Blood and Silk: The Spanish Teacher and the Lost Art of sericulture
BIERZO — February 29, 2024 — In the Bierzo region of Spain, a story unfolds of Agustín Alonso Jambrina, a teacher who, in the face of the Spanish Civil War, sought not only to cultivate silkworms, but also to educate, creating a profound connection between education, community, and the cultural identity of the region. The tragic events culminated in the death of Jambrina, marking the end of the hopes for sericulture . Dig deeper into the poignant narrative of “blood and silk” below.
blood and silk: the intertwined fate of a spanish teacher and a lost art
in the bierzo region of spain, the delicate art of silk production was once intertwined with the life and tragic death of agustín alonso jambrina, a teacher who sought to cultivate not only silkworms but also the minds of his students. his story, marked by both hope and violence, reveals a profound connection between education, community, and the cultural identity of a region.
a teacherS dream in bierzo
agustín alonso jambrina, born in moraleja del vino in 1898, arrived in san román de bembibre with a mission: to use education as the only shield in front of barbarism.
he had learned the art of sericulture in murcia and brought it to bierzo, not just as a practical skill, but as a way to instill hope and a vision for the future in his students.
did you know?
the valencian silk industry experienced a boom after the war of the spanish succession, with the number of masters nearly doubling between 1716 and 1725 [1].
- agustín alonso jambrina: born in 1898 in moraleja del vino.
- arrived in: san román de bembibre.
- mission: to use education as a shield against barbarism.
- taught: sericulture, instilling hope and a future vision.
a legacy of silk in bierzo
jambrina was not the first to envision a silk industry in bierzo. in the 18th century, the marqués de villafranca dreamed of mulberry gardens and silk factories in the valleys.francisco javier villegas and jalón, his administrator, noted the robust worms in valdeorras that thrived on local leaves. later, in the 19th century, josé maría gonzález de la carrera, and in the 20th, victoriano lópez rodríguez, continued to sow the ideal of silk production as a defense against rural exodus.
pro tip
linen handcrafts were once prevalent in galicia and are now being recovered by associations, highlighting the cultural significance of textiles in spain [2].
the marqués de villafranca envisioned mulberry gardens and silk factories in the 18th century.
josé maría gonzález de la carrera (19th century) and victoriano lópez rodríguez (20th century) promoted silk as a defense against rural exodus.
blood and silence: the tragic end
the promise of silk in bierzo was brutally cut short. on sept. 16,1936,during the spanish civil war,jambrina and josé villar sobrín were murdered. their bodies were found in a gutter and buried in castrillo de las piedras. what was killed in that gutter was a way of looking at the world: with faith in education, in patient work, in the community.
his death marked the last sigh of sericulture in bierzo.
reader question
how did the spanish civil war impact local industries and traditions like silk production in bierzo?
- sept. 16, 1936: agustín alonso jambrina and josé villar sobrín murdered.
- buried in: castrillo de las piedras.
- death symbolized: the end of sericulture in bierzo.
a metaphor of education
blood and silk
represent the paradox of delicacy and violence. silk represents the delicacy of a civilization that is built with care and time. blood, the brutal tearing of a story that failed to contain its violence.
the art of raising silkworms mirrors education itself: both require darkness to grow, a constant heat, a rigorous and above all diet, expects. never hurry.
memory is like dry sand: it retains the shape of the body that touched it, but loses it with the first breath.
italo calvino
jambrina transformed the school into a living extension of the landscape and collective memory.
he sought to preserve the identity of bierzo, guiding students to roman vestiges and founding the school collaboration center of bembibre. he organized the savings festival and the tree party, promoting economic prudence and environmentalism.
- school transformed: into a living extension of the landscape and collective memory.
- activities: guided students to roman vestiges, organized savings festival and tree party.
- march 1936: proposed a museum to preserve the past and cultural memory of bierzo.
a hope for the future
in march 1936,jambrina proposed to the bembibre city council the creation of a museum to preserve the region’s historical and cultural memory. though his dream was never realized, his legacy remains. the story of agustín alonso jambrina serves as a reminder of a time when life was built with care and vision.perhaps one day, sericulture [will flow] in the bierzo
again, and the children of the future will revive this lost art.
the hope remains that in each bright thread that arises from the cocoon, it resonates not only the history of a region, but the echo of a life that we wove, between “blood and silk,” the hope of a fairer country.
faq
- what is sericulture? sericulture is the production of silk and the rearing of silkworms for this purpose.
- where is bierzo? bierzo is a region in northwestern spain.
- who was agustín alonso jambrina? he was a teacher who introduced sericulture to bierzo and was murdered during the spanish civil war [3].
- what happened to silk production in bierzo? it declined after the death of agustín alonso jambrina and the turmoil of the spanish civil war.
