Within Ummo Photographs
What Happened at San Jose de Valderas?
The San Jose de Valderas sighting brought together reported observations, photographs, and witness claims that shaped the Ummo controversy.
On this page
- The 1967 sighting reports
- Photographers and witnesses
- How the story spread
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Introduction
The San José de Valderas sighting of 1 June 1967 became the defining photographic episode of the Ummo controversy. Reports from the Madrid suburb of San José de Valderas described a strange disc-shaped object in the sky, followed by the appearance of photographs that were presented as evidence of an “Ummo” spacecraft. The event mattered because it connected an alleged physical sighting with an already developing network of Ummo claims, giving supporters what appeared to be a real-world confirmation of the earlier story.[Wikipedia]WikipediaOpen source on wikipedia.org.
The historical difficulty is that the witness record is far less straightforward than later retellings often suggest. Some people reported seeing unusual objects around Madrid that day, and several names became attached to the photographs, but the chain linking independent observers, photographers, and the images themselves has remained disputed. Later investigations focused not only on the photographs but also on who actually witnessed, recorded, and promoted the event.[Ufologie]ufologie.patrickgross.orgUFOS at close sight: the claim that Guardia Civil authenticated alleged Ummo spaceship pictures…
The 1967 sighting reports
From the reported observation to the famous photographs
The reported event took place on 1 June 1967 in the San José de Valderas area, then a developing district near Madrid. Accounts circulated by UFO investigators described a lenticular or disc-like object seen over the area, with photographs later attributed to the sighting. Contemporary summaries of the case place the first newspaper attention in the days immediately after the event, when Spanish publications reported the photographs and alleged observation.[Ignacio Darnaude Rojas-Marcos.]ignaciodarnaude.escronologia de ummo segunIgnacio Darnaude Rojas-Marcos.Cronología de Ummo según David Lozano Márquez (Abril 1995) - Ignacio Darnaude Rojas-Marcos…
The timing gave the event unusual influence within the Ummo story. By June 1967, the Ummo contact narrative had already generated interest through alleged letters and communications claiming to come from extraterrestrial visitors. The San José de Valderas photographs appeared to provide a visible object that supporters could associate with those claims. A reported sighting followed by physical images created a stronger impression than the earlier documentary claims alone.[Wikipedia]WikipediaOpen source on wikipedia.org.
However, the same connection later became a reason for scepticism. Critics argued that the photographs emerged inside an existing belief network rather than as an isolated discovery. The question was not simply whether people saw something unusual, but whether the witnesses and photographs provided independent confirmation of an extraordinary event.[Ufologie]ufologie.patrickgross.orgUFOS at close sight: the claim that Guardia Civil authenticated alleged Ummo spaceship pictures…
Photographers and witnesses
Antonio Pardo and the uncertain photographic chain
One of the central names associated with the photographs is Antonio Pardo. A letter attributed to Pardo and later reproduced in Ummo-related literature described his account of taking photographs during the 1 June 1967 event. In that account, he presented himself as an observer who had photographed the object and provided details about what he believed he had seen.[UMMO Sciences]ummo-sciences.orgUMMO SciencesE19August 26, 1967…
The problem for later investigators was the limited independent documentation surrounding this role. Sceptical researchers noted that Pardo’s identity and involvement were difficult to verify beyond the material connected with the case itself. The dispute became particularly important because the photographs were the strongest physical element of the incident, yet the photographic provenance depended heavily on personal testimony.[Ufologie]ufologie.patrickgross.orgLes OVNIS vus de près: la prétendue authentification de photos d'une soucoupe Ummite par la Guardia Civil…
This does not mean that every reported observer was necessarily insincere. Rather, the evidential weakness came from the difficulty of reconstructing the event: who saw the object directly, who took the photographs, who handled the negatives, and how the images entered UFO publications. Those gaps became central to later assessments of the case.[Ufologie]ufologie.patrickgross.orgUFOS at close sight: the claim that Guardia Civil authenticated alleged Ummo spaceship pictures…
José Luis Jordán Peña and the later controversy
