This month of February, Spain looks once again to Antonio Machado To mark the 87th anniversary of his death in French exile, flowers, verses, and cultural gatherings intertwine in Collioure, Soria, and Segovia, cities that hold an essential part of the poet's biography and memory.
Far from being a mere institutional formality, the events of this anniversary have become a shared civic ritualContinuous readings of poems, lectures, visits to places associated with Machado, and floral offerings at tombs and busts. Machado's figure is revived each year as a literary reference and as a symbol of exile, dignity, and historical memory in contemporary Europe.
Soria: the high school, Leonor and a tradition that climbs to the Espino.
In Soria, February 22nd is once again a date circled in red. The IES Antonio Machado, direct successor to that old high school in the province, is organizing its annual event. classic climb to the Espino cemetery, where the remains of Leonor Izquierdo, the poet's young wife, rest.
That Sunday, at 11:30 a.m., a group of students and teachers ascends to the Soria cemetery to celebrate a simple but deeply rooted ceremony: poetry reading and floral offering at Leonor's tomb. It is a gesture that blends personal remembrance, school tradition, and literary memory shared by several generations.
This custom didn't originate from a large official program, but from a student initiative. On February 22, 1967, a group of students from what was then Soria's only high school, encouraged by teachers such as Amparo Gaya Nuño, Félix Herrero Salgado and Juan José Ruiz CuevasThe ascent to El Espino began with the recitation of verses and the laying of flowers. Months later, the center officially adopted the name Antonio Machado High School.
Today, that ritual has become established as one of the symbols of identity of the institute and the cityFor many students from Soria, their first real contact with Machado doesn't come only through textbooks, but on that cold February morning, in front of Leonor's gravestone, listening to their own classmates read "Campos de Castilla".
Alongside the ascent to the cemetery, Soria strengthens its connection with the poet each year through the Antonio Machado Spanish Foundationwhich programs activities with a strong cultural and participatory character. The city thus asserts itself as one of the essential stops on the author's life and literary map.
Lectures, music and poetry: Machado program at the Antonio Machado High School
The commemoration in Soria is not limited to February 22nd. A program organized jointly by the [unspecified entity] will take place over the anniversary weekend. National Foundation and the Spanish Antonio Machado Foundation and the institute itself, which combines academic reflection, music and poetry in spaces closely linked to the figure of the writer.
On Saturday, February 21st, at 11:00 a.m., the Red Room of the Antonio Machado Institute The conference “The Land of Alvargonzález,” presented by Professor and scholar Esther Vallejo de Miguel, will focus on the close relationship between the poet and the city of Soria, serving as an introduction to one of the most emblematic texts in his oeuvre.
During the commemorative event, presided over by the vice president of the Spanish Antonio Machado Foundation, Miguel Ángel de Miguel CasasA new edition of “La tierra de Alvargonzález, cuento-leyenda y romance” (The Land of Alvargonzález, Tale, Legend, and Ballad), published by Librería Las Heras, is also being presented. The volume includes Machado's text and an introductory study based on Vallejo's own lecture, reinforcing the educational nature of the tribute.
Representatives from various institutions sit at the head table: the Deputy Government Delegate in Soria, Miguel Latorre Zubiri; the territorial secretary of the Junta de Castilla y León, Rafael Medina Esteban; the councilor for Tourism and Environment of Soria, Yolanda Santos Grande; the director of the Antonio Machado High School, Miguel Ángel Delgado Santa Bárbara; and Esther Vallejo herself. This institutional presence underscores the extent to which Machado's figure is part of the common cultural heritage of the city and the community.
After the session in the auditorium, the commemoration moves to the Vergel SquareThere, a poetic and musical tribute takes place next to the writer's bust, featuring the 3rd and 6th year Professional Studies Orchestra, conducted by Professor Francisco Castillo Vega. The music is interwoven with poetry in different languages, highlighting the author's international renown.
In that context, José Ángel Mayor and Gwendolyne Raveraud recite the poem “Banks of the Duero” in Spanish and French, a symbolic gesture that connects the Castilian landscape that inspired the poet with his universal and European dimensionThe tribute concludes with a floral offering before Machado's bust, one of the most emotional moments of the program.
Uninterrupted readings and citizen participation in Soria
The Machado-themed events in Soria continue for another day. On Monday, February 23rd, a series of events will begin. uninterrupted reading of poems in the so-called Poet's Classroom, a space in the institute conceived as a meeting point with the author's work.
This activity, open to the general public, takes place from 9:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. and is organized in collaboration with the Soria City Hall and the Friends of the Institute Association. Anyone interested can register in advance via an online form and reserve a time slot to read aloud one or more texts by Machado.
The dynamic is simple: for twelve hours, students, teachers, neighbors, and literature enthusiasts take turns, so that the Machado's word is not interruptedIt's not just about paying tribute, but about bringing poetry back to the public sphere, in an accessible and approachable format.
The Poet's Classroom thus becomes a small laboratory of shared memory, where the author's work engages with very different generations. The atmosphere, rather than solemn, is participatory and relaxed; it's common to see entire families approach, listen to a few verses, and be encouraged to read a favorite poem.
With this set of activities—conferences, music, readings, offerings—Soria consolidates its role as one of Machado's capitals in Spain. The city once again highlights the link between landscape, history and literature that marked the "Campos de Castilla" era.
Segovia: the professor's house and a tribute that opens its doors
While Soria looks towards the Espino cemetery and the high school, Segovia focuses on the Antonio Machado House-Museum And in remembrance of the poet as a French teacher. Segovia Tourism and the Royal Academy of History and Art of San Quirce have prepared an "intimate" program for February 19-22, with the intention of reaching experts, locals, and visitors alike.
