Spanish DOGS - About Book
UPDATE & NEW** HISTORY BOOK
1st Review but many promised... hint, hint.. smile!
BOOK REVIEW BY Judy Dicken, Scotland
The author, Karla Darocas, had me look at dogs in Spain from the Stone Age through to Modern Day. Along the way she showed me cave drawings, artefacts, pictures and portraits from great masters, depicting man's interaction with dogs.
The result is a fascinating adventure with dogs intertwined with Spanish history and humans. The sad part was the shocking realisation that in many parts of Spain, dogs are not protected and are often badly treated.
This book tells of many interesting and diverse facts that I had never considered before like how Egyptians worshipped a dog-like god, Anubis, and how the Roman legions trained dogs to be warriors and wear fighting armour.
It also explained how both the Greeks and the Romans kept small dogs as pets for their children and often buried the pet dog along with the child, enabling them to be together in the afterlife.
I also learned how the Muslim Conquest of Spain introduced the Berber water dogs that would assist them in fishing and bringing in the nets.
I didn’t know that in Spain during the Renaissance, companion dogs were kept as sleeping partners in order to attract the fleas that were common on Catholics who did not wash because they might be mistaken by the Inquisition as a Muslim and tossed in prison.
It was interesting to see what kind of dogs the Spanish Habsburg Kings kept for hunting and how dogs would aid beggars and blind street performers.
Even into the 19th and 20th centuries, dogs took their place in the portraits of famous people.
I found the whole of this book informative and engrossing. I would recommend it to anyone who loves a good read and interesting humanist knowledge.
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TOLEDO CATHEDRAL - SpainLifestyle's Last Lesson of the Year 2020 - JOIN the Lecture & Slideshow on Zoom
THE MOST REMARKABLE CATHEDRAL in Spain. This LESSON will make you want to learn more about Toledo and Discover all the reasons why it is a magical place.
INTRODUCTION
The Cathedral of Santa María began its construction 1226 under the reign of Fernando III of Castile and the last Gothic contributions were made in 1493 by Queen Isabel I de Castilla and King Fernando II de Aragón. The Cathedral is actually built on top of a Visigoth church (587), which was destroyed and replaced by the main mosque of Toledo that stood until 1222. This mosque was destroyed and the cathedral was rebuilt from scratch in a melting pot of styles, including Gothic, Mudéjar and Renaissance.
Its enormous interior is full of the classic characteristics of the gothic style like rose windows, flying buttresses, ribbed vaults and pointed arches.
The high altar is backed by its altarpiece. This is an extravagant work of art with painted wooden sculptures depicting scenes from the lives of Christ and the Virgin Mary. It is flanked by royal tombs.
The rose window above the Puerta del Reloj (Clock Entrance) is the oldest of the cathedral's magnificent stainted-glass, which gives a euphoric atmosphere to the space.
The Transparente, an amazing work of art was created in the 18th c and rewards viewers with a lavish high Baroque style called Churrigueresque. It is illuminated by a specially engineered dome to act as a skylight.
In the centre of the Cathedral is the coro (choir stall) and it is a feast of sculptures and hand carved wooden stalls. The 15th-century lower tier depicts the various stages of the conquest of Granada.
The most remarkable treasure in the Cathedral is the great Processional Monstrance, commissioned by Cardinal Cisneros to Enrique de Arfe in 1515, that holds the Ostensory (inner small monstrance) in its centre. This was acquired by Cardinal Cisneros from the legacy of Queen Isabella the Catholic, and it is said that it was made with the first gold to arrive from America.
We will also explore the Chapter Room and many of the Chapels and so much more!!
There is so much history, beauty, craftmanship, art and artefacts to give you great pleasure.
TOLEDO History & Architecture - PART 2 - Lecture & Slideshow
After Phillip II left Toledo to build his own Palace Escorial, Toledo continued as a religious stronghold and ushered in the Baroque era with even more demanding classical statements in architecture.
