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Introduce Spain

Widely known for Flamenco music and dance, bull-fights, fantastic beaches and lots of sunshine, Spain has to offer much more than that. It is a fascinating country to know and to know more about it.

1. History

The Kingdom of Spain was created in 1492 with the unification of the Kingdom of Castile and the Kingdom of Aragon. In this year it was also the first voyage of Christopher Columbus to the New World, beginning the development of the Spanish Empire. The Inquisition was established and Jews and Muslims who refused to convert were expelled from the country.

For the next three centuries Spain was the most important colonial power in the world. It was the most powerful state in Europe and the foremost global power during the 16th century and the greater part of the 17th century. Spanish literature and fine arts, scholarship and philosophy flourished during this time. Spain established a vast empire in the Americas, stretching from California to Patagonia, and colonies in the western Pacific.

Spain's European wars, however, led to economic damage, and the latter part of the 17th century saw a gradual decline of power under an increasingly neglectful and inept Habsburg regime. The decline culminated in the War of Spanish Succession, which ended with the relegation of Spain from the position of a leading western power, to that of a secondary one, although it remained the leading colonial power.

Following a period of growing political instability in the early 20th century, in

1936 Spain was plunged into a bloody civil war. The war ended in a nationalist dictatorship, led by Francisco Franco which controlled the Spanish government until 1975. Spain was officially neutral during World War II, although many Spanish volunteers fought on both sides. The post-war decades were relatively stable，and the country experienced rapid economic growth in the 1960s and early 1970s. The death of Franco in 1975 resulted in the return of the Bourbon monarchy headed by Prince Juan Carlos. While tensions remain (for example, with Muslim immigrants and in the Basque region), modern Spain has seen the development of a robust, modern democracy as a constitutional monarchy with popular King Juan Carlos, one of the fastest-growing standards of living in Europe, entry into the European Community, and the 1992 Summer Olympics.

2.Madrid

The capital of Spain since 1562 is located at the geographic center of the Iberian Peninsula. Because of its central location and high altitude, the climate of Madrid is characterized by warm dry summers and cool winters.

Madrid is a city of great monuments. Among its highlights are the medieval centers dating back to the Habsburg Empire and the Prado Museum.

But Madrid is not just a cultural destination. It is also a lively metropolis with many pubs, cafes, discotheques and nightclubs open late into the night. Don't be surprised if you get stuck in a traffic jam at four in the morning, and the people you meet are not necessarily going off to work....

3.Barcelona

Barcelona, located at the Mediterranean Sea in the very north of the Spanish coast, is certainly the most cosmopolitan and economically most active city in this country.

It has always proved its will to be modern, to follow the latest international tendencies or be ahead of them. To the tourist this is evident especially in its architecture, which so well reflects the general approach to life in this always pulsating city.

Of course, Barcelona has an old history, and there are monuments of Romanesque, Gothic and Renaissance periods or still before, but most characteristic is what has been built during the last, say, 100 years.

Barcelona has been a center of Modernist architecture and is distinguished especially by the works of genial Antonin Gaudi, who together with his great contemporaries gave new and exciting looks to it, but has remained since then at the top of modernity.

4.Literature

The term Spanish literature refers to literature written in the Spanish language, including literature composed in Spanish by writers not necessarily from Spain.

Due to historic, geographic and generational diversity, Spanish literature has known a great number of influences and it is very diverse. Catalan literature, Basque literature and Galician literature, etc.

Miguel de Cervantes is probably Spain's most famous author and his Don Quixote is considered the most emblematic work in the canon of Spanish literature and a founding classic of Western literature.

5.Tomato Fight

Surely the worlds' biggest food-fight: every year around 30, 00 people descend on the Spanish town of Bunzl (in the Valencia region of Spain) to throw more than 240,000 pounds of tomatoes at each other.

The festival on the last Wednesday of August is called 'the Tomcatting' and is basically a town-wide tomato fight. It is thought the tradition began in 1945 when a fight erupted among two young members of a carnival crowd.

https://www.360docs.net/doc/a318705369.html,s Falls

Las fall is undoubtedly one of the most unique and crazy festivals in Spain. Las Falls literally means "the fires" in Valencian. The focus of the fiesta is the creation and destruction of pinots(“puppets” or “dolls”), which are huge cardboard, wood, paper-Mache and plaster statues.

