We marvelled at Madrid's monumental Plaza Mayor, a square dating from the early 17th century. Small shops and cafes line the arcades. We walked to the Puerta del Sol, site of a former gate, from which all distances in Spain are measured; and past the parliament buildings. We returned past the house where the writer Cervantes (1547-1616) lived and died: he died on the same day as Shakespeare.
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| Plaza de Espana, Seville (photo: Helen Matthews) |
On a sightseeing tour, we passed El Prado, with the world's best collection of Classical paintings, including Spanish, Flemish and Italian artists. Then the Parque de Retiro and Columbus Square; the Columbus Statue was erected in 1685. We stopped at the bullring, built in 1020, which has 27,000 seats. In ancient times, bulls were allowed to run in city squares. Adjacent is the statue of Dr Alexander Fleming, erected in gratitude for his discovery of penicillin, which saved the lives of many injured bullfighters. Another stop was in a square which has a lovely statue of Cervantes overlooking Don Quixote and his good and faithful servant, Sancho Panza.
We visited Toledo on a day trip from Madrid. This city was founded around 4000 BC on a naturally fortified site, overlooking the River Tajo (Tagus), which flows to the Atlantic Ocean at Lisbon. In AD 711 Arabs (Moors) conquered Spain; they were the most scholarly people of the time and had huge libraries. Around AD 900 craftsmen from Damascus came to Toledo to introduce their damasquino metalwork. Their tradition of making knives and swords is still maintained here. Toledo has changed very little since medieval times; the streets are often narrow and steep.
We visited the splendid cathedral, which has 750 stained-glass windows - half are original. The cathedral treasury contains many crosses made with precious jewels and other religious relics, as well as a 13th century Bible of St Louis (Louis IX of France). The cathedral was founded on the site of the first temple here (5th century) in 1227, but is mostly 14/15th century, finished in 1496. The cathedral is beautifully decorated, especially the choir, with its high reliefs in stone and wood. The magnificent brightly coloured late 15th century retable depicts 24 steps in Jesus's life.
The Sacristy contains numerous works by El Greco, Van Dyck and other artists. El Greco came to Toledo in 1575 after a request in Venice for foreign painters to come to Toledo to paint works for the monastery. We visited a small gallery, part of a church showing El Greco' s chief masterpiece, the burial of El Conde de Orgaz (Burial of the Count of Orgaz).
From Madrid, we headed northwards, stopping in Segovia, once an important Roman city, before continuing to Burgos. We saw the tomb of El Cid in Burgos Cathedral, which was founded in 1221.
El Cid was born Rodrigo Diaz in the nearby village of Viler. He fought first on the side of the Spanish before changing sides and fighting with the Moors, who named him Sidi, meaning Lord. Later he changed sides again, helping Spain to reconquer Valencia, where he died. His body was finally brought here in 1942.
Nearer to Bilbao, where the rainfall is greater, the fields and trees are greener. Coniferous forests cover the mountainsides, reminiscent of the Tirol. We entered the Basque region to spend the night in Bilbao. It is now famous for its Guggenheim Museum, built in 1997 at a cost of $100 million, looks like a ship and was made of titanium. Outside the front entrance of the Guggenheim is a 'puppy' around 10 metres high, covered in a wide variety of flowers.
We spent a night in Pamplona, famous for an annual festival in July, when bulls are chased through the medieval city streets. Ernest Hemingway wrote about this festival, the Encierro, in his novel The Sun Also Rises. We explored the city, visiting the cathedral, which is mainly plain brick but has several highly decorated chapels and a fine altar. It also contains the tomb of Charles III who founded the cathedral in 1416.
Our next stop was Zaragoza, founded in 14 BC, Spain's 5th largest city and the capital of Aragon. The artist Goya was born here. The huge Basilica de Nuestra Senora del Pilar was built on the spot where the Virgin Mary appeared to St James (the patron saint of Spain) and ordered him to build a church. The present basilica, dating from 1677, has some very rich decoration and a small museum contains jewelled clerical garments, chalices etc, and paintings by Goya. Some Roman fortifications are visible.
Entering Barcelona, we passed the two great towers of the Placa Espana, marking the entrance to the site of the 1929 World Exposition. We continue to Montjuic, named after a medieval Jewish cemetery on the hill; many Jews came to Spain after the Romans destroyed the Temple in Jerusalem, 70 AD. Below it is the Poble Espanyol, a 'medieval' town of Spanish buildings created for the Expo 1929.
We drove through the botanical gardens, with tropical plants and cacti from Spain, Central and South America. We descended to the port, which is overlooked by a statue, erected in 1880, of Christopher Columbus, who sailed from here to America in 1492.
Picasso studied at Barcelona's Academy of Fine Arts, now the Stock Exchange. Nearby are several large sections of the medieval fortifications. We walked to the cathedral, completed in 1913, although the foundations contain Roman and other ancient stones; there were many beggars on the cathedral steps. The cathedral contains beautifully decorated chapels: I wonder if modem cathedrals will last as long as those built centuries ago? Two years ago, one of the King's daughters was married in this cathedral. She works in a nearby bank, which we pass.