Toledo one of the most fascinating cities to study Spanish art, architecture, history for students of all ages!
TOLEDO - History & Architecture - Lecture & Slideshow on ZOOM
The History and Architecture of Toledo before the Catholic Monarchs is rich and expressive.
Toledo was an important city center to the Celtic Carpetanian tribes until the conquest of the Romans in 193 bc. After the Germanic invasions who expelled the Romans, Toledo would become the capital and main ecclesiastical seat of the Visigothic Kingdom.
In the year 711, Toledo was conquered by the Muslims, whose rule ended with the taking of the city in 1085 by Alfonso VI. The Middle Ages is when the Jewish community of Toledo was the most populous and rich of the Kingdom of Castile.
They coexisted for centuries, more or less peacefully, with Muslims and Christians, until the Catholic Monarchs reformations of 1492.
Marina Alta & Gandia - About Book
- Teulada’s Fortified Baroque Hermitage Of San Vicente Ferrer
- The Beautiful Baroque Parish Churches Of The Marina Alta * Benimaurell * Campell * Beniarbeig * Parcent * Alcalalí
- The Royal Marsh Is Gandía’s Watery Paradise
- Discover Famous 17th Century Polychrome Busts In Gandía
- A Detailed Guide To Gandía’s Pretty & Important Palace
Sorolla: INTO THE LIGHT of Impressionism & Luminism
"Fascinating lecture on the progression of Sorolla's style. Loved his mixture of naturalism and Impressionism to create his own Illumination. Karla has a great understanding of his works and you leave the class feeling stimulated. Looking forward to the next one! "-Mimi Carrera, Valencia
JÁVEA - About Book
- Roman Arches And Fish Farming In Ancient Xàbia
- Xàbia , José Antonio Bolufer And His Ship Mystery
- Sorolla Finds Inspiration In Xàbia For A Special Patron
- The Tale Of Sorolla's Holiday Horror In Jávea
- Jávea - One Hundred Miles South Of Valencia
- Who Was André Lambert Within The History Of Jávea Arts?
- Xàbia / Jávea Regional Heritage Rewards Raisins
- The Jávea Monument That No One Talks About
Karla's book JAVEA - for me, was ALL very interesting. It is difficult to pick out a favourite essay from the collection. All the stories tell a historical journey and every single chapter is a treasure of extraordinary knowledge, explaining the very impressive history we have here in Xàbia!
Karla's writing style is absolutely gripping, hence the reason I was able to read this book all in one go. She writes with such enthusiasm, just like she does in her lectures.
* Diana Santiago, Xàbia
JOSÉ de RIBERA: The Baroque Master of Grace and Grandeur
DIEGO VELÁZQUEZ
ISABELLA I * SPAIN'S GOTHIC WARRIOR QUEEN
In this class, we analyse, investigate and marvel at the life and times of this Gothic warrior Queen of Castile, Isabella I.
She was the driving force of 15th-century Spanish culture and politics. Also known as Isabel la Católica, a title granted to her by Pope Alexander VI, Isabella reorganized the governmental system, brought the crime rate to the lowest it had been in years, unburdened the kingdom of its enormous debt, completed the "Reconquista" by taking the rest of Spain for the Spanish crown, ordered the conversion or exile of Muslim and Jewish citizens, and financially supported Christopher Columbus's in his 1492 voyage that led to the opening of the New World establishing Spain as the first global superpower, which dominated Europe and much of the world for more than a century.
TRIBUTE TO VICTORIOUS VALENCIA CITY
UNDERSTANDING SPANISH ROYAL RENAISSANCE ARCHITECTURE !
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The most frequently reproduced motif throughout the history of art, especially in Western art, is the subject of the mother with child. Th...
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"Galatea of the Spheres"," painted by the surrealist artist Salvador Dalí in 1952, is a remarkable testimony to Dalí's u...