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MARCH 2014 TRIP TO VALENCIA

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A little wet but nothing could stop our SpainLifestyle adventure!

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ROMAN ARCHES AND FISH FARMING IN XÀBIA

Architecture students can explore Roman arches still standing at the remains of a once opulent Roman village fish farm that showcased its prestige at the Punta del Arenal in Xàbia.

* Report and photos Copyright by Karla Darocas (KarlaDarocas.com)

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Such was the level of luxury of this maritime enterprise that there were also public hot spring bathing pools, as there were findings of various ceramic tubes and other ceramic elements related to the heating systems of those structures.

The arched footbridges and other walkways are of outstanding construction with magnificent and unique views of the capes of San Martín and San Antonio as well as the mountain Montgó.

The Punta del Arenal in Xàbia is one of the largest remnants of a Roman fish farm in the Iberian peninsula, a site located at the northwest tip of the Bay of Xàbia and occupies a long stretch of tosca rock behind the Parador.

To the Romans, owning and cont…

THE STORY OF JAVEA

Explore and Learn About the History of JÁVEA by visiting its most exciting and unique monuments and museum with Spanish Fine Arts & Architecture Historian / Educator, Karla Darocas, Hons. B. A. (KarlaDarocas.com)

MEETING PLACE: Central Indoor Market * The Cafe shop La Paraeta at the Calle San Marco door. Beside Carniceria Mutt https://goo.gl/maps/CL6yXQMw2zM2
- Come early for your coffee.

ON SUMMER BREAK

TIMES: 10:30 - 13:00 finish times depends on bathroom breaks :)

FEE 10 euros: includes LECTURE & WALKING ROUTE / MAP, in case you get lost or separated from group

MAX. 5 students per group MAX

END OF WALK: Get a beverage and Q & A time...
NOTE: If you enjoy ancient artifacts then you can head back to the museum after the lecture.

PARKING in the Municipal Parking Lots...

REVIEWS: www.KarlaDarocas.com

ABOUT THE WALK

This is a "walking" lecture in the old town of Xàbia / Jávea exploring the eras from the 14th - 20th centuriesExamine both civic and sacred architecture i…

JUAN DE RIBERA * ARCHITECT OF EVICTION

Juan de Ribera (b1532-d1611) was the archbishop and viceroy of Valencia.

He used all of his civil and religious power to pressure Philip III towards the expulsion of the Moriscos, which was carried out in 1609.

Ribera despised the moriscos as heretics and traitors, a dislike he shared with much of Valencia's Christian populace.

With the Duke of Lerma / Marqués de Denia, Ribera helped convince King Philip III to expel the moriscos.

Ribera helped sell the plan by noting that all the property of the moriscos could be impounded to provide money for the treasury.

In 1609, the expulsion of the moriscos from Spain was decreed.

Ribera's original proposal was in fact more extreme: he favored enslaving the entire morisco population for work in galleys, mines and abroad. Ribera said that Philip III could do so "without any scruples of conscience," but this proposal was rejected.

If the moriscos were to be expelled, Ribera favored enslaving and Christianizing at least the child…

THE MOST BEAUTIFUL WATERY PARADISE IN GANDIA

The Alquería del Duc was a medieval fortified farmhouse built in the sixteenth century. It was bought in 1590 by Alfonso de Borja, the youngest son of the famous San Francisco de Borja, IV Duke of Gandia.

* Report by Karla Darocas. Hons. B.A. (Copyright 2019)

Alfonso transformed the straggly farmhouse into a romantic summer residence suitable for the Nobels and visiting Royals to frolic, fish and hunt. Unfortunately, due to his death in 1593, his renovations were not finished.

After his death, the property was held by his widow Elionor de Noroña from 1593 to 1596. When she decided to move her residence from Gandia to Madrid, the Royal Council of Madrid in 1596 granted the use of the property to the Society of Jesus; the religious order that her father-in-law served and made famous.

In 1600, when Leonor de Noroña died, her testamentary executors sold the farm to Francisco Carlos de Borja Centelles, IX Duke of Gandía, and his wife María Ponce de León 1700 pounds.

The building and the gr…

FABULOUS FLAMBOYANT GOTHIC CLOISTER * CONVENT OF SANT DOMINGO

The convent of Sant Doménec or Sant Domingo is one of the most important Gothic monuments in the city of Valencia.

It was founded by the Aragonese King Jaume I (1208-1276) and home to the Valencian Dominican preachers - Sant Vicent Ferrer (1350-1419) and Lluís Bertran (1526-1581)

It was visited and protected by the kings of Aragon and the house of Austria and several times used as the headquarters of the Valencian Courts.

