The photograph titled La boda de los milicianos (The Wedding of a Militiaman and a Militiawoman), capturing the marriage of the Republican defenders Alfonsa and Ernesto, is one of the most poignant humanizing images from the opening months of the Spanish Civil War. Captured on October 18, 1936, by the renowned Spanish photojournalist Alfonso Sánchez Portela (often known simply as “Alfonso”), the image stands in sharp contrast to the typical, grim combat photography of the era.
In October 1936, the Siege of Madrid was intensifying as Francisco Franco’s Nationalist forces advanced toward the capital. Tens of thousands of ordinary citizens, men and women alike, known as milicianos, joined left-wing union and political militias to defend the Second Spanish Republic.
Amidst the existential dread and chaos of impending battle, Alfonsa and Ernesto decided to marry. Rather than traditional bridal wear, both the bride and groom are wearing their utilitarian miliciano overalls (monos), which served as the standard wartime uniform for the citizen-soldiers.
The photo captures a fleeting moment of joy, tenderness, and normalcy. The couple is surrounded by fellow militia members, celebrating a union formalized under wartime emergency civil laws rather than church sanction.
Sánchez Portela’s photograph became a powerful symbol of the Republican resistance, showcasing the youth, idealism, and shared equality of the men and women fighting side by side on the front lines.
Like many anonymous fighters captured in wartime photojournalism, the ultimate fate of Alfonsa and Ernesto after the brutal three-year war and the fall of Madrid in 1939 remains unknown to history. Today, the original gelatin silver print of this historic moment is preserved in the permanent collection of the Museo Nacional Centro de Arte Reina Sofía in Madrid.
