Am planning a trip to Spain. Outside of Madrid wanted to visit Escorial and the Valley of the Fallen. Have googled Valley of the Fallen and cannot seem to be a definitive answer as to whether or not it is/will be opened. Thought someone may have recently been in the area. Any replies would be greatly appreciated. Many thanks.

When I did a Spanish language google search for it, it "seems" that it's closed according to the article that I read. It said the offices of the National Patrimony had closed it to carry out a series of renovations (this was in November 2010?). But upon further reading it said that the renovations have still not begun and has since started a debate on whether or not Franco's tomb should be closed for good.

traveltalesfromtheredheadedtraveler.blogspot.com/
(My travel writing blog!)

The topic is being debated by the government. The conservative Spanish Government awarded a generous grant to the Franco Foundation, chaired by Franco's daughter. This was not a popular desicion and now there is an open debate- two proposals under voting consideration are to either invest in renovation or demolition. A decision is pending likely to be decided upon by May 2011.

no need to go inside.. it is impressive just to see it and is a logical combination with El Escorial.

I would try to see it as who knows if they will blow it up soon.

I've been to the Valley of the Fallen, and disliked it immensely -- horrid Fascist style architecture and sculpture, plus over the top Grand Guignol tapestries. The best thing about the place for me was the excellent view. I personally don't think you're missing much unless the view is of interest.

But El Escorial is excellent, well worth seeing.

I have been notified by a friend that due to public pressure, the Basilica is open on Sundays for mass.
The Monument is ímpressive and extremely well balanced. The main sculptures are by Juan de Ávalos, member of the PSOE party during the war. The tapestries were purchased by king Phillip II in 1553 and depict the Apocalypse. The 50.000 buried there belong to both sides of the conflict.
Hate never sleeps.

It's nice to have josele here giving a few more facts.

josele, is it safe to assume you have questions about whether my dislike of this attraction is motivated by something beyond what I perceived as its intrinsic qualities? If so, that's not the situation, though given the circumstances surrounding the creation of this place, I can see why that may be true for some. Regardless, I'm well aware that folks are buried at Vallee de los Caidos who were both pro- and anti-Franco.

Were I someone who does allow extrinsic context to fully color my appreciation of an attraction, I'd roundly hate any and all plantations in the American South -- but despite the fact that these were inhumane slave labor camps, I've enjoyed visiting some of these places anyway for their architecture, gardens, or other attributes (still keeping in the back of the mind what was awful about them as a balancing factor).

Vallee de los Caidos was different. Here, I found the architecture oppressively heavy-handed and imposing, the sculpture loomingly stiff and impersonal, and the tapestries lurid and off-putting. And that's regardless of who created it or when it dates from. For me, at least, this place was the perfect storm of bad taste.

Others may see it differently, of course. That's their choice.