The Vatican has reportedly accepted an appeal from the Benedictine monks of the Valle de Cuelgamuros against Spanish government plans to remake parts of the vast monument complex, opening a formal canonical process that now runs alongside civil legal challenges in Spain. According to Advaticanum, the move is likely to deepen the dispute over one of the country’s most politically and religiously charged sites.
At the centre of the row is the Sánchez government’s project to “re-signify” the former Valle de los Caídos, now officially called the Valle de Cuelgamuros. The winning architectural proposal, titled La base y la cruz, envisages significant changes to parts of the complex, including the entrance atrium, the Marian side chapels along the nave and the Chapel of the Blessed Sacrament near the main altar. The formal presentation of the scheme is expected in June 2026.
