In the 1960s, Spain’s industrial production and standard of living increased rapidly. The rapid economic growth did, however, have political and social consequences. A larger and better educated middle class and a new urban working class emerged due to economic expansion. In addition, the unprecedented level of foreign cultural influence had a marked impact on Spanish society. All of these factors contributed to an increasing level of dissatisfaction with the restrictions imposed by Franco. These restrictions were seen as impediments to further development and modernization.
Television sets were also on the rise during the 1960s, and the number of telephones per capita nearly doubled. Healthcare was much more readily available, and infant mortality was much lower than in the EC. The economic boom also resulted in a rise in higher education among Spaniards. There was often a lack of affordable housing in many urban areas and an expensive and low-quality housing supply. Though many new dwellings were built, the results were often unappealing, and there were unhealthy tracts of cramped apartment buildings with few amenities. In cities, transportation systems could not accommodate the population growth, and the road network was too small to handle the explosion in car ownership caused by rising incomes. This boom ended during the first and second oil crises of the 1970s. Spain was unusually vulnerable to the effects of the economic slump of the late 1970s and early 1980s because of excessive dependence on foreign oil, insufficient long-term investments, structural defects, and spiralling wages.
Technocrats hoped that a booming economy would reduce hostility toward Francoism, but tensions between a vibrant Spanish society and the oppressive regime that governed it led to growing domestic opposition throughout the 1960s. The growing industrial labor force became increasingly militant. As strikes and bombings continued, Franco’s repressive hold on the labor force would not be able to continue indefinitely. Despite the unrest of the mid-1960s, Spain’s stability was not seriously threatened. After twenty-five years in power, Franco found the regime sufficiently stable and economically booming to loosen his authoritarian grip. In 1966 the Organic Law of the State, approved by referendum, provided a modicum of liberalization while securing Franco’s political system. In June 1967, the Law on Religious Freedom was passed, easing restrictions on non-Catholics. During the same year, the regime modified censorship laws and allowed more freedom of expression. Franco declared a state of exception throughout Spain in early 1969 after an unprecedented wave of strikes and increasing rebellion in the universities. The revival of dictatorial policies had international repercussions and threatened negotiations with the US to renew a military base agreement. Franco lifted the state of exception in March 1969, but the government’s efforts to establish legitimacy were seriously undermined. Franco provided his regime with legitimacy and continuity by naming Prince Juan Carlos de Borbon as his successor.
Here are some stunning historical photos that will take you back to the 1960s in Spain.
#1 Rollercoaster in Tibidabo amusement park, Barcelona 1961
#2 Montjuïc Palast Barcelona 1961
#3 Bullfight arena Plaza de Toros “La Monumental”, Barcelona 1961.
#4 Bullfight arena Plaza de Toros “La Monumental”, Barcelona, 1961.
#5 Actor and director Orson Welles sitting on the front row watching the traditional Spring Festival in Seville, April 24th 1961.
#6 Spectators watching a bullfight in Spain, 960.
#7 Several people including children work to remove the stigmas from the saffron flower, in Spain, 960s.
#8 Women at work removing the pits from olives, Spain, 1960s.
#9 People making pottery in rural Spain, 1960s.
#10 Several people with baskets full of saffron flower, in Spain, 1960s.
#11 The square Puerta del Sol, Madrid, Spain, 1960.
#12 Property of Salvador Dali in Port Lligat, dans les années 1960.
#13 Rue de Vejer de la Frontera, Spain.
#14 A view of Gran Vía, Madrid, Spain, 1960.
#15 The monument to Cervantes, Don Quixote and Sancho Panza, by Lorenzo Coullaut Valera on Plaza des Espana, Edificio Espana in the background
#16 The Park of Retiro, 1960, Madrid, Spain.
#17 Almeria, Arab walls, 1966, Andalucia, Spain.
#18 American actress Raquel Welch (Jo Raquel Tejada) posing in a street of the city. She’s in Spain to shot the film Phatom. Malaga, 1966
#19 Madrid in the sixties,the stadium Santiago Bernabeu of Real Madrid, 1963, Spain.
