EXPLORANDO LA PIRÁMIDE MÁS GRANDE DE ESPAÑA: LA TERRIBLE HISTORIA DE LA PIRÁMIDE DE LOS ITALIANOS
JF CALERO - EL CASCARÓN DE NUEZ
82,061 views
The Pyramid of the Italians is a unique mausoleum located at Puerto del Escudo, in the Valdebezana Valley, Burgos, near the border with Cantabria, in a mountainous setting. This monument, approximately 20 meters high, was built as a tribute to the Italian soldiers who fell during the Spanish Civil War. Inaugurated on August 26, 1939, by the Franco regime at the end of the conflict, it housed the remains of nearly 400 members of the Corpo Truppe Volontarie, the troops sent by Benito Mussolini to support the rebels. These soldiers, from divisions such as the Fiamme Nere, Littorio, and XXIII de Marzo, died mainly in the Battle of Puerto del Escudo in July 1937, a key episode in the conquest of Santander.
The idea for the monument came from Attilio Radic, a Dalmatian engineering lieutenant living in Milan, who proposed an ossuary to honor the fallen Fascists. The design, by military chaplain Pietro Bergamini di Varza, reflects the Italian architectural rationalism of the interwar period, with futuristic and romantic touches that blend into the Alpine landscape. Built of reinforced concrete and clad in limestone, the stepped pyramid evokes the Italian sacrari of the First World War, functioning as an "architecture of memory." Its entrance, framed by a large capital "M," could allude to Mussolini or to "mortori" (place of the dead).
The interior features a pantheon accessible through an iron gate with geometric motifs and frosted glass representing war and nature. Originally, the pyramid housed 360 bodies in graves dug around it, but in the 1970s, following a tragic accident in 1971 on the nearby "Curve of the Italians" that killed 12 veterans, the remains were exhumed: 268 were repatriated to Italy and the rest were transferred to the Sanctuary of Saint Anthony of Padua in Zaragoza.
The inauguration ceremony was attended by Galeazzo Ciano, Mussolini's son-in-law and Italian Foreign Minister, at a propaganda event. For decades, the monument was a meeting point for fascists exiled after World War II and, later, for neo-fascist groups. However, today it lies abandoned, deteriorated by vandalism, looting, and the passage of time, and has not been maintained since its exhumation. In 2023, fascist symbols, such as the Etruscan arrowhead associated with Mussolini, were removed.
In February 2024, the Regional Government of Castile and León declared the pyramid a Site of Cultural Interest with the status of monument, highlighting its architectural, historical, and scenic value as a unique building in Spain. Ownership falls to the Brotherhood of Rivera de Herbosa, which is now required to preserve it. This decision has sparked controversy: some claim that the monument glorifies fascism and the Italian intervention in the Civil War, violating the Law of Democratic Memory, while others defend it as a historical testament that should not be demolished, but rather reinterpreted.
The pyramid attracts limited historical tourism, although access is complicated by the winding road. It represents a dark chapter of foreign intervention in the war, when Mussolini sent thousands of troops in violation of the non-intervention pact. Among the fallen were volunteers, forced conscripts, and even Italian anti-fascists who fought on the Republican side. In Italy, the monument is little known, but in 2024, a senator from Forza Italia revived interest in it.
Empty of all remains, the Pyramid of the Italians remains a vestige of totalitarian ideologies and the Civil War in the Spanish landscape. Its future is uncertain: some advocate its demolition, while others propose converting it into a memorial museum. In 2025, the debate over its meaning and fate remains open, reflecting the tensions of historical reconciliation in Spain.
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20 Comments
Gran labor desde mi punto de vista Calero,saludos desde Cantabria.
Mi abuelo , ganadero que nada sabia de política , primero fue reclutado por unos con argumentos irrefutables ( vecinos que dijeron que no, desaparecieron tras meterlos en un barco atracado en Santander). Luego le alistaron los otros, con argumentos similares y , sin saber conducir, se pasó parte de la guerra subiendo municion a El Escudo con un camión (casi tan peligroso como estar en el frente). Primero subió pepinos para dispararlos hacia el sur y luego para dispararlos hacia el norte. Cuando todo acabó, vuelta a su cuadra saqueada y vuelta a empezar una vida de cero en un país más pobre que tres años antes.
Pues bien, nadie pide que lo quiten. Aunque sea homenaje a un indeseable así, es parte de nuestra historia.
Mi más sincera enhorabuena por tu trabajo Calero
Dar visibilidad a estas cosas me parece correcto.
Recuerdo de una historia, que no debemos olvidar para recordar y aprender.
El accidente fue bajando el escudo hacia Santander.
