Spain’s Arts & Architecture Appreciation Classes

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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.

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🏛️ 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

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📍 Class Info

🗓 Mondays at 5:00 PM

📌 Venue: Boardroom at Benitachell Properties SLC
Carrer Pare Plácido, 57, Planta Baja, 03726 Benitachell, Alicante, Spain

📚 Classes resume in September 2025

Instructor: Karla Ingleton Darocas, BA (Hons)
📧 Email: info@SpainLifestyle.com
📱 WhatsApp: +34 648 156 066

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🌟 Art comes alive when you understand its roots.

Join to see Spain through a new lens — insightful, inspiring, unforgettable.

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. 

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APPRECIATE ART & CULTURE * LOVE SPAIN
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.