The Castle Dungeons

 The Castle Dungeons 

    On Thursday June 19th, my mom, sister, and I took a trip up to Montjuic. The experience getting up there was something different and fun! We got to take a metro that just went straight up and then a cable car all the way to the top. The exterior of the castle was beautiful as we walked around and took pictures. We then bought tickets to go inside and learn more about the castle itself. There wasn't much inside besides the museum and a restaurant. The fun part was being able to go to the top and look through the look outs, along with reading about the history of the castle. 

Montjuic 

    Montjuïc (meaning “Jewish Mountain” in medieval Catalan) is a broad, flat-topped hill rising about 173 meters (568 feet) above sea level. It has served defensive, ceremonial, recreational, and cultural purposes throughout history. The historical importance of this site is to have a strategic military site. Due to its height and location, Montjuïc has long been a key military point. It overlooks both the sea and the city which is ideal for surveillance and defense. This site also became infamous as a military prison and place of political repression (especially during the Franco dictatorship)

History of the Dungeons

    In the nineteenth century Montjuic Castle became the main military prison in the city, the place of incarceration and execution of many citizens arrested for defending their ideals. Many notable figures were held in its dungeons, located along the sea-facing wall. Other prisoners, in the Castle, included the intelectuals who were accused by a military court of attacking the Corpus Christi procession in 1896; trade unionists and workers who had participated in the strike that began at La Canadenca (1919), and

Franco supporters interned during the Civil War (1936-1939). One of the most tragic moments that I read about, was the execution of Lluís Companys, the president of Catalonia, in 1940. He was captured by the Gestapo in France, handed over to Francoist Spain, and executed at Montjuïc Castle. His imprisonment and death symbolize the repression of Catalan identity. The castle gained infamy during the Spanish Civil War and Franco’s dictatorship. After Franco's victory, it became a place of torture, execution, and imprisonment for Catalan nationalists, Republicans, and other political enemies. Today, the dungeons are part of the public museum at Montjuïc Castle. Visitors can tour the cells, execution yards, and learn about the castle's role in military and political history. Exhibits focus on military strategy, Barcelona's urban development, and Catalonia’s struggle for autonomy.

Connection to POL 130

    Montjuïc Castle serves as a powerful historical example of how state power has interacted with political participation, especially in moments of repression, resistance, and regime change. Looking further into political participation, we can look at elections, lobbying, and legal advocacy. For instance, being suppressed under authoritarian regimes. During Franco’s dictatorship (1939–1975), free elections, lobbying, and democratic political participation were essentially banned. Political opposition was criminalized, and Montjuïc Castle was used to detain or execute those trying to participate politically, like Lluís Companys, the elected president of Catalonia. Next we can look at symbols of denial of institutional politics. An example is Montjuïc becoming a symbol of the absence or destruction of institutional political participation, especially for Catalan nationalists and leftist groups. Secondly we can look at political participation outside institutions (contentious politics). One example is nonviolent resistance like protests, and civil disobedience. Catalan nationalists and Republican groups that opposed Franco often had to resort to nonviolent resistance, such as: Underground newspapers, Strikes, Secret political meetings, mass peaceful demonstrations (especially after Franco’s death in 1975) The memory of repression at Montjuïc has been used in these movements as a mobilizing symbol, particularly in annual events commemorating Companys. Next we can look at violent resistance, like terrorism and civil war. During the Spanish Civil War (1936–1939), Montjuïc was used both by Republicans and later Francoists as a military asset and prison. Post-war, Franco’s regime used violence to suppress Catalan identity and dissent, turning Montjuïc into a site of state terror. Some anti-Franco groups (like ETA or smaller Catalan militant groups) resorted to violent tactics, though this was more prominent in the Basque Country.

Connection to POL 150 

    Connecting Montjuic to populism gives a way to explore how symbols of repression and resistance become major points in populist narratives, particularly when elites are portrayed as suppressors of "the people" Populism is a political approach that frames politics as a struggle between the people and the elite.  Montjuic Castle, as a symbol of state repression, plays a powerful rule in Catalan and Spanish populist narratives, especially when talking about identity, nationalism, and resistance to centralized power. Looking at populism from the left, Catalan populist movements, particularly those advocating for independence, often invoke Montjuic as a symbol of how "the Spanish state" oppresses the Catalan people. Lluís Companys' execution at Montjuïc is portrayed as a persecution of democratic and Catalan ideals by Spanish authoritarian elites.

These narratives fuel mass mobilizations (nonviolent contentious politics) and disillusionment with Spanish institutions, even among moderates. Some examples are the use of Montjuïc’s imagery in pro-independence speeches, rallies, and commemorative events. Looking at populism from the right, during Franco's rule, Spanish nationalism itself took on a populist tone, claiming to represent the "true Spain" against leftist, regionalist, or internationalist "'traitors." Montjuïc, under Franco, was a tool for enforcing a top-down populist narrative that suppressed regional identities (like Catalonia’s) in the name of national unity and “order.”

Compare & Contrast

    Engaging with Montjuïc Castle through the lenses of political participation and populism offered two distinct but complementary ways of understanding its historical and symbolic significance. Political participation, both within formal institutions like elections and outside them through protests or resistance, highlighted how Montjuïc was used to suppress voices seeking change. Seeing where political prisoners were held or executed deepened my understanding of how access to democratic institutions can be denied, and how that denial often forces people into contentious or even revolutionary forms of action. It illustrated that participation isn’t just about voting, it can mean risking one's life for the right to have a voice at all.

    On the other hand, exploring Montjuïc through the lens of populism helped me understand how historical memory is shaped and weaponized. Populism thrives on the division between "the people" and "the elite," and Montjuïc has been used in both pro-Catalan and pro-Spanish populist narratives to strengthen group identity and legitimize political movements. For Catalan nationalists, the castle symbolizes oppression by the Spanish state, a rallying point for independence and resistance. Meanwhile, under Franco, it served as a tool to uphold authoritarian nationalist unity. Comparing these two frameworks, political participation and populism, showed me that this site isn’t just part of the past; it's a living political symbol that continues to influence identity, activism, and national discourse in Spain today.

Spanish Culture 

    Visiting Montjuic Castle deeply reshaped my understanding of Spanish culture and history, especially in the context of identity, power, and resistance. For example, getting to see that places can become political symbols and not just tourist sites. Montjuic isn't just a scenic hill but a site contested memory. For some, it represents military heritage; for others, it's a memorial to political oppression. This reflects a broader truth in Spanish politics. For instance, history is still a battleground, especially when it comes to questions of justice, identity, and national unity. Some benefits of visiting Montjuic Castle is being able to deepen my understand of Spanish and Catalan history because visiting Montjuic offers a firsthand look at the legacy of the Spanish Civil War and Francoist repression, the struggles for Catalan autonomy and identity, and how authoritarian regimes use prisons and fortresses to suppress dissent.