The Basque town of Guernica is best known for a single event: the bombing of its historic market square by the German air force on 26 April 1937. The raid, part of the Spanish Civil War, was ordered by General Francisco Franco and carried out by the Luftwaffe’s Condor Legion. The attack left the town in ruins and resulted in the deaths of hundreds of civilians.
Guernica has since become a symbol of the horrors of war and a rallying cry for peace. The town was rebuilt after the war and a new, larger version of the market square was constructed. The original Guernica tapestry, commissioned by Pablo Picasso to commemorate the bombing, is now on display at the Museo Reina SofÃa in Madrid.
Today, Guernica is a quiet town of around 7,000 inhabitants. It’s a popular destination for visitors to the Basque Country, who come to see the tapest