Culture, Hotels and Food
Posted on 8 Jun 2010
Last modified on 8 Jun 2010
Culture
Spain is a country with a varied and exciting culture. Spanish culture covers all forms of expressive art, from literature to painting and from music to architecture. From ancient times (with some important samples of cave paintings, like those in Altamira) to present times, culture in Spain has occupied a relevant position. Differences between regions are evident, with representations as different as Andalusian flamenco, Galician bagpipers or Castellers from Catalonia, but they all enrich the cultural heritage.
Every visitor can experience different facets from Spanish culture: communicating with the inhabitants of a small town in Castile, losing stress by experimenting with a relaxed way of life in Andalusian towns in the south, or living in big cosmopolitan cities like Madrid or Barcelona.
Next to the well-known “sun and beach” tourism, cultural tourism is becoming a consolidated alternative, given the abundance of Spanish museums, monuments, traditions and cultural manifestations. Spain is one of the richest countries in the world concerning monumental heritage, with the biggest number of UNESCO World Heritage declarations. An approximate inventory has shown that the number of important preserved monuments in the country has increased to over 20,000.
Any mention about Spanish culture must emphasize the importance of religion in the history of the country. A good example of the Catholic influences is provided by the abundant mystical elements in Spanish art and literature. However, nowadays, after the reestablishment of democracy in Spain, the Catholic Church has lost its influence, but any visitor will be able to verify the cultural impact that this religion has had.
Spanish culture is being vouched for by an important publishing industry that edits tens of thousands of books annually, and Spanish cinema is becoming a reference in the world, with world-famous directors like Pedro Almodovar, and outstanding film festivals, like the ones in San Sebastian and Valladolid. The music industry earns hundreds of millions of euros annually, and stage theatre stays much alive thanks to important festivals like those of Merida and Almagro. On the other hand, Spanish universities also play a very important role in the cultural diffusion with their summer courses, like the ones in El Escorial, Santander, Salamanca or the International University Menendez Pelayo.
Celebrations and fiestas are highlights of folklore in the Spanish way of life. There exists an evident mixture between Christian and secular traditions. Religious acts, like processions of saints and venerated icons, are a fundamental element of celebrations in thousands of Spanish towns. Secular celebrations are accompanied by folkloric music, dances and songs to liven up the fiestas. Bullfighting is an important part of the Spanish festive tradition, although it is a subject of continuous controversy. The April Fair in Seville, the ‘Fallas’ of Valencia, or the running of the bulls of San Fermin in Pamplona, are some of the festivities most recognized internationally.
Art
Art in Spain has a long tradition of external influences and internal mixtures that have contributed to the consolidation of a unique, rich legacy. The first artistic manifestations from the Iberian Peninsula that have been conserved up until today, go back to the Palaeolithic age. Some examples of these, are the outstanding cave paintings of Altamira and those of the Mediterranean Levantine region. There are also still some important vestiges of the old culture of the Iberians, like the sculpture of Lady of Elche.
In addition to an infinity of sculptures and mosaics, the Roman Empire left behind an artistic legacy of great value, like the theaters of Sagunto and Merida, the walls of Lugo, the aqueduct of Segovia, the ruins of Itálica, Tarragona, and Ampurias in Catalonia. The Middle Ages left behind important Visigothic artistic manifestations, like some outstanding samples of metal work and architecture, like the church of San Pedro de la Nave, or the basilica of San Juan de Baños. Asturian Roman Art was influenced by Visigothic and Carolingian traditions, with beautiful examples like the church of Santa Maria in El Naranco, and church of San Miguel de Lillo (IXth century).
With the Muslim arrival to the peninsula, the artistic panorama changed. Iberian Muslim art covers a long period from the VIIIth to the XVth century, with highlights like the Alhambra of Granada, the mosque of Cordova, the Giralda of Seville or the Aljafería de Zaragoza. At the same time, in the north of Spain the Romanesque Art was being developed around the Way of Santiago, with monasteries like the one of San Martín de Frómista and cathedrals like those of Zamora or Santiago.
In the XIIIth century, the gothic style from northern Europe prevailed, with jewels like the cathedrals of Leon, Burgos and Toledo, and the church of Santa Maria del Mar in Barcelona. Paintings and sculptures also obtained a great quality during the gothic age, with outstanding names like the Serra brothers, Bartolome Bermejo, and Fernando Gallego. Mudejar Art was born from the mixture of Arab and Christian styles, of which some fine examples can be found in the Aragonese city of Teruel.
At the end of the XVth century, Renaissance art came over from Italy, acquiring a protagonist role, although the gothic style continued to evolve (the market of Valencia and the cathedral of Mallorca). Some highlights are the Palace of Carlos V (Granada) and the exuberant plateresque façade of the university of Salamanca. Among the Renaissance painters, Pedro Berruguete stands out. In sculpturing, Alonso Berruguete, Diego de Siloe or Juan de Juni introduced the manierism style in Spain, whose grandmaster was the painter El Greco.
With the arrival of the characteristic baroque style of the catholic Counterreformation, ornaments were accentuated (cathedral of Murcia) highlighting the churrigueresque style exemplified on the Main Square (Plaza Mayor) of Salamanca; in sculpture, religious images proliferated, honouring Juan de Mesa; and in painting a true Spanish Golden Century started, with artists like Ribera, Alonso Cano, Zurbarán, Murillo or Velazquez standing out.
In the XVIIIth century, with the establishment of the Borbonic dynasty in Spain, Neoclasicism was introduced (Palace of Aranjuez, Prado Museum) and the Academy of Fine Arts of San Fernando was created. From the period around 1800, the genial works of painter Francisco de Goya, precursor of the modern painting style, stand out.
Romanticism broke with neoclassical aesthetics. Highlights from this period are the National Library building and the paintings of Mariano Fortuny. In architecture, the XIXth century finished with the modernism style, of which an authentic explosion occurred in Barcelona, with figures like Antonio Gaudí, designer of, among others, the Sagrada Familia Temple and the Batlló House.
The XXth century has seen diverse styles: at the beginning of the century impressionist techniques had in Joaquin Sorolla its most outstanding painter. Later, the new Parisian artistic tendencies gave birth to several vanguard styles of which Pablo Picasso (cubism), Joan Miro and Salvador Dalí (surrealism) stand out.
In the Second Republic period, architecture was focused on rationalism and functionalism (Josep Lluis Sert). The international isolation of Spain after the Civil War produced a post-war period of monumentalistic architecture, that ended in the 50’s with more innovating architects like Oriol Bohigas or Ricardo Bofia (Santiago Calatrava and Rafael Moneo stand out in present times). During the sixties, pop-art emerged, guided by Equipo Cronica, a group of artists. The most important sculptors of the XXth century have been Pablo Gargallo, Eduardo Chillida and Jorge de Oteiza, and in painting, Antoni Tapies and Miquel Barceló stand out.
Accommodation
In Spain there are several types of establishments: