Pilar de la Horadada marks 40 years of independence with historic photo exhibition

Pilar de la Horadada is marking 40 years as an independent municipality with a photographic exhibition looking back at the long campaign which led to its creation in 1986.

The exhibition, “Pilar de la Horadada: Half a Century of Struggle to Become a Municipality (1936-1986)”, can be seen along Avenida Camilo Jose Cela until Thursday, September 17.

Photographs trace 50 years of Pilar de la Horadada’s history

The photographs cover 50 years of local history, showing some of the events and people involved in the campaign for Pilar de la Horadada to become a municipality in its own right.

For decades, the area formed part of Orihuela municipality. The campaign for separation eventually succeeded in 1986, when Pilar de la Horadada became an independent municipality.

The exhibition has been organised as part of activities commemorating the 40th anniversary of that change, giving residents an opportunity to look back at the lengthy process that eventually resulted in independence.

Exhibition looks back to the beginning of the campaign in 1936

Rather than concentrating only on the final decision in 1986, the photographs look back to 1936 and follow the different stages of the campaign over the following five decades.

The exhibition provides a visual record of an important period in the municipality’s development, documenting the years before Pilar de la Horadada achieved its independence from Orihuela.

It also provides residents with an opportunity to see some of the people who took part and the events which shaped an important period in the town’s recent history.

For those who remember the campaign, the photographs offer a chance to revisit the events leading up to 1986, while newer residents and younger generations can discover more about how the modern municipality came into being.

Outdoor exhibition remains on Avenida Camilo Jose Cela until September 17

The outdoor exhibition is open to residents and visitors on Avenida Camilo Jose Cela and will remain in place until September 17.

Its location allows people to explore the photographs while learning more about the decades-long campaign that ultimately changed Pilar de la Horadada’s future.

Forty years after independence was achieved, the exhibition forms part of the municipality’s anniversary commemorations and puts the people, events and determination behind that historic change back in the spotlight.