The name Miguel Hernández is applied to numerous structures and institutions around Alicante and Elche on Spain’s Costa Blanca. These include the airport serving Alicante and the university based in Elche. Hernández was one of the most important poets (amongst many poets and artists) who fought, wrote, and worked for the Republican government during the Spanish Civil War.
After the war, Hernández was not able to flee Spain like many others who had fought against the fascist regime. He was arrested and imprisoned. Years of fighting and poor treatment had left him weak, and Hernandez died in 1942, after succumbing to tuberculosis while in Alicante Prison. He was just 31 years old.
Since 1977, close to Hernández’s childhood home (now itself a museum), the streets of San Isidro, a suburb of Orihuela, have been adorned with murals commemorating many aspects of the life, works, and death of Miguel Hernández, the local boy who became a hero. Some of the works are by renowned street artists. The centerpiece is a street art version of Picasso’s Guernica.
The suburb has adopted the title of “open-air museum.” While some show signs of age, others are regularly maintained and updated. The effect is magnificent and a sight not to be missed.