The schedule kicks off on Thursday the 19th, at 7:00 p.m., with a academic tribute in the San Quirce Classroom, on Capuchinos Alta street. The protagonist is the poet and essayist Benjamín Prado, one of the most recognizable voices in contemporary Spanish poetry, who will participate in a meeting dedicated to analyzing the relevance of Machado.
On Sunday, February 22, the 87th anniversary of his death in Collioure, the House-Museum opens its doors from 11:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. Free entry and free visitThe public can tour the rooms of the old boarding house where the poet lived during his time in Segovia, now preserved as a sober space, almost frozen in time.
The room where Machado lived, the simple furnishings, and the atmosphere of that boarding school from the first third of the 20th century help us understand the context in which he wrote part of his work. More than a grandiose monument, the House-Museum is an everyday place that reinforces the image of the poet as teacher and ordinary citizenwith schedules, classes and concerns very similar to those of any high school teacher.
In the afternoon, at 5:00 p.m., the Segovian day is completed with the already traditional popular tribute in the gardens of the House-MuseumThe event includes a reading and recital of a selection of emblematic poems, so that the author's voice can be heard again in the same courtyard where he lived.
Readings, busts and flowers: the popular pulse of the Segovian tribute
The afternoon tribute in Segovia is deliberately designed as an open and participatory event. Locals, cultural associations, and visitors take turns speaking. read aloud verses by Machadoin an atmosphere that blends respect and warmth. No prior experience or academic training is required: all you need is the desire to share a poem.
After the recital, the group moves to the bust of the writer located in the garden of the House-Museum to perform a symbolic floral offeringThe gesture is simple: to place flowers at the foot of the sculpture, as a form of collective gratitude for the mark it left on the city and on Spanish literature.
Sometimes, the organizers give attendees a small commemorative gift, a memento that underscores the emotional nature of the event. For many Segovians, visiting the House-Museum and participating in this tribute has become an annual tradition, deeply intertwined with the city's cultural identity.
The activities in Segovia are part of the broader program of the Machadian Cities Network, of which the town is a part. This network promotes joint projects for dissemination, research and cultural tourism related to the figure of the poet.
The Antonio Machado House-Museum itself has established itself as reference center To promote his work, the city offers permanent exhibitions, guided tours, and literary events that extend beyond anniversary dates. In this way, the city celebrates the author not only as an illustrious figure from the past, but also as a contemporary cultural companion.
Collioure and the Network of Machadian Cities: a shared map
On the other side of the border, in the French town of CollioureThese days also mark the poet's final days. Antonio Machado died there on February 22, 1939, after crossing the border fleeing the Civil War, and he rests there in the small cemetery of the Mediterranean town, which has become a place of cultural pilgrimage for Spaniards and Europeans.
La Machadian Cities Network —made up of Seville, Madrid, Soria, Baeza, Segovia, Rocafort, Barcelona and Collioure itself, with the Fernán González de Burgos Academy of History as a non-member member— holds its Ordinary General Assembly on February 22, at 6:00 p.m., in the French city.
This meeting will allow Collioure to assume the Presidency of the Network throughout the year 2026This event is highly symbolic, as it marks the site of the author's final exile and death. Among those attending will be Soria councilwoman Gloria Gonzalo and the secretary of the Network, Eduardo Muro, representing the Castilian aspect of Machado's legacy.
The Network has been working for years to coordinate initiatives that highlight the poet's figure from multiple angles: academic, heritage, educational, and tourism. Each city contributes its own perspective on his biography and work. Seville, childhood, Madrid the trainingSoria and Baeza, teaching in the provinces; Segovia, intellectual consolidation; Rocafort and Barcelona, the final stretch of the Civil War; and Collioure, exile and death.
In this context, Soria has redoubled efforts to make Machado one of his major cultural and tourist landmarks Throughout the year, the network develops routes, educational activities, and regular programming that connect with a broad audience. Looking ahead to 2025 and 2026, the aim is to strengthen this shared Machado-inspired identity with other cities in the Network.
Machado between memory, exile and everyday life
The events spread across Soria, Segovia, and Collioure paint a picture of more than just a calendar of events. They show how The memory of Antonio Machado lives on through very concrete gestures: a bouquet of flowers, a verse read aloud, a lecture in a historic classroom, a free visit to a modest teacher's house.
In Soria, the climb to the Espino cemetery recalls the history of Leonor Left and the mark that his death left on the poet; in Segovia, the House-Museum preserves the atmosphere of that boarding house where he wrote and taught; in Collioure, the tomb by the sea continues to receive letters, books and flowers from strangers.
At the same time, the cultural and educational institutions involved—foundations, city councils, academies, and networks of cities—seek to ensure that the tribute does not remain merely nostalgic. The goal is for Machado's work to continue engaging in dialogue with current readers of all agesthat his poems become part of the literary education of young people and that his biography serves to reflect on exile, war and the importance of culture as a refuge.
Eighty-seven years after his death, the route that links Seville, Soria, Segovia, and Collioure continues to trace a highly recognizable story in Spain and Europe: that of a writer who transformed landscape and everyday life into poetic material, who ended his days far from home, and whose voice continues to resonate in institutes, museum houses and squares every February.
On this anniversary, the spotlight is shared by the poet's personal history, the places that marked his path, and the communities that, year after year, come together again to read him, listen to him, and place flowers in his name, demonstrating that his legacy is not only a literary past, but an active part of contemporary civic culture.
