A major free exhibition has opened in Valencia, featuring nearly 90 paintings by renowned masters.
Timeless Masters Arrive in Valencia: A Free Exhibition of Europe’s Greatest Art
A major free exhibition has opened in Valencia, featuring nearly 90 paintings by renowned masters.
JÁVEA Historical WALK
Explore and Learn About JÁVEA by visiting its historical architecture and monuments
* Guide * Arts Historian, Educator & Author - Karla Ingleton Darocas, B.A. (Hons)
BOOKING INFO & FORM
Starting January 2026
EXPERIENCE SPAIN LIKE NEVER BEFORE
Join SpainLifestyle.com for a morning at 11:00 with Karla Ingleton Darocas, B.A. (Hons), historian, author, and teacher. Enjoy immersive learning, storytelling, and visual exploration from the comfort of a cozy chair in the boardroom of Benitachell Properties in beautiful Benitachell.
Discover Spain’s iconic cities, architectural gems, historical milestones, and hidden treasures, along with a few lesser-known destinations that may inspire your next adventure.
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Spain’s Arts & Architecture Appreciation Classes
Discover Spain’s Arts & Architecture with Appreciation Classes
by Karla Ingleton Darocas, BA (Hons)
Unlock the beauty and stories behind Spain’s most iconic artists and architects — from the bold brush strokes of Velázquez and Goya to the visionary designs of Gaudí and beyond.
These inspiring classes take you on a visual journey through Spain’s great art movements, masterworks, and architectural marvels.
🏛️ What You’ll Experience
✔️ Explore the lives and works of Spain’s legendary artists
✔️ Decode the symbolism, styles, and techniques of major art movements
✔️ Learn how architecture reflects history, power, faith, and innovation
✔️ Enjoy captivating full-screen slideshows and passionate storytelling
✔️ Join a friendly, curious community of culture lovers
📍 Class Info
🗓 Mondays at 11:00
📌 Venue: Boardroom at Benitachell Properties SLC
Carrer Pare Plácido, 57, Planta Baja, 03726 Benitachell, Alicante, Spain
Instructor: Karla Ingleton Darocas, BA (Hons)
📧 Email: info@SpainLifestyle.com
📱 WhatsApp: +34 648 156 066
🌟 Art comes alive when you understand its roots.
Join to see Spain through a new lens — insightful, inspiring, unforgettable.
Joaquín Sorolla Exhibition at the Fundación Bancaja, Valencia
Recently, I had the great pleasure of visiting the Joaquín Sorolla exhibition at the Fundación Bancaja in Valencia with nine of my students. It was a truly remarkable experience. For me, it was especially thrilling to encounter several paintings that have long remained in the Sorolla family’s private collection, works that earned recognition and awards in academic exhibitions not only in Spain but across Europe and the United States.
MASKS OF THE YOUNG PICASSO
I AM STRUCK by the composition and spatial distancing of the characters in Picasso’s 1900 painting, "Pierrot and Colombina", which creates an interplay that seems to mirror his own sense of being an outsider. Pierrot and Colombina, the central figures in this work, are not inventions of Picasso’s imagination but rather theatrical archetypes from the Italian Commedia dell’Arte, which migrated across Europe and became immensely popular in Paris by the late 19th century.
Picasso’s Child with a Dove
IN 1901, PABLO PICASSO was barely twenty years old, brilliant, ambitious, and already restless. He had left Spain to chase success in Paris, where modern art was reinventing itself in the cafés and galleries of Montmartre. But that same year, his closest friend, Carlos Casagemas, took his own life, a loss that left Picasso heartbroken and profoundly changed. Standing between youthful optimism and personal grief, he created Child with a Dove, a painting that captures both innocence and the first shadow of sorrow.
Discover Sorolla: Bancaja Foundation
THIS OCTOBER 2025, we have a very special opportunity to continue our exploration of Joaquín Sorolla’s art outside the classroom. As many of you know, the Sorolla Museum in Madrid is temporarily closed for renovation and expansion. Because of this, an extraordinary collection of Sorolla’s masterpieces will be traveling to Valencia for a once-in-a-lifetime exhibition at the Bancaja Foundation, opening on October 3, 2025.
The exhibition will bring 60 of Sorolla’s most representative masterpieces, including two of my all-time favorites such as Paseo a la orilla del mar (Walk by the Sea) and El baño del caballo (The Horse’s Bath). These are rarely shown outside the Sorolla Museum, so to see them in Valencia is truly fabulous.
