Batalla de Lopera

The Battle of Lopera took place from 27 to 29 December 1936, between the Nationalists and 14th International Brigade.

As a result of this historic event Lopera has an interesting legacy. There are currently two important machine gun nests by bridge over the Arroyo Salado, popularly known as “trenches”, which are elevated with reinforced concrete blocks, although you can also see a structure made of intertwined iron rods and small pieces of stone. They are both located on completely flat land very near the J-2930 main road (Lopera-Bujalance), 2.5 kilometres from the city centre. Both these structures were built by the Nationalist army to control all the traffic of people and vehicles over the Arroyo Salado bridge. There are also trenches, machine gun nests and bunkers from the Spanish Civil War on the hill of the Esperillas and on the old Madrid-Cádiz road

Lopera treasures in its Castle, at the foot of the San Miguel Tower, a museum dedicated to the Civil War and to the Battle of Lopera. On a visit to the Castle visitors will see the tools used in the battle, in a room with the background provided by sound and machine gun nests.

On the Calle Pradillo, in the Pilar Viejo, there is also a Monument to the International Brigadiers. It was raised in 2000 to honour the writer Ralph Winston Fox, political commissioner of the 121st battalion of the 14th Brigade and to the poet Rupert John Cornford, a great-grandson of Darwin; who both died in the Battle of Lopera.

The town commemorates the confrontation on the third weekend in April. Visitors can participate in the different activities organised for the II Recreation that has been held since 2016, where you can observe the confrontation between both sides. A “living museum” of the Civil War will also be recreated on the parade ground in the Castle, a military parade through the town and the events will finish with a dance from the period in the town square. With this, we hope to provide you with an in-depth look at what was experienced from 27 to 29 December 1936. In coming years our aim is to alternate the Recreation with an International Congress on the Battle of Lopera.