A second major figure in the history of the sighting is José Luis Jordán Peña, an engineer and prominent participant in Spanish UFO circles who later claimed responsibility for creating the wider Ummo deception. In 1993, Peña stated that he had been behind the Ummo fraud, a claim that became one of the most important developments in later interpretations of the San José de Valderas photographs.[UMMO Sciences]ummo-sciences.orgUMMO SciencesE50April 11, 1993…
Accounts of the case have linked Peña to the production of the photographs, often describing a model-based explanation involving a small object suspended for photography. Some investigators accepted this as the solution to the mystery, while others disputed the extent of Peña’s role and the reliability of his confession.[Ignacio Darnaude Rojas-Marcos.]ignaciodarnaude.esanalisis tecnico de las fotografias de san jose de valderas 1 junio 1967Ignacio Darnaude Rojas-Marcos.ANÁLISIS TÉCNICO DE LAS FOTOGRAFÍAS DE SAN JOSÉ DE VALDERAS UMMO (1 JUNIO 1967) - Ignacio Darnaude Rojas-M…
The controversy illustrates a recurring problem in historical UFO cases: later admissions can clarify events, but they can also introduce new questions. Peña’s statements became important evidence against the authenticity of the photographs, yet debates continued over whether he acted alone, whether all parts of the Ummo affair could be attributed to him, and how much weight should be given to a retrospective confession.[Ummo Wiki]ummowiki.frUmmo Wiki José Luis Jordán Peña — UMMO WIKIUmmo Wiki José Luis Jordán Peña — UMMO WIKI
The wider group of alleged witnesses
Later accounts sometimes referred to numerous witnesses in Madrid who supposedly observed the object. However, investigators attempting to verify these claims found that many references were vague or difficult to trace to named individuals with documented statements. Critics argued that the number of reported witnesses had sometimes been exaggerated through repetition in UFO literature rather than through a clear archive of independent testimony.[Ufologie]ufologie.patrickgross.orgLes OVNIS vus de près: la prétendue authentification de photos d'une soucoupe Ummite par la Guardia Civil…
Other researchers collected additional witness accounts, including people who reported seeing unusual objects around the Madrid area on the same date. These reports contributed to the atmosphere surrounding the case, but they did not by themselves establish that the photographed object was an extraterrestrial craft or even the same object described by every witness.[Ignacio Darnaude Rojas-Marcos.]ignaciodarnaude.esIgnacio Darnaude Rojas-Marcos.Otros casos ummitas por J.J. BenitezIgnacio Darnaude Rojas-Marcos…
How the story spread
The San José de Valderas episode gained influence because several narratives converged at once: a reported sighting, photographs, existing Ummo beliefs, and media interest. Newspaper coverage in early June 1967 helped move the event beyond a local observation and into the wider Spanish UFO community.[Ignacio Darnaude Rojas-Marcos.]ignaciodarnaude.escronologia de ummo segunIgnacio Darnaude Rojas-Marcos.Cronología de Ummo según David Lozano Márquez (Abril 1995) - Ignacio Darnaude Rojas-Marcos…
The photographs were especially powerful because they appeared to transform a story about alleged communications into something visual and apparently testable. UFO researchers examined the images, debated the negatives, and attempted technical analyses. The controversy eventually moved from “what did witnesses see?” to “what exactly produced the image on film?”[Ignacio Darnaude Rojas-Marcos.]ignaciodarnaude.esanalisis tecnico de las fotografias de san jose de valderas 1 junio 1967Ignacio Darnaude Rojas-Marcos.ANÁLISIS TÉCNICO DE LAS FOTOGRAFÍAS DE SAN JOSÉ DE VALDERAS UMMO (1 JUNIO 1967) - Ignacio Darnaude Rojas-M…
Later technical reviews produced competing interpretations. Some analyses argued that the images were consistent with a staged object or model, while other investigators focused on the fact that examined negatives did not show obvious conventional photographic manipulation. Even a finding that a negative had not been altered, however, could not by itself prove that the photographed object was a real advanced craft; it only addressed part of the authenticity question.[Ignacio Darnaude Rojas-Marcos.]ignaciodarnaude.esanalisis tecnico de las fotografias de san jose de valderas 1 junio 1967Ignacio Darnaude Rojas-Marcos.ANÁLISIS TÉCNICO DE LAS FOTOGRAFÍAS DE SAN JOSÉ DE VALDERAS UMMO (1 JUNIO 1967) - Ignacio Darnaude Rojas-M…
The enduring importance of the San José de Valderas sighting is therefore not the strength of its witness record alone, but the way witnesses, photographs, and an existing belief system interacted. The case shows how a dramatic event can become historically significant even when the links between observation, documentation, and interpretation remain contested.[Wikipedia]WikipediaOpen source on wikipedia.org.