#20 View along an unidentified street, Marbella, Malaga, Andalusia, Spain, 1964.
#21 Benidorm, 1964.
#22 View of the Manzanares river that crosses the city of Madrid, Spain, 1964.
#23 A farmer returns home trotting his donkey in the small town of Fuente de los Cantos, Badajoz, Extremadura, 1964.
#24 The Roman Theater in Merida, Extremadura, 1964.
#25 The Real Madrid team is pictured before a match in 1962, in Madrid.
#26 Barcelona, 1961
#27 Tourists in the Plaza de España, Barcelona 1961.
#28 Narrow street at old town of Barcelona, 1961
#29 Passagiere in Doppeldeckbus, Barcelona, 1961
#30 Leute in Warteschlange, Barcelona, 1961
#31 Venetian Towers at Plaza de España, Barcelona 1961.
#32 Barcelona, 1961
#33 Bullfight in Barcelona Arena 1961.
#34 Montjuic palace Barcelona, 1961.
#35 In the old town of Barcelona 1961.
#36 Family with corn crop at house door, Barcelona, 1961.
#37 Portal of bullfight arena La Monumental, Barcelona, 1961.
#38 Cathedral on Tibidabo, Barcelona, 1961
#39 Buildings in the old town of Barcelona, 1961.
#40 Francisco Franco in Burgos during the celebrations of the twenty-fifth anniversary of his appointment as Head of State Government, 1961
#41 Crowds in Burgos during the celebrations of the twenty-fifth anniversary of the appointment of Francisco Franco as Head of State Government, 1962
#42 Celebration in the Figueres Bullring of a comic and surrealist bullfight organized by the painter Salvador Dali, 1961.
#43 Celebration in the Figueres Bullring of a comic and surrealist bullfight organized by the painter Salvador Dali, alongside his wife Gala Dali, 1961
#44 Celebration in the Figueres Bullring of a comic and surrealist bullfight organized by the painter Salvador Dali, 1961
#45 Miguel Bose, son of the Spanish bullfighter Luis Miguel Dominguin and the Italian actress Lucia Bose, playing with a bull of wick, Saelices, Cuenca, Spain, 1961.
#46 Cristobal Martinez-Bordiu, 1961
#47 Prince And Princess Of Monaco in Majorca, 1960
#48 Jose Antonio Street, Madrid, 1960
#49 A man and a woman chatting beside a tree. Madrid, May 1960
#50 Women carrying jars on their heads, 1960 in Spain
#51 The Royal Couple Attending a Corrida i Madrid, 1960
#52 Abbey of the Holy Cross of the Valley of the Fallen, built by order of the Spanish dictator Francisco Franco in the Valley of Cuelgamuros, in San Lorenzo del Escorial, Madrid, 1960s
#53 Abbey of the Holy Cross of the Valley of the Fallen, built by order of the Spanish dictator Francisco Franco in the Valley of Cuelgamuros, in San Lorenzo del Escorial, Madrid, 1960s
#54 A Madrid street decorated with Christmas lights, in Madrid, Spain, 1960
#55 View of the beach “Las Canteras”, Las Palmas, Canary Islands, Spain, 1960.
#56 Le defilé des géants lors des fallas de Valence, Spain.
#57 Epreuve de traction de pierre par de boeufs au Pays Basque, Spain.
#58 View (looking mostly south) along the Paseo de la Castellana, Madrid, Spain, 1960.
#59 Beach of Palma de Mallorca, 1960
#60 Street vendor with his donkey, 1960, Palma de Mallorca, Balearic Islands, Spain.
#61 Beach of Palma de Mallorca, 1960, Balearic Islands, Spain.
#62 Shoe shiners work alongside the bustling tree-lined walkway of Ramblas de San Jose, Barcelona, Spain.
#63 Spanish aristocrat and heart surgeon Marquis Cristobel De Villaverde (behind) with his children, 1960
#64 The Gran Via in Valencia, a busy street with tall buildings, Valencia, Spain, 1960.
#65 The New Castle of Manzanares el Real (aka ‘Castle of los Mendoza’), Manzanares el Real, Spain, 1960.
