Spaghetti Western location 'Artifacts'

I was just wondering if anyone has ever - after having visited the Spaghetti Western locations - acquired, and brought back home for themselves, ‘Souvenirs’, or ‘Artifacts’, from the locations…
By ‘Souvenirs’ or ‘Artifacts’, I mean such things as soil, stones or rock from a particular location, …or perhaps a piece of one of the original Sergio Leone constructions still standing…
There is - I believe - a division of opinion, as to whether, or not, such ‘relics’ should, in fact, be ‘acquired’ by fans…
…I’d be interested to know what other fans of the genre think?

I’ve got a bit of the wagon blown up in FISTFUL OF DYNAMITE

I’ve got a little dirt that was smuggled out of Almeria at great risk by a highly disturbed friend of mine (thanks amigo!)
plus a small, rusty object that I am convinced is one of Chelo Alonso’s petrified sweat glands.

To be honest, I did not think about the “rightness” of acquiring these items. Perhaps I should have. But I think Almeria can lose a little dirt. I consider it long distance erosion.

But I guess if everybody did it… :-\

I have some pieces of broken tiles from an old town set from Blindman. The town is no longer standing and the remains are just just lying on the ground in ruins so I have no guilt about taking a couple of bits. I certainly wouldn’t take anything from an existing site.

Me too.

oh yeah i forgot about that, i’ve had some tiles on both 2005 and 2008 trips now!

It’s interesting to see what other fans have brought back home. I totally agree that we shouldn’t touch anything belonging to existing locations. I think that if they are going to ‘disappear’, then it will either be through old age and nature itself, or by residents in the Almeria area, who can’t be bothered enough to maintain their well-being (I’m thinking especially of the poorly-neglected Cortijo el Fraile ‘GBU’ Mission).
By the way, I, too, have brought home some pieces of rubble from the ‘Blindman’ / ‘Valdez is Coming’ set…the one featuring the old well.
I find it interesting, also, to always bring back a few ‘soil samples’ from the different locations, which I then place in small bottles in my Spaghetti Western display case, right next to pics. of the actual location. In addition to the soil and ‘Blindman’ rubble, I’ve brought back the following:
A piece of the original coach from ‘Duck You Sucker’; a couple of original bolts (half-buried at the time) from the now-abandoned Guadix railway line; a small piece of the bridge from ‘Duck You Sucker’; a piece of rubble from the Calahorra ‘Flagstone’ set from ‘Once Upon A Time in the West’; a stone (a very outstanding orange-red) from El Tablazo (the opening vista from ‘For A Few Dollars More’; as well as a collection of various stones and rocks picked up in the Tabernas desert.
Another interesting item I found, was a piece of car tyre. This was almost all that remained of a ‘mock-up’ car that gets blown up in Steven Spielberg’s ‘Indiana Jones and The Last Crusade’ (1989). The location is very close to a scene from ‘For A few Dollars More’ - where Indio is astride his horse, atop a high cliff, looking down at a posse galloping past below.

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[quote=“Toscano, post:7, topic:1166”]I think that if they are going to ‘disappear’, then it will either be through old age and nature itself, or by residents in the Almeria area, who can’t be bothered enough to maintain their well-being (I’m thinking especially of the poorly-neglected Cortijo el Fraile ‘GBU’ Mission).

Another interesting item I found, was a piece of car tyre. This was almost all that remained of a ‘mock-up’ car that gets blown up in Steven Spielberg’s ‘Indiana Jones and The Last Crusade’ (1989). The location is very close to a scene from ‘For A few Dollars More’ - where Indio is astride his horse, atop a high cliff, looking down at a posse galloping past below.[/quote]

It is a crime that this is being ‘allowed’ to fall down. It is in a sorry state :'(.
Other locations won’t be there soon. I would like to have brought back the barely-standing remains of the ‘bar’ where LVC shot KK in FAFDM - I reckon that the front of the building will be in the road by next year - nobody (but us?) give a shit. Our film heritage - their ‘don’t mean a thing’!

Yeah, we (Tuco Tours and Brother Yod) found the remains of that car - not much left now tho’ as well.

Anybody I know …?