Era muy habitual que quien no conocía el puerto, abusaba de los frenos y se quedaba sin aire.
En la curva donde fue el accidente , aún hay una cruz en recuerdo.
Mi padre que subía y bajaba con su Pegaso el puerto , rumbo a Madrid, todas las semanas, encontró un block con notas en italiano.
Una desgracia.
Los vehículos en aquella época no tenían la seguridad de hoy en día, ni cinturones.
Gracias por este recuerdo .
Ah, y gracias por hacer un vídeo sin mencionar el objetivo del millón de suscriptores😅
EXPLORANDO LA PIRÁMIDE MÁS GRANDE DE ESPAÑA: LA TERRIBLE HISTORIA DE LA PIRÁMIDE DE LOS ITALIANOS
JF CALERO - EL CASCARÓN DE NUEZ
82,061 views
The Pyramid of the Italians is a unique mausoleum located at Puerto del Escudo, in the Valdebezana Valley, Burgos, near the border with Cantabria, in a mountainous setting. This monument, approximately 20 meters high, was built as a tribute to the Italian soldiers who fell during the Spanish Civil War. Inaugurated on August 26, 1939, by the Franco regime at the end of the conflict, it housed the remains of nearly 400 members of the Corpo Truppe Volontarie, the troops sent by Benito Mussolini to support the rebels. These soldiers, from divisions such as the Fiamme Nere, Littorio, and XXIII de Marzo, died mainly in the Battle of Puerto del Escudo in July 1937, a key episode in the conquest of Santander.
The idea for the monument came from Attilio Radic, a Dalmatian engineering lieutenant living in Milan, who proposed an ossuary to honor the fallen Fascists. The design, by military chaplain Pietro Bergamini di Varza, reflects the Italian architectural rationalism of the interwar period, with futuristic and romantic touches that blend into the Alpine landscape. Built of reinforced concrete and clad in limestone, the stepped pyramid evokes the Italian sacrari of the First World War, functioning as an "architecture of memory." Its entrance, framed by a large capital "M," could allude to Mussolini or to "mortori" (place of the dead).
The interior features a pantheon accessible through an iron gate with geometric motifs and frosted glass representing war and nature. Originally, the pyramid housed 360 bodies in graves dug around it, but in the 1970s, following a tragic accident in 1971 on the nearby "Curve of the Italians" that killed 12 veterans, the remains were exhumed: 268 were repatriated to Italy and the rest were transferred to the Sanctuary of Saint Anthony of Padua in Zaragoza.
The inauguration ceremony was attended by Galeazzo Ciano, Mussolini's son-in-law and Italian Foreign Minister, at a propaganda event. For decades, the monument was a meeting point for fascists exiled after World War II and, later, for neo-fascist groups. However, today it lies abandoned, deteriorated by vandalism, looting, and the passage of time, and has not been maintained since its exhumation. In 2023, fascist symbols, such as the Etruscan arrowhead associated with Mussolini, were removed.
In February 2024, the Regional Government of Castile and León declared the pyramid a Site of Cultural Interest with the status of monument, highlighting its architectural, historical, and scenic value as a unique building in Spain. Ownership falls to the Brotherhood of Rivera de Herbosa, which is now required to preserve it. This decision has sparked controversy: some claim that the monument glorifies fascism and the Italian intervention in the Civil War, violating the Law of Democratic Memory, while others defend it as a historical testament that should not be demolished, but rather reinterpreted.
The pyramid attracts limited historical tourism, although access is complicated by the winding road. It represents a dark chapter of foreign intervention in the war, when Mussolini sent thousands of troops in violation of the non-intervention pact. Among the fallen were volunteers, forced conscripts, and even Italian anti-fascists who fought on the Republican side. In Italy, the monument is little known, but in 2024, a senator from Forza Italia revived interest in it.
Empty of all remains, the Pyramid of the Italians remains a vestige of totalitarian ideologies and the Civil War in the Spanish landscape. Its future is uncertain: some advocate its demolition, while others propose converting it into a memorial museum. In 2025, the debate over its meaning and fate remains open, reflecting the tensions of historical reconciliation in Spain.
Link to my new video blog channel "MANUAL": @jfcaleromanual
My essential gadgets and equipment for work and life:
https://www.amazon.es/shop/juanfranci...
Support me to make more and better videos on PATREON. Be my mentor:
Patreon: jfcalero
Follow me on INSTAGRAM, TWITTER, or BOTH—it's super easy:
@jfcalero
Don't go to bed without learning something new, or at least something new. If you did, mission accomplished! Thanks for joining me.
#italianpyramid #nutshell #calero