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Endnotes
1.
Source: Wikipedia
Link:https://es.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ummo
2.
Source: ummo-sciences.org
Link:https://www.ummo-sciences.org/fr/data-E/E19.htm
Source snippet
UMMO SciencesE19August 26, 1967...
Published: August 26, 1967
3.
Source: ummo-sciences.org
Link:https://www.ummo-sciences.org/fr/data-E/E50.htm
Source snippet
UMMO SciencesE50April 11, 1993...
Published: April 11, 1993
4.
Source: ummo-sciences.org
Link:https://www.ummo-sciences.org/activ/art/art11-4.htm
5.
Source: ummo-sciences.org
Title: article 11-1: les evenements d’Aluche et de san Jose de valderas (1/4)
Link:https://www.ummo-sciences.org/activ/art/art11-1.htm
6.
Source: ummo-sciences.org
Link:https://www.ummo-sciences.org/activ/art/art4-p2.htm
7.
Source: ummo-sciences.org
Title: Analyse 22
Link:https://www.ummo-sciences.org/activ/analyses/ana22.htm
8.
Source: ummo-sciences.org
Link:https://www.ummo-sciences.org/activ/art/art11-3.htm
9.
Source: ignaciodarnaude.es
Title: cronologia de ummo segun
Link:https://ignaciodarnaude.es/ficha/cronologia-de-ummo-segun/
Source snippet
Ignacio Darnaude Rojas-Marcos.Cronología de Ummo según David Lozano Márquez (Abril 1995) - Ignacio Darnaude Rojas-Marcos...
10.
Source: ufologie.patrickgross.org
Link:https://ufologie.patrickgross.org/ummo/guardiacivil01.htm
Source snippet
UFOS at close sight: the claim that Guardia Civil authenticated alleged Ummo spaceship pictures...
11.
Source: ufologie.patrickgross.org
Link:https://ufologie.patrickgross.org/ummo/guardiacivil01f.htm
Source snippet
Les OVNIS vus de près: la prétendue authentification de photos d'une soucoupe Ummite par la Guardia Civil...
12.
Source: ignaciodarnaude.es
Title: analisis tecnico de las fotografias de san jose de valderas 1 junio 1967
Link:https://ignaciodarnaude.es/ficha/analisis-tecnico-de-las-fotografias-de-san-jose-de-valderas-1-junio-1967/
Source snippet
Ignacio Darnaude Rojas-Marcos.ANÁLISIS TÉCNICO DE LAS FOTOGRAFÍAS DE SAN JOSÉ DE VALDERAS UMMO (1 JUNIO 1967) - Ignacio Darnaude Rojas-M...
13.
Source: ummowiki.fr
Title: Ummo Wiki José Luis Jordán Peña — UMMO WIKI
Link:https://www.ummowiki.fr/index.php/Jos%C3%A9_Luis_Jord%C3%A1n_Pe%C3%B1a
14.
