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Inspired by a line from Clint Eastwood‘s iconic character in The Good, the Bad and the Ugly, volunteers in northern Spain have taken to preserving and restoring one of the most famous movie sets in film history. In the 1966 spaghetti Western, Eastwood’s Man with No Name famously tells a rival, “There are two kinds of people in the world: those with loaded guns, and those who dig. You dig.” Now, movie fans are embracing that spirit as they dig into the restoration of Sad Hill Cemetery, the site of the film’s legendary three-way showdown.
Located near the town of Santo Domingo de Silos in Burgos province, about 200 kilometers north of Madrid, the area’s rolling hills and shrubland were transformed into the American Southwest for the film’s climactic scenes. The third and final installment of Sergio Leone‘s “Dollar Trilogy,” The Good, the Bad and the Ugly launched Clint Eastwood into global stardom and remains a fixture in many “best film” lists.
In 2015, a local cultural association spearheaded efforts to restore the fictional Sad Hill Cemetery, which had decayed over time. A sponsorship drive funded the restoration, and the cemetery now features more than 5,000 prop graves, meticulously arranged to resemble the original movie set. The site is becoming a pilgrimage destination for fans of the film, with regional film commission representatives noting that the restored cemetery could soon draw even larger crowds.
The restoration project extends beyond the cemetery. Betterville, the prison camp where Clint Eastwood and Eli Wallach‘s characters are held by Union soldiers, was also rebuilt. This portion of the project faced a unique challenge after a 2022 fire destroyed part of the surrounding natural park. Using burnt juniper trunks, construction crews rebuilt the camp, securing €50,000 in funding from the park.
In September, reenactors dressed in period uniforms celebrated the project’s completion. Sergio Garcia, a founding member of the Sad Hill Cultural Association, unveiled a plaque commemorating the hundreds of local extras who participated in the film’s original production.
The restoration of Sad Hill Cemetery and the Betterville camp is a tribute to both cinema history and the dedication of the volunteers who have brought these iconic movie sets back to life. As more fans flock to the site, it promises to become a lasting testament to the enduring legacy of The Good, the Bad and the Ugly.
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