:smiley:
Pot … kettle … black? :wink:

Regarding the bar where LVC shoots KK in ‘FAFDM’.
I’m getting kinda anxious every time I hear about the poor state of the place now…
I’m back off to the Almeria locations next year (with the ever-reliable ‘Tuco Tours’), and I’m just hoping that there is enough of the ruined building still standing to see…
Regarding the Cortijo el Fraile (GBU Monestary), I understand that it used to be easy to climb up on its roof to take pics. of Indio’s gang breaking into the prison…is this still the case? I’ve heard that it’s not…

[quote=“Toscano, post:9, topic:1166”]Regarding the bar where LVC shoots KK in ‘FAFDM’.
I’m getting kinda anxious every time I hear about the poor state of the place now…
I’m back off to the Almeria locations next year (with the ever-reliable ‘Tuco Tours’), and I’m just hoping that there is enough of the ruined building still standing to see…
Regarding the Cortijo el Fraile (GBU Monestary), I understand that it used to be easy to climb up on its roof to take pics. of Indio’s gang breaking into the prison…is this still the case? I’ve heard that it’s not…[/quote]
The bar looks ok, but it stands right on the roadside - there’s a crack that runs from roof to nearly the floor and if you look side-on, it looks as if the front may fall off. If not next year …

I wouldn’t be wanting to risk said climb … I think that Brother Rambla Rambler did it a while back, but he ain’t such a heavy fellah and it’s fallen apart since - not cos of him I might add. There aren’t that many tourists - it’s the apathy, and the will (maybe) of the land-owners - one gets the impression they’d rather have the farming land than the heritage.

[quote=“Romaine Fielding, post:3, topic:1166”]I’ve got a little dirt that was smuggled out of Almeria at great risk by a highly disturbed friend of mine (thanks amigo!)
plus a small, rusty object that I am convinced is one of Chelo Alonso’s petrified sweat glands.

To be honest, I did not think about the “rightness” of acquiring these items. Perhaps I should have. But I think Almeria can lose a little dirt. I consider it long distance erosion.

But I guess if everybody did it… :-[/quote]

I know from a good source that these individuals went through hell and back for that

[quote=“Reverend Danite, post:10, topic:1166”]The bar looks ok, but it stands right on the roadside - there’s a crack that runs from roof to nearly the floor and if you look side-on, it looks as if the front may fall off. If not next year …

I wouldn’t be wanting to risk said climb … I think that Brother Rambla Rambler did it a while back, but he ain’t such a heavy fellah and it’s fallen apart since - not cos of him I might add. There aren’t that many tourists - it’s the apathy, and the will (maybe) of the land-owners - one gets the impression they’d rather have the farming land than the heritage.[/quote]
Many thanks for that information, Reverend. Much appreciated. I’ll just have to wait and see, and hope that things don’t get much worse…
Re: the Monastery roof climb, I had a sneaking suspicion that this might be the case, but I was kinda hoping not. Oh well, I’m hoping to stay at the ‘Hostel Alba’ for a day and two nights, so I’ll see if some of Manuel’s wine makes me foolhardy at the time. Cheers!

Make it the Rioja tho’ rather than the Vino Tinto :stuck_out_tongue: - if it’s gonna maybe be your last drink …

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Give Richard from Tuco Tours our regards when you see him. He and his wife are lovely people.

Thank you Phil H. I’m not heading off to Almeria until May, next year, but I’ll certainly give your regards to Richard. He is a true gentleman, and has the most enviable hobby/job in the world - in my opionion; but boy oh boy! he certainly has to do some travelling on the tours he guides.
Last year, he devised the ‘Full Leone’ option for myself and my wife, because I’d specifically requested that I visit all of the Leone locations, and I understand that we were the first to undertake it. It was a gruelling few days, but was well worth it, and can’t be highly recommended enough.
We found ourselves pretty exhausted at the end of each day, but I would’nt have missed it for the world…
Next year, I intend to return to some of the locations, but not all; the intention being to visit less, but take a bit more time at each, soaking up the atmosphere etc. No matter how many photos I take on a trip to Almeria, I always get back home, check them against scenes in the movies, and realise I’ve missed a few important shots! Which makes it more fun planning to go back the next time!
Also, every time I’ve left Almeria, I’ve never thought I’d be going back…How wrong I’ve been…I realise now that I feel ‘closer’ to that place than anywhere else, and that I’d miss it if I didn’t keep returning.
As for discovering ‘Tuco Tours’, I couldn’t have done better than find an enthusiast who is genuine, and keen to share his expertise and experiences with others…
And, as for acquiring other SW artifacts next year…I’ll just have to make sure I go with a near-empty suit-case; and a sturdy cardboard container to bring back 2 bottles of Manuel’s ‘Hostel Alba’ Rioja’!!

I’m twice the size of the rambla rambler and i climbed up in 2005 (don’t blame me for weakening the structure ::)) but upon seeing it this year i wouldn’t have done.

now I know why all the locations are in such disrepair… yodlaf!

I brought myself back one bottle (for display purposes only, not to be drunk), and smuggled the good reverends surplus supply of extra bottles back home :smiley:

Good thing one of them was a Reverend who is familiar with Hell (and no doubted headed back!)

Actually, Yodlaf, that’s just about what I did last year. I brought 2 bottles back home, drank one, and the other is still sitting on the shelf unopened. I’m not going to open it, at least until I’ve got another one to replace it with!