Eulalio Díaz-Cano, the Social Welfare delegate for Ciudad Real, and José Torres, the mayor of San Carlos del Valle, inaugurated the exhibition ‘The day Spain changed its headlines’ today. This event is part of a programme organised by the Government of Castilla-La Mancha to commemorate the 50th anniversary of Spain's democratic transition.
During the visit, Díaz-Cano emphasised the importance of bringing this initiative to smaller municipalities, stating that the commemoration should serve to connect the history, culture, and democratic memory with all areas of Castilla-La Mancha, regardless of their size. He remarked, “The arrival of this exhibition in San Carlos del Valle reflects one of the goals of this commemorative programme: to bring history, culture, and democratic memory to every corner of Castilla-La Mancha. We want the residents of our towns to also be protagonists of this 50th anniversary and participate in the activities we are developing across the region.”
Díaz-Cano also highlighted the significant transformation experienced by smaller towns over the past five decades, noting that the advent of democracy had a particularly important impact at the local level. “When we talk about the democratic transition, we often remember the major political events, but that process of transformation was also experienced in smaller municipalities like San Carlos del Valle. Democracy reached our town halls, changed the lives of our villages, and opened new opportunities for civic participation. Therefore, commemorating these 50 years also means recognising the role of those who contributed locally to building the democratic society we know today.”
He further stated that these 50 years have brought profound changes for towns, both in their institutional organisation and in their ability to participate in public decision-making and advance rights, services, and opportunities for their residents. Democratic town halls have played a fundamental role as institutions closer to citizens and as engines of social and territorial cohesion.
The exhibition ‘The day Spain changed its headlines’ features 50 historical magazine covers from Spanish publications released between 1974 and 1980, offering a journey through the political, social, and cultural changes that accompanied the birth of democracy. The display addresses topics such as political investigation, new social movements, counterculture, graphic satire, and editorial evolution within a context still marked by restrictions on freedom of expression and censorship.
The exhibition will be open for public viewing in San Carlos del Valle until Monday, 16 November, at the Casa de la Juventud, providing residents and visitors the opportunity to engage with one of the most decisive periods in Spain's recent history through the press of the time.
