From vast mausoleum to low-key grave

MADRID: The remains of Spanish dictator Francisco Franco have been moved from a vast mausoleum to a low-key grave, 44 years after his elaborate funeral, international media reported.

Thursday's long-awaited relocation fulfils a key pledge of the socialist government, which said Spain should not continue to glorify a fascist who ruled the country for nearly four decades. His family unsuccessfully challenged the reburial in the courts. The Franco era continues to haunt Spain, now a vibrant democracy. After the remains were exhumed in a private ceremony, family members carried the coffin out of the basilica of the Valley of the Fallen, a national monument.