Hobbies are often framed in spaces of activity and interest far removed from the main occupation, like an evasive enlargement. This is not the case of Tomás Guitarte, a deputy from Teruel. He exists in the Congress of Deputies and is an emblematic face of the Empty Spain movement, whose occupations are consistent with the same interest in the rural environment, his people, his region, his traditions, its history and development. And one of the favorite activities of this architect turned politician is hiking, which they call "walks" there.
How did your walks start?
We started doing it the weekend after the town festivals. Little by little that hobby was born and today we are a regular group. When you live in a rural environment you have short, affordable tours very close by which you not only get to know the landscape of the area, but also the historical heritage or botany.
Are they a bunch?
Similar, although the group of the andadas has an intergenerational character, while the peñas are more for leisure and are usually from the same generation. Walking helps you exercise, but you also walk around the municipal area, now that people no longer go out to the fields to do agricultural work. And in summer, it forces you to get up early, to avoid the heat. Walking through a mountain first thing in the morning with moist soil allows you to discover another smell of the countryside.
How often do they go out?
In summer, three times a week, more or less, and in winter, once.
Do you live in Cutanda all year round?
Yes. When you see it from afar, it looks like a big town, with the remains of the castle on top. It had almost a thousand inhabitants at the beginning of the 20th century, but it was greatly affected by the emigration of the 60s and 70s. Now, we are 52 residents registered and in winter we will be here about 25 or 30.
What happened in the sixties?
development plans. When you read official documents, such as those of the creation of Seat, it is mentioned that Teruel must provide labor. It is not something fortuitous, the abandonment was planned. I always tell that in 1974 when a school city was inaugurated in Teruel, the minister said: “You who are destined to emigrate, emigrate educated”. The emptying is a decision and consistent with it come the disinvestments of the State, such as the fact of not finishing railways or highways that were almost finished.
Where did the neighbors go?
The emigration points were Zaragoza and Barcelona, above all.
You studied in Valencia, I thought that was the main destination.
In the surroundings of Jiloca, not so much. Here the waters go to the Ebro and emigration follows that slope. There are other regions of Teruel where people did go to Valencia more. But here it went mainly to Zaragoza, although Seat, as I was saying, also took a lot of people to Barcelona.
Have you always dedicated leisure to your region?
Yes, for many years I have always taken advantage of my free time to do research documenting traditions, recovering elements, such as Cutanda's dance and soldiery, which had not been performed since 1885. I collaborate with the Jiloca Study Center, which we founded in 1987 with the intention of also conveying that there was concern for culture and history. We have the José Lapayese art contest, with which we bring exhibitions of contemporary art to the region, we bring journalists, writers...
As an MP, you will be a celebrity today.
Do not believe. Everyone has known me for a long time because of my activity in the region. As an anecdote, I even have a dedicated square in the town.
He was talking about the remains of the castle. Was it an important square?
Cutanda had historical importance. The battle of Cutanda, in 1120, defined the future of Aragon as a territory. After the conquest of Zaragoza there was a reaction from North Africa and Al Andalus, 10,000 or 12,000 horsemen were sent. Alfonso the Battler came, who is besieging Calatayud, and the battle took place here. The triumph of the Christians conditioned the current map of Aragon. There is even a saying: “cutanda was worse”. Ten years ago we thought that we had to remember that historical fact and it was decided to make the historical recreation and an interpretation center. This excites the neighbors, they dress as Muslims and Christians, they are proud of their history, and it attracts people.
Almost nothing remains of the castle.
The residents of Cutanda requested that it be demolished.
How?
You see, during the Carlist wars, it was conquered and reconquered by both sides. And every time they took the castle, they burned the town. After the second fire, as it appears in the minutes, the neighbors asked that it be demolished. It is a pity, because it seemed to be of good architecture, it was not ordinary masonry.
Despite his interest in stories and traditions, his look does not seem nostalgic, like that of the young neo-ruralism, which is so fashionable.
No, it is not a bucolic vision. We know the difficulty of living in the territory, that is why we want to modernize these territories, make them capable of receiving life projects that no longer have to be necessarily linked to the primary sector. Our vision is realistic, we know that you have a better quality of life in rural areas only if you have services that are more or less good. And if you have a home.
Is there no housing in the emptied Spain?
People who are interested in returning to the countryside do not come to live in county seats but in small towns, where there is that contrast with urban life. But we see the cases: a person comes to exploit the bar and cannot find a place to stay. One of our main demands is a public housing stock in the smallest town so that whoever comes doesn't have to buy a house or build one. Today there is practically no rural housing for rent in all of Teruel.