A popular theme is poking fun at corrupt politicians and Spanish celebrities. The pinots remain in place until March 19th, the day known as the burning. Starting in the early evening, young men with axes chop cleverly-hidden holes in the statues and stuff them with fireworks. The crowds start to chant, the streetlights are turned off, and all of the pinots are set on fire at exactly 12am (midnight).

7.Bull Fighting

Bullfighting is a Spanish national treasure. Bullfighting season is March to October, bullfighting season, every Thursday and held two games each Sunday. Such as well festival and national celebration, then can see every day.

8.Sports

Sport in Spain has been dominated by football since the early 20th century. The country's national football team won the UEFA European Football Championship in 1964 and 2008 and the FIFA World Cup in 2010.

Basketball, tennis, cycling, handball, motorcycling and, lately, Formula One are also important due to the presence of Spanish champions in all these disciplines. What a Corrode is about

●If you are not familiar to Corrodes, you will find here listed chronologically

everything that happens. So you may decide by yourself if you want to see one when you are visiting Spain.

A Corrode starts with the pastille, with everybody involved in the bullfight

entering the ring and presenting him to the public. Two Alguacilillos, on horse's back, direct themselves to the presidency and symbolically ask for the keys to the "Puerto de los toiles". Behind that door there are the bulls.

●With the door being opened and the first bull entering the ring the spectacle

starts. It consists of three parts, called trios, being separated by horn-signals.

There are three toreros in each Corrode, by the way, and each will have to to rear two bulls.

●In the first trio the bullfighter uses the capote, a quite large rag of purple and

yellow color. Now enter two picadors, on horse's back and armed with a sort of lance.

●The second part is la suite de banderoles. Three banderilleros have to stick a

pair of banderoles into the attacking bull's back.

●In the final "suite supreme" the bullfighter uses the mullet, a small red rag. He

has to show his fauna, his maturity to dominate the bull, and to establish an artistically symbiosis between man and beast.

Flamenco is a genuine Spanish art, and to be more exact is a genuine Southern Spanish art. It exists in three forms: Canted, the song, Bailee, the dance, and Guitars, guitar playing. The first real reference to Flamenco in literature is in the "Carats Maracas" of Cad also, in 1774. Its birthplace was most probably where, between 1765 and 1860, the first Flamenco-schools were created: Cádiz, Jerez de la Front era and Tirana in Seville.

In this epoch Flamenco dance started to establish a firm position in the ballrooms .Early Flamenco seems to have been purely vocal accompanied only by the rhythmic clapping of hands, toque de Palmas. It was left to dedicated composers, as Julian Arcs, to introduce guitar playing.

Mass media has brought Flamenco to the world stage, but from the very beginning, Flamenco was always an extremely intimate art form and remains so to this day. When you listen to authentic Flamenco by the moonlight in the South of Spain, you will be enchanted by the intensely romantic Latin spirit of this vigorously sensual spectacle. Let it stir your spirit as you capture the true essence of Spanish culture

and pride.

Gastronomy

Since Philip II made Madrid the capital of Spain, recipes and culinary influences from all regions of the country have entered its kitchen. Today it is practically impossible to say which dishes are original and which are imported. Today Madrid offers more a Spanish than a regional kitchen.

Th e dishes that are called madrilène in Spain are mainly hotpots, such as the well-known Coccid Madrilène made with locally grown (chick) peas. Among regional specialties are the delicious asparagus from Harangues and the very typical Soap de Aja, a garlic soup. There are many dishes made from lamb and veal, but perhaps rather surprisingly considering its geographic location -- Madrid is a real paradise for lovers of fish and seafood. It has the second biggest fish market in the world (behind Tokyo), and in shops as well as in many restaurants, you will find an ample selection of culinary delights of exceptional quality and extraordinary variety.

Ideally fitting, and to compliment such meals are the young and aromatic wines of the region, Vinos de Madrid. To finish your dinner in a very typical way, try a cup of Amistad de Chinch on, anisette or schnapps