Bourgeoise Leisure and Sociability during Francoism

The Example of Círculo de Recreo in Valladolid between 1950 and 1980

Abstract

In this article, we intend to analyse the evolution (between 1950-1980), of a spanish club, «El Círculo de recreo de Valladolid», which was born in the Nineteenth Century, and whose main purpose was to supply a polished leisure to the local middleclass. We try to explain its easy accomodation to the political and ideological frame imposed by the francoist dictatorship but, also, its growing troubles about surviving at the decline of the Francoism and the Transition to democracy, when this kind of societies looked more and more anachronistic. To this effect, we interpret that the rising resort to revenues coming from card games could mean a sheer escape forward.