It became a historic-artistic monument since 1931, however it is not a well-known building due to its restricted visiting hours because the Valencia Captain General has resided here since 1840. This was a position created instead of the Viceroy of Valencia at the end of the War of Succession.

THE GRAND CLOISTER

The cloister at Sant Domingo is one of the most outstanding architectural beauties within the city boasting fabulous flamboyant "ogival" style arches.

Initiated at the beginning of the fourteenth century, the cloister is a square (34 m from side to s…

THE TALE OF SOROLLA'S HOLIDAY HORROR IN JAVEA

It was the summer of 1905 when the talented Valencian impressionist painter Joaquín Sorolla brought his family to the Port of Jávea (Playa de la Grava) for a much needed holiday.

Inspired by the cliffs of both the Cape of San Antonio and Nou, and the turquoise sparkle of the east facing sea, Sorolla explored some of his greatest impressionist experiments of capturing light and underwater movement.

Report by Karla Darocas, Hon.B.A. (copyright 2019)

Clotilde and Elena in the rocks of Jávea (1905. Private collection)
A dedicated artist, Sorolla spent his holiday at work. However, to allow his family the freedom to swim, sun and enjoy their time on holiday too, Sorolla hired a nanny / maid to watch their youngest child Elena, cook, tidy and do their laundry at their 11 cents per day rental accommodation.

Unknown to the Sorolla family, this maid had a very jealous military boyfriend from Murcia who was going to turn their happy holiday into a hellish horror!

Versions of this story have circ…

LECTURE AT PARADOR JAVEA ON VELAZQUEZ

Excellent gathering of Anglo-Spanish Society members to be enlightened by the brilliant artworks of the Spanish Master artist - Diego Velazquez.

Thank you to Keith Hyde for arranging this event and for hiring me to lecture. I am always delighted to share my knowledge and my love of these works of art.

There were approximately 60 fine folks at the lecture and a few of my "fans" hung around for this lovely group shot.

WHO WAS ANDRÉ LAMBERT WITHIN THE HISTORY OF JÁVEA ARTS?

For many of you that have gone around Jávea on my Jávea Walk, we pop into a palace named Casa Lambert, which was preserved as an arts school and community artist exhibition space by the family of the French-Swiss painter, André Lambert.

So, who was Lambert and why was he so involved with the cultural life of Jávea?

Report by Karla Darocas (KarlaDarocas.com)

André Lambert Jordán (1884-1967) was a watercolorist, painter, engraver and Swiss-French architect who lived a large part of his life in Javea. For Lambert, Jávea was a gold mine of interest and he made many art works about the place from historical buildings to the unique landscape.

André Lambert was born in Switzerland on March 17, 1884, where he studied architecture at the School of Advanced Technical Studies in Munich. Later he went on to study Fine Arts in the Bavarian capital and it was these studies that ended him in Paris around 1908.

André established his first studio in Montparnasse, later moving to the Ile St. Louis.

In …

TRIBUTE TO TOLEDO * PART 2

TRIBUTE TO TOLEDO * PART TWO is a presentation (lecture and slideshow) about the Renaissance - Golden Agehistory of Toledo explored through its cultural evolutions, arts and architecture. Presented by Spanish Fine Arts & Architecture Historian, Karla Darocas, Hons. B.A. (KarlaDarocas.com)

About.
Toledo came into the Renaissance like no other place in Spain with vibrant and unique displays of splendour and impressiveness.

Queen Isabella was a big part of the adventure with her personal flamboyant and ornate architectural mark upon the city, followed by a host of imperial and imposing exhibits of grandeur that persisted even after its fall as the Royal seat.

Toledo's continued its religious stronghold as a capital city and now ranks as one of the top historical monumental tourist attraction in the World.

The human imagination and classical knowledge combined to make Toledo one of the most fascinating cities to study for art, architecture, history and cultural studies for student…

PRESENTATION: Medieval Valencian Gothic Architecture * Sacred and Civil

Valencian Gothic architecture is an artistic style with its own characteristics. It can only be called Gothic by convention and chronology because it didn't develop with the same constructive techniques nor participate in the same aesthetic assumptions.

It was developed during the 14th century and reached its maturity and maximum expression in the 15th century. It occurred in the Kingdom of Valencia, held by the crown of Aragon, born out of conquered Muslim territory.

After the conquest, the Valenician kingdom was left out of political problems of the Crown and hence flourished in agriculture, craftsmanship and trade commercialism aided by its easy access to the Mediterranean and an expert submissive Moorish workforce.

Throughout the fifteenth century, urban and rural growth was supported by influential people determined to promote their wealth with sacred and civil grandeur. King Alfonso V and the family of Rodrigo de Borja, then Pope Alejandro VI, were eager to advance the Valen…

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