Hundreds of people affected by leprosy from almost all the Spanish provinces lived for decades in the colony-sanatorium of Fontilles, throughout the 20th century, and people who visited and helped this project to survive for more than a hundred years contributed to their livelihood. The Fontilles sanatorium is an inseparable part of the history of the Valencian Community and of the whole of Spain. Is part of our collective memory, a living memory for our elders and an example for future generations.
The exhibition Fontilles. The hidden town brings together dozens of objects, images, documents, photographs, films, books and magazines that have been recovered and preserved thanks to the collaborative work between the University of Alicante and the Fontilles Foundation and the support of the Sasakawa Health Foundation. Part of this legacy is now accessible through the Fontilles and leprosy in Spain portal of the Miguel de Cervantes Digital Library.
The exhibition has been designed following the stories of people affected by leprosy whose testimonies have been collected in the book Éramos todos iguales. Relatos de vida en torno a la lepra. By listening to their stories we can better understand life in this extraordinary town.
It is an immersive and interactive exhibition, in which visitors are invited to walk through the spaces that reproduce the places where the inhabitants of Fontilles lived, worked and spent their leisure time, and get closer to the stories that each of these objects, writings, images and voices tell us about their lives.
ORGANIZED BY University of Valencia University Cultural Service / Interuniversity Institute López Piñero / Palau de Cerveró
COLLABORATES Fundació Fontilles
