Historical memory

Civil War grave exhumation work starts in Sencelles

Majorca Daily Bulletin reporterSencelles02/10/2018 17:38

Excavation work at Sencelles cemetery started on Monday. This is the latest examination of graves from the Civil War. It is hoped to be able to exhume the remains of three people in particular - two Republicans from Montuiri, Josep Miralles Garau and Josep Serra Juan, and a militant socialist from La Soledad, Palma, Pilar Sánchez Llabrés. All three were murdered by the Falange in September 1936.

Half a dozen archaeologists and anthropologists will be undertaking the work. Soundings suggests that there are five places where remains could be found. There is little information regarding the three. For Garau and Serra, documents say that they were buried in the first plot, but this could refer to various places. As for Pilar Sánchez, there is no documentary evidence. It is believed that she was buried in a communal grave.

Jaume Servera, in charge of the work, says that they can also draw on testimonies from five residents of Sencelles who remembered people being buried.

The bodies of Miralles and Garau were taken to Sencelles after they were found along the road between Montuiri and Santa Maria. Sánchez's body was found in Orient in the Tramuntana at the Son Palou finca. She had apparently been raped before being shot.