The 1920s bullring is decorated with blue and white tiles, typical of Spain. The bullfight season had finished and there was a circus in the building. We then made a short stop at the Temple de la Sagrada Familia, begun in 1884 by local architect Antonio Gaudi. He died in 1926 (run over by a tram) without leaving any plans for the unfinished church and work stopped until it was decided to recommence in 1940. It is expected to be finished around 2050. Parts of the church were damaged in the Civil War in 1936.
The tomb of Gaudi is in the crypt. The church can be visited by tourists, as can the Gaudi museum in one section of it, but we did not have time. Mila House (1906), another of Gaudi's works, looks like a cliff of the Costa Brava with 60 balconies. His buildings are totally surreal; it's hard to believe his audacity!
We also visited Montserrat ("serrated mountain") and its Benedictine monastery, founded in the 9th century. A Black Madonna was found there in the 12th century, as a result of which it became an important place of pilgrimage. It was rebuilt after being damaged by Napoleon's troops in 1812. It has a remarkable position on a sheer cliff, 100 metres above the valley floor and there are tremendous panoramic views.
When I came here in 1974, the Catalan language was banned under Franco. Now it is the first language. Montserrat attracts an enormous number of tourists and is seriously over-commercialised. Cable cars and walks are provided for the more adventurous to explore the mountains. We took the motorway towards Valencia.
Some rice is grown in this part of Spain. In fact, Valencia is where Spain's national dish, paella, originated. Valencia is Spain's third largest city and is surrounded by orange groves and ceramics factories. The city was captured from the Moors by El Cid in 1094; he died here in 1099.
We arrived late in the afternoon at our hotel and took a bus to the centre where, drinking a beer near the cathedral, there was a sudden series of fireworks and a great explosion, announcing a wedding inside. After the wedding party left, another arrived for the ceremony in one of the chapels. The whole city was awakened by a fireworks display at 12.45 am, evidently part of the wedding celebrations!
We crossed La Mancha, by-passing the city of Albacete (from Arabic Al Basite, the Plain), surrounded by agricultural plains and famous for the manufacture of knives and scissors. The drive along county roads through small towns, all very quiet, amongst vast panoramas of olive trees, was very pleasant. The picking season starts at the end of November. On the approach to Cordoba, the olive groves alternated with cotton fields. Immigrant workers, often from Morocco, come here at harvest times, and there are numerous signs in Arabic.
Cordoba, with a population of 320,000, was an important city under the Romans and Moors; it was founded in 152BC and used to contain over 1,000 mosques. Cordoba's medieval Arabic walls, built on Roman foundations, are complete and form the back walls of many later houses and shops. Some columns have been re-erected on the original foundations of the Roman temple, 14-15 AD. A partly Roman bridge still carries traffic over the River Guadalquivir. The land was recaptured from the Arabs in 1236 and the Mezquita (mosque) was converted into a cathedral. TIle minaret was incorporated into the 16th century cathedral tower; some of the Arabic arches were opened out in the 15th century so that Gothic arches now support the cathedral.
The mosque, formerly the second largest after that at Mecca, was built for 25,000 people. It was the only mosque not correctly aligned to face Mecca. There are hundreds of red and white striped arches and granite and marble columns brought from Arab lands. The cathedral, built 1523-1628, seats only 300 people. The choirstalls and organs were added in 1750.
We walked through some of the ancient lanes and courtyards, with their pretty trees, in the Arab and Jewish quarters. Ferdinand and Isabella prepared for the conquest of Granada in Cordoba. In 1492 they promised Columbus help to get to India, the land of spices, by sailing westwards, as all the lands eastwards were in the hands of the Arabs.
Next stop was Seville. One evening, after dinner, we attended a colourful flamenco show, near the bull ring, in El Patio Sevillano; on the way we passed the former cigarette factory where Bizet's character Cannen worked. The lOO-minute performance comprised dancing to taped and live music. Immense concentration is required for the stamping of feet and heels and the clicking of castanets. The tunes included Granada and Carmen. The costumes are sumptuous; the smart caballeros and the senoritas in their colourful frilly dresses. Flamenco has gypsy and Arab roots and is a medium for the dancers to express their emotions. It is a serious art; will the same be said about rock and roll and break dancing in 50 years? The city is the host for an annual flamenco festival, which attracts around ten million visitors.
We stopped at the beautiful Plaza de Espana, built 1917-1929 for the 1929 World Exposition. Lovely pictures on the walls represent historical events and the various Spanish provinces in alphabetical older. The building now contains Government offices.
Near to the Alcazar (fortress) is the Archive of the Spanish exploration and discovery of South America, containing some 82 million documents. The present Alcazar is the fifth on the site since the first building, a 1st century BC Roman fortress. This building, 1350-1309, was built by Moslems for the Christian rule, and unique in that respect. It is the winter residel1ce of Spain's royal family when in We walked through medieval lanes to the Plaza de Santa Cruz where painter Bartolome Esteban Murillo (1617-62) was buried, marked by a 17th century cross on the site of a church which no longer exists. As we were about to leave the square, another group arrived, accompanied by a minstrel! We passed the house where Murillo lived, now open to the public.
