The seafront sculpture of Saza in Los Alcazares

A memorial to screen star José Sazatornil on the Paseo Carrión in Los Alcázares

The charming sculpture of “Saza” on the seafront promenade of Paseo Carrión in Los Alcázares monument is a tribute to the Spanish cinema and theatre actor José Sazatornil, who died in 2015 at the age of 59 and was a star of the silver screen in the second half of the 20^th century.

He was born in Barcelona (and in later life made films in Catalan) and made his debut in the city’s Teatro Victoria in 1946 before moving into cinema acting in 1953. During his career he appeared in no fewer than 110 films, among which the best-known are probably La Escopeta Nacional, La Colmena, El Año De Las Luces; Espérame En El Cielo, El Verdugo and Amanece, Que No es Poco.

His connection with the Region of Murcia stemmed from his marriage to murciana actress Carmen Serrano Hermoso, and for more than 50 years he spent his summers in Los Alcázares with his family. For half a century it was common to see him smiling as he rode his bicycle along the seafront, greeting friends, attending concerts in the Patio de La Encarnación and always exuding a sense of friendliness and kindness which led to him being officially named an “Adopted Son of Los Alcázares” in 2013.

A year after his death, in 2016, this sculpture by Armando López Guillén, allowing locals and visitors to continue greeting one of their favourite stars of screen and stage for many more years in one of his most beloved settings!