Who are we?

The Association of the Poble Vell de Corbera d'Ebre is a non-profit organization, created in 2012, with the aim of raising awareness, promoting and dynamizing the area of historical interest that is the Poble Vell. It is a voluntary association and therefore the members decide to be part of it by their own decision, contributing with the voluntary dedication of time and active participation, as a requirement. It was born in 1994, from the collaboration between several neighbors of Corbera d'Ebre with the common interest of preserving the historical memory of the Poble Vell de Corbera d'Ebre and avoid the deterioration of the place by the passage of time and oblivion. With the aim of rehabilitating, managing and publicizing an environment where the impact of the Battle of the Ebro caused devastating effects, the Patronato del Poble Vell, which collaborates with the City of Corbera de Ebro to maintain and consolidate the space, was consolidated in 1999. With the support of neighbors of the municipality, the collaboration of various Taller Schools and other grants granted by the administration, the work plan in maintaining the physical structure of the historic complex begins.
In 1992 the Poble Vell de Corbera d'Ebre was declared a Cultural and National Interest Site (BCIN).

In summer 1995 the Patronato del Poble Vell and the Town Hall of Corbera d'Ebre encouraged the active participation of several writers and artists to create the Abecedario de la Libertad - Peace Monument. The written message accompanying the artwork was added in 1997. The Hospital del Mar in Barcelona subsidized the Book of the Alphabet of Freedom. This is an artistic project that exposes the letters of the alphabet through different spaces of the Poble Vell of Corbera d'Ebre and wants to be and is a work of reflection on the significant use of dialogue, in the face of armed conflicts. It is a tour in the name of peace, enjoyed by both children and adults, looking for the letters of the alphabet while knowing all the corners of the Poble Vell de Corbera d'Ebre.

Currently the Association of the Poble Vell de Corbera d'Ebre ensures the maintenance and management of the place, welcomes visitors from various national and international demarcations, is a reference space for cultural and historical events and has won several national awards. With the aim of raising awareness of the culture of peace and democracy and promoting the enhancement of the memorial heritage linked to the Battle of the Ebro in the Poble Vell de Corbera d'Ebre. The Association strives to dynamize the Poble Vell de Corbera d'Ebre as a cultural space and keep it united in feeling and structure, to the whole of Corbera d'Ebre.
To this end, we have a model focused on the perspective of human rights and the culture of peace. In the Association we focus on community work and networking, involving the community with the aim of creating new opportunities that include all people.

 

 

In Corbera d'Ebre one can understand how much the people of the Terra Alta region suffered during the war which was the worst disaster in its history. The former district of a peaceful people like all those of the region situated above the Muntera tower from which could be seen the movement of work in the fields, clusters of neighbours along the roads, the housewives who came and went from the fountain, the market or the wash house or sound of the groups of children playing...

However when war broke out and the Battle of the Ebro (from July 25th to 17th of November 1938) the town remained very close to the border. The walls of the houses were peppered with machine gun fire. Almost all of the town was destroyed by bombs.

After the war, for a variety of reasons families moved to the lower part on both sides until a new town was built.

Now only the hillock of Muntera remains where the ruins, ever more eroded, remain. This is where the old Church of Sant Pere (a big baroque building dating from the end of the 18th century) is situated which, although damaged, remains nonetheless emblematic.

All of the above was declared worthy of cultural interest, as a Historical Site (20-07-92). It has also become a Monument of Peace and one of the sites that must be visited as a testament to the destruction which took place during the war.

This site ranks as one most worthy of funds from the «Llei del Patrimoni Cultural Català» organization coming under the protection plan «u per cent cultural» and also under the law relating to the historical Spanish patrimony to bring about official public visits to the monument.

Now the «Associació del Poble Vell», an organization set up by a group of neighbours with the help of the Council with the clear objective of preserving and restoring the site

«A lot of people visit the site and it concerns our own history. A history testified in the stones which we wish to restore and preserve, to leave in better condition for the younger generation. We don't wish the site to be lost or to deteriorate more. It is for this reason that we are looking for help urgently from public administration.»

In the short term we have another more ambitious objective:

«To preserve the Poble Vell de Corbera d'Ebre as a Monument to Peace easily accessible and linked to other monuments around the world.»

Joan Antonio Montaña
Associació del Poble Vell de Corbera d'Ebre