Souvenir from the Barracks of Bearzun (Navarra)
Maria Josefa
My mother-in-law was born just before the Spanish Civil War, while her father was stationed in the province of Navarra as a carabinero. During the war he served in the military and eventually became a Guardia Civil. She was born in Orbaiceta on the border with France, and this photo was taken when she was very little (maybe about two or three years old), at Bearzun de Elizondo, not far away. This is a very tiny town with 52 inhabitants today. I don't know how big the town was during the Civil War.
I love this little photo of my mother-in-law as a toddler! She looks very shy, and the doll in the corner is a very sweet part of the image. This is part of her life I didn't know much about until we took her to Navarra a few years ago to visit the tiny town of Orbaiceta. I'm very glad she always labeled her photos, too!
Online I was able to find a description of the "Antiguo cuartel de Carabineros" in Bearzun (Beartzun), which was built in 1913, and is now a ruin. It must have been a busy place during the war, since it was located right on the French border. Perhaps they were visiting someone at Bearzun, since it was so close to Orbaiceta. The old Bearzun barrack is up for sale by the government, hoping that it will be renovated in to a hotel. It is located on a popular hiking trail through the Pyrenees. [see the website https://translate.google.com/translate?hl=en&sl=es&u=https://www.noticiasdenavarra.com/navarra/baztanbidasoa/2014/06/05/cuarteles-antiguos-mala-venta/419616.html&prev=search&pto=aue ]
-----------------------------
To Cite/Link to this blog: Heather Wilkinson Rojo, "Circa 1930s, Spain - Photo Friday", Nutfield Genealogy, posted March 19, 2021, ( https://nutfieldgenealogy.blogspot.com/2021/03/circa-1930s-spain-photo-friday.html: accessed [access date]).
