One of the most important monuments in the city of Gandia is The Ducal Palace. It is a treasure chest of mind blowing artifacts deemed with legendary stories and adventures!
This palace showcases four distinctive periods of architecture from Gothic to Renaissance, Baroque to Neo-Gothic styles.
You can feel the grandeur of being in an elite family home. Wealth invites the arts to decorate and record and this palace has it all!
So, let's get started with a detailed inspection of this glorious place...
When Joaquín Sorolla first came to Xàbia in 1896, it was to witness grape farmers in harvest as well as the marvelous raisin industry that had taken hold of Europe with its rich flavoured and nutritional snack.
The Marina Alta region, especially the coastal village of Jávea/Xàbia, has its 20th century heritage wrapped up in raisins. Not just any raisins, but the succulent Sultana raisins made from the marvelous muscatel grapes, which brought fame and wealth to the industrious villagers.
Within the Soler Blasco Archaeological and Ethnographic Museum are an important series of artworks by Soler Blasco that immortalize traditional trades, fiestas and legends. One of these impressionistic paintings showcases the process of blanching and drying of grapes to make raisins.
Xàbia artist, teacher and resident Soler Blasco (1920-1984) became an important local figure because he was the mayor from 1974 to 1979. He was also involved in great cultural projects such as the creation of an archaeological museum and the Municipal Public Library.
Blanching accelerated the drying process. It all started with lighting the oven or fire, "el fogater", then filling a pot with water, herbs, caustic soda and bringing it to a boil. Then the grapes were tossed into the pot for a good 15 minute boil, then spooned out onto a drying mat.
In the back of this painting by Soler Blasco you can see the landmark mountain named "Montgo" and a white building with a "Riurau". During the 19th and 20th centuries, Riuraus flooded the the entire Marina Alta rural landscape. These unique Roman arched constructions were used to dry the raisins when it rained.
BRIEF HISTORY
The technique of blanching grapes goes back two millennia. In the writings of Julius Moderatus Columella, a prominent scholar on agriculture in the Roman empire, he describes 'l'escaldà' ". This information comes from Josep Antoni Gisbert, the archaeologist and director of Denia's Ethnological Museum.
The oldest documented sources relating to the production of raisins in the Valencian territory date back to the second half of the 15th century. In the Marina Alta, there is evidence of the production dated 1476, whereby Valencian merchants wrote out billing contracts with Morisco farmers who lived in Dénia, Xàbia, Xaló, Pedreguer and Ondara, for their supply of raisins.
After the expulsion of the Moors and Moriscos in 1609, the grape production disappeared and so did the raisins because the Christians did not know the procedure.
It was actually because of travelers to the Marina Alta and La Safor regions in 1800's who prompted the production of raisins again, especially the English Navy who wanted raisins to combat scurvy and other diseases because of poor diet, but also the miners and textile factory workers wanted raisins to keep in their pockets to fight fatigue.
HERITAGE FESTIVAL
Each year, the celebration of the "Escaldá de la Pasa" takes place in the village of Jesus Pobre on the last morning of August. The villagers keep their heritage alive by recreating the process of making raisins via blanching. The ritual lasts all morning and ends with traditional dances.
As you drive into Carcaixent, the wonderful ceramic dome of the Church of the Assumption of Carcaixent (Església de l'Assumpció) catches your eye, sparkling in the sun. As soon as you reach the town centre, you will find this Catholic place of worship in the town's main square.
I was lucky enough to photograph this wonderful, historic monument while the magnificent jacaranda tree was in full bloom
I was unable to go inside the church, but the uniqueness of the exterior construction was enough to catch my attention and make me look for more clues about this historical artefact.
Let us begin our exploration...
* Report by Karla Ingleton Darocas, Hons. B.A. (c) no part of this text or photos may be replicated
For those who travel to Toledo, these historical photographs may surprise you by their stark landscapes in contrast to the tourist torrent that we know Toledo to be today. For those of you who adventured with me on the Art Lovers Trip 2018 to Toledo, these photos will be of greater interest.
In 1906, the 43 years old Sorolla was at the height of his career. He had just sold most of his 500 works, oils and drawings, at a spring exhibition in the Gallery of Georges Petit in Paris. He celebrated by spending a few weeks in the flashy tourist resort of Biarritz, of course painting landscapes, so different from those of the Mediterranean. At the end of this summer, he was heading back to his residence in Madrid but decided to jaunt over to the once grand old city of Toledo, then neglected as the capital due to the rise of Madrid city.
This decision came from his close relationship with friend and associate Aureliano de Beruete with whom he shared a fondness, even a love for Toledo .
Several letters between the two of them suggested that Sollora could come to Toledo to assist his friend with the much needed actions being taken to recognise the works of El Greco and the inauguration of the El Greco house-museum.
Sorolla arrived in Toledo on October 21, at first alone, and days later joined by his wife Clotilde and their children.
Their hotel of choice was the extraordinary first class hotel Gran Hotel Castilla, now the General Treasury of Social Security. This was the hotel to rub shoulders with illustrious and wealthy visitors, bourgeois, dealers in search of artistic heritage, and nobles such as Beruete himself.
During his stay in Toledo, he produced twelve canvases. The family returned to their home in Madrid on November 4.
On our Spain Lifestyle Art Lovers Trip to Toledo 2018, we were so very lucky to be able to witness some rare and remarkable paintings by our favourite Valencian master impressionist painter of light, namely Joaquín Sorolla.
We were at the Santa Cruz museum admiring all of the artefacts, expressive and religious fine arts, especially by the famous Mannerist icon El Greco and low and behold, a sign pointed to an upper gallery stating that an exhibition by Sorolla called "Tierra Adentro" (Inland Earth) was being featured; this way said the arrow!
One of my students had spotted the exhibition first and was extremely excited when confronting me on the very fact that upstairs there was 68 works by Sorolla. "You are going to freak out," explained my student.
"El arcoiris" - El Pardo 1907 - (c) Sorolla Museum
Tristana is a 1970 Spanish film directed by Luis Buñuel (1900 – 1983). Based on the eponymous novel by Benito Pérez Galdós, it stars Catherine Deneuve and Fernando Rey and was shot in Toledo, Spain.
The story is set in the late 1920s to early 1930s. Tristana is an orphan adopted by nobleman don Lope Garrido. Don Lope falls in love with her and thus treats her as wife as well as daughter from the age of 19. But, by age 21 Tristana starts finding her voice, to demand to study music, art and other subjects with which she wishes to become independent. She meets the young artist Horacio Díaz, falls in love, and eventually leaves Toledo to live with him. When she falls ill, she returns to don Lope.
Buñuel wanted Tristana to be his triumphant return to Spain after living exiled in Mexico for several decades. Buñuel travelled to Spain in the spring of 1969 to begin work on the film, and was immediately sidetracked by the Spanish censors. Spain's Franco government made it difficult for Buñuel to get his films approved, but it finally was allowed.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR OF NOVEL
Benito Pérez Galdós (1843 – 1920) was a Spanish realist novelist, considered second only to Cervantes in stature as a Spanish novelist. He was the leading literary figure in 19th century Spain.
Galdós is critical of the Catholic Church as a dominant force in Spanish cultural life. He attacked what he saw as abuses of entrenched and dogmatic religious power rather than religious faith or Christianity per se. In fact, the need for faith is a very important feature in many of his novels and there are many sympathetic portraits of priests and nuns.
GREAT CITY 2 Part Presentation Guide to Toledo that will set you up for all the city monuments, art, architecture and history of this great imperial city.
