red<\/span>.<\/span><\/span> Source<\/span>: F. C. Conesa (ICAC-CERCA).<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

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The<\/span> study<\/span> provides<\/span> a <\/span>first<\/span> approach<\/span> to <\/span>the<\/span> historical<\/span> and<\/span> spatial<\/span> context of <\/span>the<\/span> battle<\/span> based<\/span> on <\/span>the<\/span> comparative<\/span> analysis<\/span> of <\/span>archival<\/span> re<\/span>cords <\/span>of <\/span>the<\/span> Italian<\/span> divis<\/span>i<\/span>onal <\/span>army<\/span>, <\/span>such<\/span> as <\/span>the<\/span> Civil <\/span>War<\/span> collection<\/span><\/strong><\/a> preserved<\/span> at<\/span> the<\/span> Catalan <\/span>Institute<\/span> of <\/span>Cartography<\/span> and<\/span> Geology<\/span><\/a>. <\/span>Among<\/span> the<\/span> writings<\/span> and<\/span> memories<\/span> of <\/span>the<\/span> offensive<\/span> and<\/span> the<\/span> tactical<\/span> cartographic<\/span> maps<\/span> made<\/span> by<\/span> the<\/span> Italians, <\/span>there<\/span> is <\/span>also<\/span> a <\/span>collection<\/span> of <\/span>annotations<\/span> and<\/span> tables <\/span>with<\/span> daily<\/span> records of <\/span>the<\/span> combat zones <\/span>where<\/span> the<\/span> Blue <\/span>Arrows<\/span> fought<\/span>.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

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This<\/span> information<\/span> has <\/span>been<\/span> processed<\/span> through<\/span> cloud<\/span> computing<\/span> platforms<\/span> using<\/span> machine<\/span> learning<\/span> and<\/span> optical<\/span> character<\/span> recognition<\/span> (OCR)<\/span> p<\/span>rocessing<\/span> tools<\/span> for <\/span>the<\/span> fastest<\/span> and<\/span> most <\/span>homogenous<\/span> trans<\/span>cription<\/span> of <\/span>historical<\/span> text <\/span>collections<\/span>.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Figure<\/span> 02. <\/span>Italian<\/span> daily<\/span> records <\/span>provide<\/span> quantitative<\/span> data on <\/span>the<\/span> offensive<\/span>, <\/span>such<\/span> as <\/span>intensity<\/span> markers<\/span> in combat zones <\/span>based<\/span> on <\/span>artillery<\/span> firing<\/span>. In Maresme, on <\/span>Sunday<\/span>, <\/span>January<\/span> 29, <\/span>the<\/span> Blue <\/span>Arrows<\/span> fired<\/span> more<\/span> than<\/span> 2,700 <\/span>shells<\/span>. Source<\/span>: F. C. Conesa (ICAC-CERCA).<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

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The<\/span> Italian<\/span> data <\/span>provides<\/span> quantitative<\/span> information<\/span> about<\/span> the<\/span> Catalan <\/span>offensive<\/span> and<\/span> offers<\/span> almost<\/span> daily<\/span> campaign<\/span> records <\/span>that<\/span> can be <\/span>analy<\/span>s<\/span>ed<\/span> and<\/span> compared<\/span> with<\/span> the<\/span> fighting<\/span> at<\/span> bal\u00eds <\/span>and<\/span> in <\/span>other<\/span> notable <\/span>episodes<\/span> of <\/span>Republican<\/span> resistance<\/span>, <\/span>such<\/span> as <\/span>the<\/span> defense<\/span> of Castelldans or Santa Coloma de Queralt <\/span>and<\/span> the<\/span> def<\/span>ensi<\/span>ve<\/span> lines<\/span> established<\/span> in natural defenses <\/span>such<\/span> as <\/span>the<\/span> rivers<\/span> Llobregat<\/span>, <\/span>Ter<\/span> or <\/span>Ridaura<\/span>, <\/span>among<\/span> others<\/span>. <\/span>These<\/span> operations<\/span> never<\/span> could<\/span> reverse<\/span> the<\/span> offensive<\/span>. <\/span>However<\/span>, as <\/strong><\/span>happened<\/span> at<\/span> Bal\u00eds, <\/span>they<\/span> managed<\/span> to <\/span>slow<\/span> down<\/span> the<\/span> Francoist<\/span> advance<\/span><\/strong>. <\/span>They<\/span> provided<\/span> essential<\/span> time<\/span> to <\/span>reorganize<\/span> the<\/span> Republican<\/span> rearguard<\/span> and<\/span> ensure<\/span> the<\/span> bulk<\/span> of <\/span>the<\/span> civilian<\/span> withdrawal<\/span> towards<\/span> exile<\/span>.<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

