By David Eade
Britons will have heard of the famous Spanish writer Cervantes and also the poet Lorca. Perhaps not many will be aware of the life and works of Francisco Giner de los Rios.
That could be about to change as the Andalucía government has named him as its author of the year and a travelling exhibition will visit all eight provinces during April. Born in Ronda in 1839, he is described as a “fundamental malagueño” and also as Spain’s Socrates.
Certainly Giner de los Rios was more than a writer. He was a progressive teacher and a thinker – one of the ideologues who was as the forefront of the explosive cultural revolution that overtook Spain.
By honouring him in 2011 the regional government has placed Giner de los Rios on the same pedestal as Aleixandre, Alberti, Bécquer, Cernuda and María Zambrano. The Centro Andaluz de las Letras is organizing the exhibition in conjunction with the Fundación Francisco Giner de los Rios.
The exhibition will be staged in Ronda to coincide with the international day of the book. In addition 100,000 leaflets on his life and works will be distributed amongst libraries in Andalucía.
Although Giner de los Rios died in Madrid in 1915 his ideology was a key element behind the Institución de Libre Eseñanza amongst whose initiatives was the Residencia de Estudiantes. It was this centre that nurtured the talents of Federico García Lorca, Salvador Dalí and Luis Buñuel which formed the revered Generation of 27.
When he died aged 76, lying in bed with his body defeated, he refused any medical attention. He said: “It is futile. One’s duty is to die with dignity” so ending a distinguished lifetime of dignified teaching, thought and writing.
FENCE DOWN
The Andalucía High Court ruled in favour of Ronda town hall ordering the walls and fences erected by a private individual in the area of the Virgen de la Cabeza shrine to be immediately removed. The person has also been fined. The court dismissed an appeal against an earlier ruling the obstructions must go as they impede the enjoyment of this popular area.
MINISTER’S SUPPORT
Spain’s minister for foreign affairs, Trinidad Jiménez, was in Ronda last Saturday to present PSOE’s candidate for mayor at the forthcoming May elections. Jiménez is from Vélez-Málaga and spoke on behalf of Antonio Marín. He is currently a two term mayor having been previously elected for the Partido Andalucista but he and his fellow PA councillors defected, sit as independents and joined PSOE.
GOOD HEALTH
The 40.8 million project to build at new hospital to serve Ronda, the Serranía and parts of Cádiz is proceeding on target. The works started in October 2008 and will be completed in 2012. It will be the first hospital in Málaga province with single rooms – 186 of them. This will give the new medical centre 39 more beds than the existing hospital.
BY-PASS ANGER
Political parties have expressed their anger over the hold put on the by-pass around Arriate. Currently 4,000 vehicles a day have to negotiate the narrow main street. The 5.3 million euros road would take traffic approaching from Setenil via a by-pass connecting with the Ardales to Ronda A-367. Much of the road has been completed but has been halted in the budget cuts.
MISSING CASH
The State auditing body, Tribunal de Cuentas, will complete a report on the missing 360,000 euros from Cuevas del Becerro’s coffers. In January 2009 the long serving town hall accountant was accused of misappropriating the badly needed funds from the small municipality. The mayor and prosecutor have opened a legal case against him, his accounts have been frozen but he says he’s innocent.
SENATOR MAYOR
The PSOE mayor of Genalguacil, Beatriz Álvarez, is to become a senator. She will be one of the four senators (three of PSOE, one PP) representing Málaga province in Spain’s upper house. Álvarez is a two-term mayor and replaces Emelina Fernández who has become president of the Consejo Audiovisual Andaluz. She has stood down as mayor but will be a candidate for councillor.
ESTHER’S PETITION
The parents of Esther, the young girl who was murdered in Arriate by a neighbouring youth, have started a campaign to collect signatures on a petition. Juan and Carmen want tougher sentences handed down to minors convicted of blood crimes under the Ley del Menor. They collected 3,000 signatures in just one week. Shortly they’re expected to return to their native Cádiz village.
