On April 26, 1937, the Nazi Condor Legion, in league with Spanish fascists, released an estimated 29,000kg of explosives on Guernica. The result was the obliteration of seventy percent of the city considered the spiritual and historical center of the Basque country. Guernica’s tragedy marked the first mass civilian aerial bombing attack; the nearly 2000 people who were killed are immortalized in Pablo Picasso’s stark masterpiece Guernica, now in Madrid’s Reina Sof?a gallery. The eerily modern city (pop. 15,600) is in itself not much of an attraction, but for those interested in learning more about Basque history and the infamous event that occurred here, it’s a rewarding daytrip. The emotional focus of Guernica is El Arbol, an oak tree which for centuries marked the political center of the region, where medieval Basques gathered to debate community issues and Castilian monarchs swore their respect for Basque governments and laws.
