Even though Spain is a country famed for its marvelous sunshine, there are rather cold days during the winter where one ought to bundle up in a coat and a few flurries in the mountainous regions are not unheard of. 

Nevertheless, it goes without saying that the furious blizzard that descended upon Spain last week was of another magnitude altogether. Over the last 120 years, only two storms of similar might have been recorded: once in 1904 and again in 1971. Last week was the third such occasion and from Madrid to Toledo and Segovia, the entire country came to a halt, at once aghast and in wonder at this rarity. 

Courtesy of Maria Morenés.

Cars were covered in 40 centimeters of snow. Trees buckled under the weight of the downfall. Spaniards happily seized the moment and used the empty streets to ski and build snowmen, while dogs delighted in their first experience of snow. 

The historical moment was beautifully captured for posterity by Spanish photographer Maria Morenés. She described walking 20 kilometers through a white, near-empty city, photographing Madrid’s most storied buildings and monuments covered in an unprecedented amount of snow. “It was like being in a fairy tale,” she recounted. “That’s what I tried to transmit with my photographs, that feeling of walking  through a magical and unreal world.” 

She succeeded in conveying that mystical experience. For those familiar with Morenés work and her passion, the success of the photographs is no surprise. She had said that she attempts to capture “the simple beauty of things, a beauty sometimes evident and other times unnoticeable, a poetic beauty.”

Morenés counts photographers Ansel Adam, Hiroshi Sugimoto, and Chema Madoz as inspirations, and whose influences can be seen in her oeuvre. During Spain’s long lockdown in March, she spent time with an 85-year-old farmer from northern Spain, whose life was dedicated to his cows and animals.  His life, which might superficially seem narrowly confined, in Morenés images, appears free,  rooted in nature and full of a generosity of spirit. After Morenés images a new appreciation for a simpler life in nature. 

See more of Maria Morenés’ photographs of Madrid’s historic blizzard below.

Courtesy of Maria Morenés.

Courtesy of Maria Morenés.

Courtesy of Maria Morenés.