The Instituto Nacional de Colonización y Desarrollo Rural, English: National Institute of Rural Development and Colonization, was the administrative entity that was established by the Spanish Dictatorship in October 1939, shortly after the end of the Spanish Civil War, in order to repopulate certain areas of Spain. This entity depended from the Ministry of Agriculture and it sought to alleviate the effects of the devastation caused by the three years of civil war.
The Instituto acquired land which it transferred to the colonizing villagers under different conditions according to the area and the levels of poverty of the tenants. The colonizing tenants eventually were expected to pay a small sum that allowed them to become the future owners of the land they tilled.
This ambitious plan led to the establishment of new villages in different parts of Spain, some of which still survive. The Instituto reached a height of activity and influence during the first two decades of Franco's regime, but after the Plan de Estabilización in 1959, and the subsequent Planes de Desarrollo, its autarchic goals and ideals became outdated. By 1971 the word "Colonization" had stopped being politically correct and the name of the entity was changed to Instituto Nacional de Reforma y Desarrollo Agrario (IRYDA).
Goals and results
The Instituto's alleged main goal was to increase agricultural production in Spain by devoting more land surface to agriculture. Priority was given to the development of new irrigated areas in arid and semi-arid zones. This goal was very effective for the propaganda purposes of the new regime and triumphalistic claims were made that the colonization measures would increase self-sufficiency. But often irrigation was opposed to the traditional and sustainable methods of dryland farming that were ecologically more in tune with locally available resources in fragile environments.
Although the plans of the IRYDA were implemented with the avowed goal of a "better management of natural resources of the country" (Spanish: "mejor aprovechamiento y conservación de los recursos naturales en aguas y tierras"), the agricultural policies implemented were sometimes not mindful of the environment, leading to salinization of the terrain and to soil erosion in some areas. Some of the villages that were established in former wetlands or in chronic drought areas were later abandoned, along with the lands that surrounded them and that had formerly been earmarked for agriculture.
Many of the new villages were given a name related to the nearest river or even a name with an explicit reference to the Caudillo in order to cast a benevolent image of dictator Francisco Franco, like Llanos del Caudillo, Villafranco del Delta, a village in the Montsià comarca nowadays rechristened as El Poblenou del Delta or Isla Mayor near Seville, the former Villafranco del Guadalquivir.
Some of these new settlements were built to house the families whose houses were flooded when their ancestral village was submerged by the waters of one of the many reservoirs built during the development plans of the 1950s and 1960s, like Loriguilla, Mequinensa and Faió (Fayón), among others. Others were renovations and repopulations of previously extant but abandoned towns.
Andalucía
Guadalimar del Caudillo, in Lupión, Province of Jaén
Guadalén del Caudillo, in Vilches, Province of Jaén
Agrupación de Mogón, in Villacarrillo, Province of Jaén
Arroturas, in Villacarrillo, Province of Jaén
Agrupación de Santo Tomé (also known as Montiel) in Santo Tomé, Province of Jaén
Veracruz de Úbeda, in Úbeda, Province of Jaén
Solana de Torralba, in Úbeda, Province of Jaén
Valdecazorla, in Cazorla, Province of Jaén
San Miguel, in Úbeda, Province of Jaén
Donadio, in Úbeda, Province of Jaén
Puente del Obispo, in Baeza, Province of Jaén
Sotogordo, in Mancha Real, Province of Jaén
Vados de Torralba, in Villatorres, Province of Jaén
Campillo del Río, in Torreblascopedro, Province of Jaén
Miraelrío, in Vilches, Province of Jaén
Vegas de Santa María - Barrio de Linares, in Linares, Province of Jaén
Espeluy expansion, in Espeluy, Province of Jaén
La Quintería, in Villanueva de la Reina, Province of Jaén
Los Villares de Andújar, in Andújar, Province of Jaén
