Black Legend of Las Hurdes: Buñuel, history and reality

The recent trip to Las Hurdes has allowed me to remember the reason for my first getaway to this region of Estremadura For many years now, the curiosity to know a place whose history has been marked by a black legend.

A legend of geographical isolation and poverty to unsuspected limits that still remains in the memory of the Hurdans and many of us who travel to The Hurdes on a tourist getaway to this area of ​​the Cáceres province.

In May 1933, one of the most controversial events of that period occurred. black legend of Las Hurdes, the filming of the documentary “Land without Bread” by the filmmaker Luis Buñuel.

Black legend of Las Hurdes

If you don't know about it, or haven't had the chance to see it, it is a 25-minute documentary that the brilliant Spanish director shot with the aim of it becoming a document denouncing the situation in said region.

Documentary by Buñuel de Las Hurdes

The harshness of the images, of the reality they showed, increased by the dramatic locution of Paco Rabal In a later sound version, this documentary has been reviled to this day by the majority of Hurdans.

From documentary Buñuel It was considered that this supposed complaint document falsified reality, especially when it is known that many scenes were “dramatized".

You yourself can have your own opinion by viewing the documentary video included in this article.

Furthermore, the rawness of the documentary caused at the time the arrival of “morbid tourists” who wanted to see first-hand if The Hurdes They were as poor and “abandoned by the hand of God” as reflected Buñuel.

I admit that perhaps that was the trigger for my first visit to The Hurdes many years ago.

Trip to Alfonso XIII to Las Hurdes

The truth is that before Buñuel, in June 1920 he himself King Alfonso XIII Had visited The Hurdes on a historic first trip.

He arrived there alarmed by the warning of the illustrious Doctor Marañón about serious health problems, specifically Goiter y cretinism, which many of the inhabitants of The Hurdes.

At that time the French Hispanist Mauricio Legendre He made numerous trips to carry out geographical studies on The Hurdes and its inhabitants.

These trips began in 1913 when, together with the writer and philosopher Miguel de Unamuno, at that time Rector of the University of Salamanca, made a first trip to get to know this region, to which they were also attracted by its reputation for backwardness and misery.

Is the Black Legend of Las Hurdes true?

But to what extent The black legend of Las Hurdes is true?

One of the most interesting moments of my recent tourist trip to said region of Extremadura has been the experience lived with the traditional Serano by the bonfire promoted by the company Hurdano Flavors.

It is a talk with hurdanos, older people who have been protagonists of the life in the Hurdes, during which you can delve deeper into the historical reality of this Extremaduran region.

Or also in the numerous mystery legends that are shared in the Seranos of souls, and that from this other perspective they have converted The Hurdes in focus of one of the programs Iker Jimenez.

This cultural activity began by sharing the fire of a fireplace and watching all together the historic and controversial documentary Buñuel.

After finishing it, the key point of the debate was whether it reflected the reality experienced at that time at the beginning of the 20th century... and the Hurdanes, who at that time were children, told us yes, that it did indeed remind them of the circumstances of their childhood.

At the end of this activity that lasts about three hours, with dinner included, the conclusion of those of us who participated in it was clear: The Hurdes Until recently, it has experienced the negative consequences of geographical isolation.

But the poverty and difficulties suffered by the Hurdanos must have been similar to what the inhabitants of other isolated rural mountain areas in our Spanish geography must have experienced.

Nature tourism in Las Hurdes

Currently, however, this “isolation” encourages tourism that seeks precisely to find places “not contaminated by urbanism”, that is, “authentic” rural corners that are increasingly difficult to discover.

After trip to Las Hurdes We have been able to confirm that this region is an ideal place for nature tourism, but where you can also see cultural corners.

And also good examples of black slate architecture, like the farmhouse of olive where does it arrive Buñuel after accessing The Hurdes from the nearby Salamanca town of La Alberca.

Yes, through winding mountain roads, but in very good condition.

And where you will find the schools and health facilities, and where you can enjoy a very good level of gastronomy.

In short, an area of ​​Spain where tourism is very attractive for many of us, far from the large and very busy tourist circuits of our geography.