San Simón

In October 1936, in the context of the beginning of the Spanish Civil War, the Franco regime begins the creation of an extensive network of concentration camps throughout the territory. More than three hundred spaces are repurposed for this purpose: convents, factories, schools, bullrings, monasteries, and all kinds of enclosed spaces serve to house thousands of people detained for ideological reasons. Among these places, the island of San Simón, located in the Ría de Vigo, Galicia, stands out particularly. Due to its insular nature, the island becomes a particularly isolated and oppressive place. Formerly a lazaretto, San Simón is transformed by the regime into a concentration camp where suffering, overcrowding, and the most brutal repression reign. Despite the natural beauty surrounding the island, the environment becomes a grim setting where pain, fear, and despair mark the daily lives of the prisoners.

Seven years later, one of those prisoners, Lamas, recalls the experience lived in San Simón. Through his perspective, the memory of the men and women who shared captivity is reconstructed. Their stories, marked by resistance, suffering, and humanity in the midst of horror, form a collective portrait of those who were silenced by repression. This look into the past not only rescues real events but also denounces the inhumane conditions of those dark years in the recent history of Spain.