*******APPRECIATE ART & CULTURE * LOVE SPAIN
Resource Books written by
Karla Ingleton Darocas
and published by
SpainLifestyle.com
Resource Books written by
Karla Ingleton Darocas
and published by
SpainLifestyle.com
* CLICK HERE *
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The Silent Suffering of Childhood in Sorolla's Spain
DURING THE PERIOD of the great Valencian painter and humanist Joaquín Sorolla (1863-1923), children's health and social problems were an important issue, and his artwork reflects the harsh realities faced by the most vulnerable members of society. Sorolla's compassionate and often stark portrayals of sick or impoverished children, such as in "Sad Inheritance" (1899), served as a powerful form of social commentary, bringing to light the devastating effects of diseases like polio.
El Beso and Ferrándiz Bádenes
BREAKING NEWS!
The Bancaja Foundation of Valencia has extended the fabulous exhibition “Scenes and Landscapes in Valencian Painting. 19th and 20th Centuries”, which opened on May 9, 2025, until October 19, 2025!
This is such an exciting opportunity to dive into the rich world of Valencian art and experience masterpieces up close.
Among the incredible works on display is El Beso by Bernardo Ferrándiz Bádenes, a painting that captures all the warmth, tradition, and storytelling of the costumbrista style.
DO YOU KNOW ABOUT XÀBIA’S CORDELEROS?
WHEN I AM taking participants on my walking class around the old town of Xàbia (Jávea Historical Walk), I often remember to tell them about the hemp industry that was once a thriving part of village life.
WHAT WAS CLOTILDE WEARING ON HER STROLL THROUGH THE KING’S GARDENS?
In the summer of 1907, Joaquín Sorolla moved with his entire family to La Granja de San Ildefonso, where he had been commissioned to paint a portrait of King Alfonso XIII. During this stay, Sorolla also captured a portrait of his wife, Clotilde, dressed in the latest Parisian Belle Époque fashions, as she leisurely strolled through the palace gardens.
Sorolla’s Patriotic Scene
“The Cry of Palleter ” 1884, oil on canvas,
152 x 202 cm. Valencia Provincial Council.
AT THE CENTRO CULTURAL BANCAJA in Valencia, I found myself once again face to face with Joaquín Sorolla’s El grito del Palleter (The Cry of the Palleter), painted in 1884. It was included in the exhibition Scenes and Landscapes in Valencian Painting. 19th and 20th Centuries, a marvelous collection of works that shows the breadth of romantic and realist traditions in Valencian art.
Tribute to the Toil of the Reapers
RECENTLY, when I was at a fabulous art show in Valencia, I got to witness up close the grandeur of a social realist and luminous painting by Vicent Castell i Domènech (1871–1934). It struck me immediately as a tribute to the value, suffering, and eventual uprising of the Catalonian reapers.
From Posters to Petals: Learning the Story of Valencia’s Gran Fira
WHEN I WAS IN VALENCIA recently, I went to an art show where I discovered these magnificent vintage posters. It was the first time I learned about the history of the Gran Feria de València, the great July celebration of flowers and festivities.
Exploring the Royal Marsh of Gandia: A Serene Escape into Nature
On a sun-drenched day with just the right touch of breeze, the Royal Marsh of Gandia offered an ideal setting for a tranquil day trip filled with natural beauty and cultural charm.
*Report & Photos by Art Historian and Educator Karla Darocas, B.A. (Hons)*
Sueca: A Journey Through Modernist Architecture, Local History, and Artisan Chocolate
If you enjoy exploring towns rich in history, distinctive architecture, and authentic local experiences, Sueca, a medium-sized city in the Valencian province, should be on your itinerary. Just 30 minutes south of Valencia city, this charming destination offers a surprising mix of agricultural heritage, Modernist architecture, and artisan chocolate-making.
*Report & Photos by Art Historian and Educator Karla Darocas, B.A. (Hons)*
Fontilles: A Hidden Sanctuary of Healing and Hope
High in the verdant mountains behind the village of Orba, nestled within the dramatic, sun-dappled slopes of the Alicante province, lies a place unlike any other—a place of silence, serenity, and sacred history.
This is Fontilles, a tranquil sanctuary perched in the municipality of La Vall de Laguar. For over a century, it has stood as a symbol of compassion, resilience, and enlightened care for society’s forgotten souls.
Exclusive Private Screening * The Way*
The Way is an inspiring and visually stunning film directed by Emilio Estevez and starring Martin Sheen.