Source: ignaciodarnaude.es
Title: Ignacio Darnaude Rojas-Marcos.Otros casos ummitas por J.J. Benitez
Link:https://ignaciodarnaude.es/ficha/otros-casos-ummitas-por-j-j-benitez/
Source snippet
Ignacio Darnaude Rojas-Marcos...
15.
Source: ummowiki.fr
Title: San Jose de Valderas et Santa Monica
Link:https://ummowiki.fr/index.php/San_Jose_de_Valderas_et_Santa_Monica_-_1967
16.
Source: ignaciodarnaude.es
Title: el hombre que susurraba a los ummitas
Link:https://ignaciodarnaude.es/ficha/el-hombre-que-susurraba-a-los-ummitas/
17.
Source: ignaciodarnaude.es
Title: Hoax of conspiracy UMMO by Bowen
Link:https://ignaciodarnaude.es/ficha/hoax-of-conspiracy-ummo-by-bowen/
18.
Source: ignaciodarnaude.es
Title: The Ummo fraud (Godelieve Van Overmeire)
Link:https://ignaciodarnaude.es/ficha/the-ummo-fraud-godelieve-van-overmeire/
19.
Source: ignaciodarnaude.es
Link:https://ignaciodarnaude.es/ficha/retour-sur-laffaire-ummo-par-gildes-bourdais-frances/
20.
Source: ignaciodarnaude.es
Title: La trama UMMO
Link:https://ignaciodarnaude.es/ficha/la-trama-ummo/
21.
Source: ufology.patrickgross.org
Link:https://ufology.patrickgross.org/ummo/guardiacivil01.htm
Additional References
22.
Source: clave45.com
Title: ummo el arbol del mayor fraude ovni de la historia 19502026
Link:https://www.clave45.com/articulos/ummo-el-arbol-del-mayor-fraude-ovni-de-la-historia-19502026
Source snippet
La Ballena Alegre y la buena fe de Fernando Sesma fueron el terreno donde plantó la semilla, no la prueba de ninguna...
23.
Source: elojocritico.info
Link:https://elojocritico.info/ultimas-conversaciones-con-jordan-pena-las-preguntas-que-respondio-y-las-que-se-nego-a-responder/
24.
Source: xataka.com
Link:https://www.xataka.com/magnet/ummo-pedazo-historia-franquista-que-mezclo-ovnis-sectas-disecciones-e-incluso-a-villarejo
25.
Source: ummo-ciencias.org
Link:https://www.ummo-ciencias.org/otrostextos/AUDIOS%20SJV/Grabaciones%20SJV.html
26.
Source: telemadrid.es
Title: El día que Madrid creyó ver un ovni: el caso de Aluche y San José de Valderas
Link:https://www.telemadrid.es/programas/cuarto-de-maravillas/El-dia-que-Madrid-creyo-ver-un-ovni-el-caso-de-Aluche-y-San-Jose-de-Valderas-2-2868033230–20260306101300.amp.html
27.
Source: album-online.com
Title: ufo photographed by antonio pardo san jose valderas spain june alb11782637
Link:https://www.album-online.com/detail/en/ZjQ0MTRhMA/ufo-photographed-by-antonio-pardo-san-jose-valderas-spain-june-alb11782637
28.
Source: album-online.com
Title: ufo photographed by antonio pardo san jose valderas spain june alb11782637
Link:https://www.album-online.com/detail/es/ZjQ0MTRhMA/ufo-photographed-by-antonio-pardo-san-jose-valderas-spain-june-alb11782637
29.
Source: youtube.com
Title: Aliens Who Contacted Earth for 50 Years
Link:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BH2ZMAGOcnM
30.
Source: youtube.com
Title: CUBED UFO PUZZLES PILOT
Link:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jtZGKYO7iyI
31.
Source: youtube.com
Title: Carles Tamayo ens porta a Ummo, un planeta que és un misteri des de fa dècades
Link:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jBvEVIH7xtA