Vegas de Triana, in Andújar, Province of Jaén
Llanos del Sotillo, in Andújar, Province of Jaén
La Ropera, in Andújar, Province of Jaén
Poblado de San Julián, in Marmolejo, Province of Jaén
Bembézar del Caudillo, in Hornachuelos, Province of Córdoba
Villafranco del Guadalhorce, in Alhaurín el Grande, Province of Málaga
Guadalcacín (formerly Guadalcacín del Caudillo), in Jerez de la Frontera, Province of Cádiz
Isla Mayor (formerly Villafranco del Guadalquivir), in the Province of Sevilla
El Viar (formerly El Viar del Caudillo), in Alcalá del Río, Province of Sevilla
Peñuelas, in Láchar, Province of Granada
Fuensanta, in Pinos Puente, Province of Granada
Loreto, in Moraleda de Safayona, Province of Granada
Romilla la Nueva, in Chauchina, Province of Granada
El Chaparral, in Albolote, Province of Granada
Buenavista (known as Burrianca), in Alhama de Granada, Province of Granada
San Isidro, in Níjar, Province of Almeria
Campohermoso, in Níjar, Province of Almeria
Atochares, in Níjar, Province of Almeria
Puebloblanco, in Níjar, Province of Almeria
Aragón
Camporreal, in Sos del Rey Católico, Province of Zaragoza
Alera, in Sádaba, Province of Zaragoza
Bárdena del Caudillo, in Ejea de los Caballeros, Province of Zaragoza
Valareña, in Ejea de los Caballeros, Province of Zaragoza
El Bayo, in Ejea de los Caballeros, Province of Zaragoza
Santa Anastasia, in Ejea de los Caballeros, Province of Zaragoza
Pinsoro, in Ejea de los Caballeros, Province of Zaragoza
Valareña, in Ejea de los Caballeros, Province of Zaragoza
El Sabinar, in Ejea de los Caballeros, Province of Zaragoza
Ontinar de Salz, in Zuera, Province of Zaragoza
Puilatos, in Zuera, Province of Zaragoza, (demolished)
Sancho Abarca, in Tauste, Province of Zaragoza
Santa Engracia, in Tauste, Province of Zaragoza
Valsalada in Almudévar, Huesca
Artasona del Llano in Almudévar, Province of Huesca
San Jorge in Almudévar, Province of Huesca
El Temple, in Gurrea de Gállego, Province of Huesca
Sodeto, in Alberuela de Tubo, Province of Huesca
Valmuel (formerly Alpeñés del Caudillo), in Alcañiz, Province of Teruel
Puigmoreno (formerly Campillo de Franco), in Alcañiz, Province of Teruel
Castilla La Mancha
Alberche del Caudillo, in Calera y Chozas, Province of Toledo
Talavera la Nueva, in Talavera de la Reina, Province of Toledo
Llanos del Caudillo, in the Province of Ciudad Real
Cinco Casas, in the Province of Ciudad Real
Consolación (formerly Villanueva de Franco), in Valdepeñas, Province of Ciudad Real
Pueblo Nuevo del Bullaque, Province of Ciudad Real
Santa Quiteria, Province of Ciudad Real
Bazán, Province of Ciudad Real
Los Mirones, in Valenzuela de Calatrava, Province of Ciudad Real
Cañada de Agra, Province of Albacete
Mingogil, Province of Albacete
Nava de Campana, in Hellín, Province of Albacete
Aguas Nuevas, Province of Albacete
Castilla-León
Águeda del Caudillo, in Ciudad Rodrigo, Province of Salamanca
Cascón de la Nava, Province of Palencia
Foncastín, in Rueda, Province of Valladolid
San Bernardo, Province of Valladolid
Guma, Province of Burgos
Catalonia
Poblenou del Delta (formerly Villafranco del Delta), in Amposta, Province of Tarragona
Gimenells, now Gimenells i el Pla de la Font, Province of Lleida
El Pla de la Font, now Gimenells i el Pla de la Font, Province of Lleida
Sucs, Province of Lleida, was an abandoned town, renovated and repopulated under the Franco plan
Extremadura
Gévora (formerly Gévora del Caudillo), in the Province of Badajoz
Guadiana del Caudillo in the Province of Badajoz
Novelda del Guadiana, in Badajoz, Province of Badajoz
Pueblonuevo del Guadiana, in the Province of Badajoz
Villafranco del Guadiana, in Badajoz, Province of Badajoz
Alagón del Río (formerly Alagón del Caudillo), in Galisteo, Province of Cáceres
El Batán, in the Province of Cáceres
Puebla de Argeme, in the Province of Cáceres
Rincón del Obispo, in the Province of Cáceres
San Gil, in the Province of Cáceres
Tiétar (formerly Tiétar del Caudillo), Province of Cáceres
Vegaviana, in the Province of Cáceres
Valencian Community
San Isidro
Benaixeve
El Realengo, Crevillent (Province of Alicante)
San Antonio de Benagéber (Sant Antoni de Benaixeve)
Sant Isidre de Benaixeve
Tous
Cortitxelles
Navarre
Figarol
Rada
Gabarderal
El Boyeral (abandoned)
San Isidro del Pinar