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The<\/span> preservation<\/span> of <\/span>the<\/span> archaeological<\/span> site<\/span> is <\/span>threatened<\/span> by<\/span> urban<\/span> growth<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

The<\/span> battle’s<\/span> area<\/span> has <\/span>been<\/span> delimited<\/span> through<\/span> the<\/span> c<\/span>ombined<\/span> analysis<\/span> of <\/span>archive<\/span> funds<\/span>, <\/span>historical<\/span> cartography<\/span>, <\/span>and<\/span> the<\/span> recent <\/span>recovery<\/span> of a <\/span>collection<\/span> of <\/span>archaeological<\/span> materials <\/span>illicitly<\/span> taken<\/span> from<\/span> the<\/span> Bal\u00eds<\/span> battlefiel<\/span>d<\/span>. <\/span>Currently<\/span>, <\/span>however<\/span>, <\/span>the<\/span> preservation<\/span> of <\/span>the<\/span> archaeological<\/span> site<\/span> is <\/span>threatened<\/span> by<\/span> urban<\/span> growth<\/span>, <\/span>which<\/span> is<\/span> rapidly<\/span> transform<\/span>ing<\/span> the<\/span> traditional<\/span> agricultural<\/span> landscape<\/span> of <\/span>the<\/span> Maresme <\/span>coast<\/span>. <\/span>This<\/span> pressure<\/span> makes<\/span> the<\/span> need<\/span> to <\/span>protect<\/span> the<\/span> battlefield<\/span> area<\/span> even<\/span> more<\/span> evident<\/span>, <\/span>together<\/span> with<\/span> a <\/span>new<\/span> survey<\/span> and<\/span> excavations<\/span> program<\/span><\/strong>.<\/span> After<\/span> all,<\/span> 2024 <\/span>will<\/span> mark<\/span> 85 <\/span>years<\/span> since<\/span> the<\/span> battle<\/span> and<\/span> the<\/span> end<\/span> of <\/span>the<\/span> Catalonia<\/span> war<\/span> campaign<\/span>.<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

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Figure<\/span> 04. <\/span>Collection<\/span> deposited<\/span> at<\/span> the<\/span> Museum<\/span> Archive<\/span>s<\/span> of Sant Andreu de Llavaneres, <\/span>originating<\/span> from<\/span> an<\/span> illicit<\/span> extraction<\/span> at<\/span> Bal\u00eds <\/span>carried<\/span> out<\/span> in <\/span>the<\/span> early<\/span> 2000s.<\/span><\/span> Source<\/span>: F. C. Conesa (ICAC-CERCA).<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

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The<\/span> research<\/span> has <\/span>been<\/span> published<\/span> in <\/span>the<\/span> <\/span>International <\/span>Journal<\/span> of <\/span>the<\/span> Civil <\/span>War<\/span>,<\/span> Ebre 38<\/span><\/a><\/em><\/span>, <\/span>from<\/span> the<\/span> University of Barcelona<\/span>. <\/span>It<\/span> promotes<\/span> historical<\/span>, <\/span>archaeological<\/span>, <\/span>and<\/span> didactic<\/span> dissemination<\/span> studies<\/span> on <\/span>the<\/span> heritage<\/span> of <\/span>the<\/span> Spanish<\/span> Civil <\/span>War<\/span>.<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

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The<\/span> article is <\/span>available<\/span> openly<\/span><\/strong><\/a> and<\/span> includes<\/span> a data <\/span>repository<\/span> and<\/span> R software <\/span>code<\/span> to <\/span>visualize<\/span> Italian<\/span> data so <\/span>that<\/span> the<\/span> results<\/span> can be <\/span>reproduced<\/span> and<\/span> used<\/span> in <\/span>the<\/span> study<\/span> of <\/span>other<\/span> battlefields<\/span> and<\/span> episodes<\/span> of <\/span>Republican<\/span> resistance<\/span>. Check these links:<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n