The cathedral was originally built (1184-1198) as a mosque. Two thirds of the minaret and a courtyard of the original remain. The minaret was incorporated into the tower, 98 metres high, known as La Giralda after the weather vane weighing one-and-a-half tons on top. This building was mainly erected in 1434-1517. Two massive pillars are being dismantled as cracks have been found in them; temporary scaffolding is being noisily erected and it is hoped the work will be complete in six months. The monumental tomb of Christopher Columbus stands at one side of the cathedral although three other places claim to have his body. His descendants have now agreed to DNA tests to prove once and for all where he is buried. Opposite his tomb is a grand altar used in the annual procession through the city.
Jerez de la Frontera is famous for the breeding of horses and the production of sherry. The soil here is chalky, ideal for the grapes required. These grapes were introduced into this area by the Phoenicians in the 11th century BC. We visited the Gonzalez Byass Aodega (wine cellars), where Tio Pepe sherry and other brands are produced. The bodega is close to the town's Moorish fortress. The bodega was established in 1835.
We were welcomed in a conch-shaped hall, with barrels bearing the name of every nation to which Tio Pepe sherry is exported. The cellars contain many barrels (amply) dedicated to or autographed by celebrities, including heads of state from many countries, sportsmen etc. There is a small museum, with old bottles and barrels etc.
We drove along the Ruta del Toro, named after the many ranches where fighting bulls are raised. In some parts of Spain, the barbaric so-called sport of bullfighting is gaining fierce opposition, like fox-hunting in Britain. Perhaps soon, both "sports" will be extinct. The land approaching Gibraltar is covered with much woodland and is sparsely populated. We entered Gibraltar through the border town of La Linea.
The entrance to Gibraltar is across the airport runway, controlled by traffic lights. We opted for a 90 minute taxi tour, costing £10 each. British money is interchangeable with Gibraltarian money; Spanish money is equally accepted. The main industries are tourism and philately. The coach park is on reclaimed land. The local taxi-bus took us past the British-built sea defence walls, then past the scene in the 1980s when three IRA members were killed by members of the UK's Special Branch.
There is a vast system of tunnels inside the limestone rock, which was used in World War Two when they housed hospitals, generators and so on. During the war, the entire population could retire into the tunnels. We passed the entrance to a tunnel where, in 1942 Montgomery organized the offensive in North Africa; it is now NATO property. We stopped at Europa Point, near Europe's most southerly mosque, built by the King of Saudi Arabia for the small Arab community of Gibraltar. At this point is the Last Shop in Europe, originally built in 1844 as a magazine to store ammunition; it became a shop in 1965.
We drove up to the Upper Rock area, a protected part. We visited St Michael's Cave, known since Roman times. It was converted into a hospital in World War Two (but never used) and is a cave system; one cave is as large as a cathedral. We also encountered some of the 300 apes, which are wild and dangerous. They will eat anything that remotely looks like food, and they constantly climb on (and if possible into) vehicles. Crossing from Spain into Gibraltar is a simple business, but crossing back into Spain we all had to leave the coach and carry our hand luggage across the border. We headed inland to Granada.
Granada has around 250,000 inhabitants, augmented by some 2.4 million visitors to the Alhambra each year. Although Granada is one of Europe's hottest cities, it has plenty of water as there is snow in the Sierra Nevada for most of the year. The Alhambra (meaning Red Castle) was built by the Moors in the 14th century on the site of a 3000-year-old Iberian settlement, later a Roman town.
The walls of the Alhambra are covered with Arabic patterns and inscriptions from the Koran. The ceiling of the Ambassador's Salon is said to consist of 8,017 pieces of wood, the same number as the verses in the Koran. The Arabs were so technically advanced that they did not use screws, nails or adhesive. The proportions are symmetrical and perfect.
After the Moors were ejected from Spain, Emperor Charles V built a palace in the grounds of the Alhambra in 1526. He ruled an Empire larger than the Roman Empire. Part of the city of the Alhambra was mined by Napoleon's army. Washington Irving wrote his Tales of the Alhambra in Charles V's palace in 1829.
After visiting the Alhambra we walked round the Generalife Gardens, originally built as a private park for the Sultan, although its present Italianate gardens date from after 1492.
After lunch, we walked along The River Barro, past ancient Moorish fortifications and into medieval quarters of narrow steep streets, from where there are grand views of the Alhambra.
The Capilla Real (Royal Chapel), built 1506-1521, contains the tombs of King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella, who wished to be buried on the site of their victory over the Arabs; their coffins are in the crypt beneath their tombs. The adjacent museum contains Isabella's crown and mace, her personal art collection and other treasures. The altarpiece is very colourful and beautiful.
Finally, we visited the Cathedral, which contains an exhibition of religious art and artefacts and a second exhibition concerning Charles V and the city of Granada, with pictures, documents and other objects. There is atmospheric mediaeval background music to take the visitor back in time. Some of the cathedral's beautiful chapels are obscured, but there is a fine organ.
First published in VISA issue 40 (spring 2001)
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