Italian "Barcelona" medal Spanish Civil War

[CIANO]

Hi,


If someone knows the history of this medal I would appreciate.

The only thing I know is that was given to the Italians that have participated in the Spanish Civil War in the conquest of Barcelona.

Is it possible of to be also spanish manufactured?

It was produced since 1939, until when?

Regards

[Dennis S]

The date is three days after the conquest of Barcelona by Nationalist and Italian troops of the CTV (55,000) . I assume the date may reflect the conquest of all of Catalonia or some event to commemorate the victory.
To me the medal appears Italian manufacture although seems unmarked . I’m not a medal expert.

I would think if italian made theoretically could have been produced to the end of fascist era in 1943 .

[CIANO]

The date is three days after the conquest of Barcelona by Nationalist and Italian troops of the CTV (55,000) . I assume the date may reflect the conquest of all of Catalonia or some event to commemorate the victory.
To me the medal appears Italian manufacture although seems unmarked . I’m not a medal expert.

I would think if italian made theoretically could have been produced to the end of fascist era in 1943 .

Hi Dennis,

Thank you for your input on the medal.
I confirm that the medal is unmarked.
That is a good question, the medal was consigned until when?
regards

[me6_130]

No real conquest...Barcelona was not defended. Republican army just retired towards France. When younger someone explained me (My clockmaker master) that he saw the last republicans moving out of town. Near his house there was a railway line, just out of a tunnel, and he saw it full of abandoned weapons (machineguns, rifles, pistols, sacs of grenades, etc). They could only try to hold a bit to let civilians escape to the border, as they had very little artillery and no airforce left.


Carles

[Dennis S]

No real conquest...Barcelona was not defended. Republican army just retired towards France. When younger someone explained me (My clockmaker master) that he saw the last republicans moving out of town. Near his house there was a railway line, just out of a tunnel, and he saw it full of abandoned weapons (machineguns, rifles, pistols, sacs of grenades, etc). They could only try to hold a bit to let civilians escape to the border, as they had very little artillery and no airforce left.


Carles

None the less , there were battles by the Republicans even though futile against the Nationalists and Italians in their campaign to take Catalonia and some Republican resistance to allow withdrawal and escape from Barcelona . So maybe I should have wrote the “fall of “instead of “conquest of “
It’s the same in the end. Similar to Berlin “no chance” .

[me6_130]

There were some battles and resistance south of Barcelona. That was to give time to people to move out. Once done, the last troops pulled back, not defending Barcelona to prevend any futher damage to the city. They kept on moving north, to the frontier, holding resitance lines, blocking roads and blowing bridges, till they past the border and handed their weapons to the friendly France, that put most of them in concentration camps.

Carles