#66 A view of a city in Spain, 1960.
#67 The Port Vell Aerial Tramway connecting the Montjuïc hill with Barceloneta, Barcelona, Spain, 1960.
#68 A man standing next to crates containing empty Pepsi bottles in El Puerto de Santa María, Cádiz, Spain, 1960.
#69 Women and girls in traditional dress walking by the harbour in Majorca, Spain, 1960.
#70 Couple in love walking in the streets of Madrid, 1960
#71 A crowded street procession probably in Spain, 1960.
#72 View of Las Palmas, Canary Islands, Spain, 1960.
#73 View of a street of Las Palmas with the house of Christopher Columbus, Canary Islands, Spain, 1960.
#74 Bullfighter reading the magazine Epoca during a bullfighting. Spain, 1960s
#75 Bullfighter playing a bullfighting, Spain, 1960s
#76 Real monument in San Lorenzo del Escorial, 1960, Madrid, Spain.
#77 Carriage at Palma, 1960, Mallorca, Balearic Islands, Spain.
#78 Port of Palma, 1960, Mallorca, Balearic Islands, Spain.
#79 Port of Palma, 1960, Mallorca, Balearic Islands, Spain.
#80 The Duchess of Alba in the “Gala of the Silk”, 1960, Barcelona, Cataluña, Spain.
#81 The Italian actress Stefania Sandrelli, 1960, Madrid, Spain.
#82 A view across the Tormes River of Old Salamanca, with the tower of the university at left, the cathedral, and the Church of Clerecia. The university is the oldest in Spain.
#83 An elevated view from the cliffs over the beach and headland of the southern coast, Malaga, Spain, 1960.
#84 Street scene People in front of a shop entrance. A little girl, wears a skirt and a hat, is hold by two women
#85 A woman carries a basket on her head and a big ewer in her hand, 1960
#86 Women at the market place, Mardi, 1960s
#87 Women at the market, 1960
#88 Spain Balearics Balearic Islands Mallorca Amateur-bullfight in Arenal on Mallorca
#89 Vittorio De Sica directs his actors in a dance scene in Madrid, 1960
#90 Fountain in the courtyard, British Embassy offices, 16 Calle Fernando El Santo, Madrid, Spain, 1966.
#91 British Embassy, 116 Calle Fernando el Santo, Madrid, Spain, 1966.
#92 Celebration in the church of St. Dionysius Areopagite of Athens, of the wedding between the Prince of Spain, Don Juan Carlos de Borbon and the Princess of Greece, Sofia of Greece.
#93 Celebration in the church of St. Dionysius Areopagite of Athens, of the wedding between the Prince of Spain, Don Juan Carlos de Borbon and the Princess of Greece, Sofia of Greece.
#94 Interior of the transatlantic liner “Cabo San Vicente”, ship chartered by Don Juan de Borbon to transport the Spanish guests to the wedding of Don Juan Carlos de Borbon and Doña Sofia of Greece, 1964
#95 Interior of the transatlantic liner “Cabo San Vicente”, ship chartered by Don Juan de Borbon to transport the Spanish guests to the wedding of Don Juan Carlos de Borbon and Doña Sofia of Greece, Athens, 1964
#96 Celebration in the church of St. Dionysius Areopagite of Athens, of the wedding between the Prince of Spain
#97 American actress Joan Crawford attends a bullfight in Madrid, 1962.
#98 Europa Press journalists visit the sets of the film “55 Days in Peking” in Las Rozas, Madrid, 1960
#99 Europa Press journalists visit the sets of the film “55 Days in Peking” in Las Rozas, Madrid, 1960
#100 Europa Press journalists visit the sets of the film “55 Days in Peking” in Las Rozas, Madrid, 1960
#101 Europa Press journalists visit the sets of the film “55 Days in Peking” in Las Rozas, Madrid, 1960
#102 Europa Press journalists visit the sets of the film “55 Days in Peking” in Las Rozas, Madrid, 1960
#103 Mallorca, 1960
#104 Mallorca, 1962
#105 Mallorca, 1962
#106 Mallorca, 1962
#107 Palma de Mallorca Airport, 1960
#108 American actor Charlton Heston during the filming of the movie “55 Days in Peking” on August 27, 1962 in Madrid, Spain.
