Concha Robles was killed on stage. I was 35 years old.
It’s been 100 years since the femicide of Conchita Robles, one of the most remembered in Spanish history. January 21, 1922 Concepcion Robles Perez (Conchita or Concha) was murdered on the stage of the Cervantes Theater, in Almería, by her ex-husband. The actress, singer and poet was 35 years old.
When Robles’ body fell on the stage, the audience broke their hands applauding his performance. People were shocked by the supposed realism of the scene
Robles was shot twice at close range. The catastrophic episode is one of the oldest sexist crimes in Spanish history and brought with it a whole movement behind it.
The Cervantes Theater was inaugurated in 1921 and is located in Almería, Spain
Destined to become a star
Concepción Del Pilar Robles Pérez was born in 1887 in Almería. Her breast was narrower than that of a middle-class family linked to the theater. From an early age she grew up in the theaters of Almería and later in Madrid. Concha Robles, you have developed her whole life in the world of acting.
She triumphed on stage, became famous and was recognized in the local environment.
At the age of 30, she fell in love with Carlos Berdugo, a widower 14 years older than her, who would later become her executioner. After a fleeting courtship, they got married very much in love.
But Berdugo, commander of the Cavalry, proved possessive, jealous and violent. Macho, separated Robles from her profession, Conchita lived a hell until a judge allowed her the annulment of the marriage. Spanish justice complied with her request by freeing her of her and allowing her to return to her life, her songs and her performances.
After the divorce, the actress returned to Madrid with her mother, and then went there Valencian with the dramatic company of José Monteagudo and Alfonso Tudela. At that time, this theater group toured Spain with ‘Santa Isabel de Ceres’, a controversial work that reflects the sordid world of prostitution.
The actress was 35 when her life was brought to the stage.
the last function
In January 1922, the theater group went to Almería for the premiere of “Santa Isabel de Ceres”, starring Conchita Robles. It was the 21st of this month and it generated high expectations for the actress’s return to her homeland.
Local audiences quickly ran out of tickets for what Conchita Robles represented for her city. With the venue full, Robles’ final performance began.
Berdugo was secretly hiding behind the scenes. He waited halfway through the first act to burst onto the stage. First, he shot Manuel Aguilar, a 16-year-old apprentice, and He shot Concha Robles twice, in the chest and heart.
A case that shocked Spain
After the femicide, the soldier attempted suicide but was unsuccessful.
After the shots, Robles collapsed and died amid screams from people who cheered on the local artist. When the audience discovered the reality of the scene, the shock was total.
The terrible crime caused the pain of Spanish society, horrified by the brutal femicide.
The tombstone of Concha Robles in the cemetery of Almería, Spain.
Thousands of people fired Conchita Robles. Spanish justice sentenced Carlos Berdugo to life imprisonment.
The murder of Concha Robles, with wide repercussions in the press of the time, provoked a reflection on violence as a social problem. It spawned proposals that aspired to solve it and that ranged from legal changes to fundamental transformations in values such as honor, jealousy or love.
It was also the first flag of the Spanish feminist movement and inspired the creation of books and documentaries about her life.
Thomas Fernandez Cruzado
Source: Clarin
