cementerio de Fuencarral

Cementerio de Fuencarral is the former municipal cemetery of the once-independent village of Fuencarral, now part of the Montecarmelo neighborhood in northern Madrid. It dates back to the early nineteenth century, built between 1804 and 1809 to a design by Juan de Villanueva, the architect best known for the building that today houses the Prado Museum. Fuencarral remained a separate town for well over a century, only being absorbed into the expanding city of Madrid in the mid-twentieth century — and with it, the old village cemetery became part of the municipal network of Madrid's burial grounds.

Why is this cemetery linked to the Spanish Civil War?

The site's historical weight comes largely from the Spanish Civil War (1936–1939). At the end of 1936, General Lukács — the nom de guerre of Hungarian writer Máté Zalka, then commander of the XII International Brigade — arranged for a separate burial ground to be created next to the existing municipal cemetery, dedicated to International Brigades volunteers killed in the battle for Madrid. This adjoining plot was enclosed with its own wall and gate, distinct from the rest of the cemetery. Over the following years it came to hold the graves of more than 400 international volunteers from numerous countries — sources cite figures ranging from 424 to 451 burials, underlining the scale of this collective resting place for foreign fighters who had come to defend the Spanish Republic.

What happened to the graves after Franco's troops took Madrid?

One of the most striking episodes tied to the site concerns what happened once the battle for Madrid ended in Francoist victory. When Franco's forces reached Fuencarral, the remains of the International Brigades volunteers buried there were exhumed, loaded onto trucks and removed to the area around Mount El Pardo, a few kilometers away. The precise spot where they were ultimately left has never been identified, despite decades having passed. This deliberate erasure of the brigadistas' graves means the physical burial site no longer exists as such — yet the cemetery itself has become a key reference point for historians and researchers studying the memory of the battle for Madrid.

How is the memory of the International Brigades preserved there today?

Today, the cemetery grounds include monuments and commemorative plaques dedicated to the events of the Civil War and to the volunteers of the International Brigades who fought and died around Madrid. The site is regularly included in historical walking tours that trace the 1936–1939 battle for the capital, often described as one of the last tangible places in Madrid directly connected to the presence of the international volunteers, even though their graves themselves are gone. This dual identity — an active municipal cemetery serving residents of northern Madrid, and a site of historical memory tied to the international solidarity movement with Republican Spain — defines how the place is understood and visited today.

Frequently Asked Questions

Who designed the original Fuencarral cemetery? Architect Juan de Villanueva, best known for designing the Prado Museum building, designed the cemetery, which was built between 1804 and 1809.

How many International Brigades volunteers were buried at this cemetery? Sources give figures ranging from around 424 to 451 volunteers, most of whom died during the fighting for Madrid in 1936.

Do the graves of the International Brigades volunteers still exist there? No. After Franco's forces took Madrid, the remains were exhumed and taken to the area around Mount El Pardo, and their exact final location has never been established.

Is the cemetery still an active burial site? Yes, as the Cementerio Municipal de Fuencarral it continues to serve residents of northern Madrid, including the Montecarmelo neighborhood where it is now located.