#109 Mallorca, 1960
#110 Mallorca, 1960
#111 Strasse in der Altstadt, Matrose auf dem fahrrad, 1962
#112 Porto Cristo, Mallorca, 1960
#113 Mallorca, 1962
#114 Mallorca, 1962
#115 Four Days After The Torrential Rains In Catalonia Which Caused The Death Of Hundreds People And Missing, in Terrassa, Spain, on September 29, 1962.
#116 Chapel Of The Rest For the Victims Of Floodings In Catalonia, in Tarrasa, Spain, on September 30, 1962.
#117 Four Days After The Torrential Rains In Catalonia Which Caused The Death Of Hundreds People And Missing, in Tarrasa, Spain, on September 29, 1962.
#118 Europa Press journalists visit the sets of the film “55 Days in Peking” produced by Samuel Bronston on October 30 in Las Rozas, Madrid.
#119 Europa Press journalists visit the sets of the film “55 Days in Peking” produced by Samuel Bronston on October 30 in Las Rozas, Madrid.
#120 Europa Press journalists visit the sets of the film “55 Days in Peking” produced by Samuel Bronston on October 30 in Las Rozas, Madrid.
#121 Madrid, 1960
#122 Oto of Habsburg, son of Charles I, last emperor of Austria and Zita Borbon-Parma, during a vacation in Benidorm with his children, 1963, Comunidad Valenciana, Spain.
#123 Valencian crafts, 1963
#124 Spanish actor Francisco Rabal, 1963, Madrid, Spain.
#125 The Aragonese Pyrenees, Huesca, Spain, 1963.
#126 Parish Church of Santo Domingo and San Martin, Huesca, Spain, 1963.
#127 Village of Biesca, Huesca, Spain, 1963.
#128 View of the village of Torla, Huesca, Spain, 1963.
#129 Square of “San Pedro el Viejo”, Huesca, Spain, 1963.
#130 Feast of “Las Aguedas”, which has been held since 1227, and where two women are elected as “mayors” to govern the village for two days, Zamarramala, Segovia, Spain, 1963.
#131 Fair of the cattle of Peña, Galicia, Spain, 1963.
#132 City Hall of Lugo, Galicia, Spain, 1963.
#133 Spanish actress Magda Maldonado during a photo shoot, Madrid, Spain, 1963.
#134 Woman with her donkeys, Merida, Spain, 1963.
#135 A walk through in the “Plaza de Epaña”, Merida, Spain, 1963.
#136 The old fountain of the “Plaza de España”, Merida, Spain, 1963.
#137 Le Seu, a Roman Catholic cathedral in Palma, Majorca, Spain, 1963.
#138 Tournage du film ‘La Chute de l’Empire Romain’, ici, Sophia Loren and Stephen Boyd chained to a pillier, in Madrid, Spain, in 1963.
#139 Flock of sheep in the vicinity of San Martín de Torres, Castilla y León, Spain, 1963.
#140 The Ebro river as it passes through Tordesillas, Valladolid, Castilla y Laón, Spain, 1963.
#141 A typical meson , restaurant, in Arevalo, Avila, Castilla y León, Spain, 1963.
#142 Man transporting garbage in a cart with his donkey and his dog, Arevalo, Avila, Castilla y León, Spain, 1963.
#143 The Church of Santa María la Mayor in Arévalo, a work of Mudejar style built between the end of the 12th century and the beginning of the 13th century, is located in the Plaza de la Villa , Avila, Castilla y León, Spain, 1963.
#144 he Cerro de los Ángeles is a witness hill located in the municipality of Getafe, about 10 km south of Madrid, 1963
Its fame lies in the fact that it has traditionally been considered the geographic center of the Iberian Peninsula. On the esplanade located at the top of the hill are the Hermitage of Nuestra Señora de los Angeles , from the 14th century, and the Monument to the Sacred Heart.