The Missing Half of Juana la Loca’s Story—And Her Surprising Connection to Jávea
The story of Juana la Loca is one of power, betrayal, and suffering, and it extends far beyond the passionate heartbreak depicted in the film.
Award Winning Film - Juana la Loca (2001) Español - English Subtitles
Don’t miss this chance to experience the beauty of Spanish history, culture, and romance on a big screen. Historian Karla Ingleton Darocas, BA (Hons) will be on hand to give insights and answer any questions!
Introduction to Spanish Romanticism in Painting
Spanish Romanticism in painting, emerging in the late 18th and early 19th centuries, was a response to political upheaval, national identity struggles, and evolving artistic influences from Europe. Unlike the structured realism and compositions of Neoclassicism, Romanticism embraced emotion, drama, and individuality, often highlighting Spain’s historical past, cultural traditions, and exoticism.
Several distinct movements developed, each reflecting different aspects of Spanish Romanticism.
Rococo
Immersive Journey into the Rise and Fall of Rococo in Spain!
Step into the splendor of 18th-century Spain as we explore the captivating rise and dramatic fall of the Rococo style.
José de Ribera
José de Ribera (1591–1652) was a master of the late Renaissance and early Baroque periods. His work is relatively easy to grasp within the context of the Baroque era, a time when the Catholic Church employed art as a powerful tool of propaganda—reminding the faithful of the saints' suffering under Roman persecution, reinforcing religious devotion, and countering the influence of Protestantism.
What stands out about Ribera is not only his command of Caravaggio’s dramatic chiaroscuro but also his unique position outside the traditional court system. Unlike court painters who were often confined to formal portraits and official commissions, Ribera worked under the Spanish rulers of Naples, granting him a broader creative range. His subjects extended far beyond tortured saints to include some of the most intriguing and unconventional themes, often rooted in gripping stories from Spanish history.
Franciscan Convent of Benissa is a Cherished Renaissance Landmark
Thank Goodness the Franciscan Convent of Benissa Was Not Turned Into a Hotel
Preserving the historical and architectural heritage of the Franciscan Convent in Benissa was a relief to many locals and history enthusiasts alike. Plans announced in 1917 to transform this storied convent into a hotel were met with mixed emotions, as the proposal risked altering the character of one of Benissa's most iconic landmarks. Instead, the convent remains a treasure of cultural and spiritual significance, even as its use evolves to accommodate modern realities.
Architectural Features of the Convent
Felipe II (1527–1598) The Renaissance King with a Big Ego & Painful Death
Imagine a man so convinced of his divine right to rule that he believed his kingdom wasn’t just vast—it was illuminated 24/7 by the sun itself. Enter Felipe II of Spain, the ultimate monarch with a cosmic-sized ego to match his colossal empire. Born in 1527, Felipe wasn’t just any king; he was the king—God’s personal pick to manage the affairs of the mortal world. And he had every reason to think so, with a résumé so glittering it could outshine the treasures of the Americas (which he also happened to own).
Spain's Golden Age of Architecture
Discover the Splendor of Spanish Renaissance Architecture: The Golden Age
Step back in time to the opulent world of 16th-century Spain, a period celebrated as the "Golden Age" of art, culture, and architecture. Book NOW for this engaging talk with slides where we will explore the iconic architectural styles, masterful architects, and royal patrons that defined an era of unparalleled wealth.
Who is commemorated by the bust in Benissa?
DID YOU KNOW
The bust in Benissa commemorates Jaume el Conqueridor (James the Conqueror) King James I of Aragon, who reigned from 1213 to 1276. He is renowned for his military campaigns that expanded the Crown of Aragon's territories, including the conquest of Valencia in 1238. This expansion played a significant role in shaping the cultural and historical landscape of the region.
What defines the Monastery of San Jerónimo's church portal?
The door and portal of the Iglesia del Monasterio Jerónimo de la Concepción (Monasterio de San Jerónimo) in Granada, Andalucía, are remarkable examples of Renaissance architecture, crafted by Martín Díaz Navarrete around 1593.
What secrets lie within the portal of Carlos V at the Alcázar of Toledo?
The main portal of Carlos V at the Alcázar of Toledo is a stunning example of Spanish Renaissance architecture, reflecting the grandeur and ambition of Carlos I of Spain during his reign. Designed in the Plateresque style, the portal combines Gothic, Renaissance, and Moorish influences, showcasing the highly decorative and intricate craftsmanship of the era.
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