Showing results by publisher "Charles River Editors" in Spain

It would not be a stretch to say that for a very tiny geographical territory (just 20,747 square kilometers), the Basque Country has inspired a plethora of intense stereotypes. Some of these stereotypes have been cast upon its people from the outside while others have been strategically propagated by the people themselves. For such a small area of land that is home to only 3,000,000 people, the Basque Country is anything but small in terms of its history, which is why opinions about its people are so intense, so consequential, and so contradictory.

Gilgamesh, Hercules, Aeneas, and Lancelot are instantly recognized as mythological heroes in the West, evoking visions of Persian monsters, ghastly labors, and the founding and glorification of cities, but the name Quetzalcoatl is as mysterious as its spelling. Even those who have come across his name when learning about the history of Mesoamerica - particularly the Aztec and the god’s role in the Spanish conquest of their empire - are often unaware that the Mesoamerican deity has tales that equal any of those in the repertoire of the mythological figures mentioned above.

 The Mezquita and Medina Azahara: The History and Legacy of the Moors’ Most Famous Landmarks in Córdoba, Spain offers a virtual tour of these priceless places of worship and how they have been at the center of religious debates for hundreds of years. You will learn about the Mezquita and Medina Azahara like never before. 

Few love stories can compare to the blissful fairy tale attached to the Madinat al-Zahra, commonly known today as the Medina Azahara. This tale involved a king named Abd ar-Rahman who was so besotted with a maiden that he built an entire palace-city for her from scratch. The Medina Azahara: The History and Legacy of the Moors’ Medieval Capital in Spain looks at the origins behind the city and its importance to the Moors. You will learn about the Medina Azahara like never before.

The Mosque of Cristo De La Luz is nowhere near the largest monument in Toledo. Nevertheless, this multicultural mezquita is often hailed as one of the most precious treasures of Toledo, a place that truly embodies the unique, cross-cultural spirit of the city. The Mosque of Cristo De La Luz explores the three major phases of its construction and tenure, as well as the riveting miracles that surround this hidden jewel in Toledo. 

La calle Cardenal Herrero de Córdoba es una emblemática calle empedrada imposible de pasar por alto, ya que alberga la espectacular Mezquita-Catedral de la ciudad andaluza. Conocido también como “La Mezquita”, este singular lugar de culto morisco y cristiano recibe alrededor de 1,5 millones de visitantes cada año, la mayoría de los cuales se encuentran fascinados por sus hipnóticas características arquitectónicas y la fascinante historia que ha acontecido y continúa dentro de las hermosas y erosionadas paredes de la iglesia dual.

Nestled among the Sierra de Guadarrama mountain range, El Monte Abantos, or Mount Abantos, towers over its surroundings at a height of 5,751 feet. Indeed, there is nothing aesthetically spectacular about this forested mound, but there is an aura of mystery that hangs over Abantos, much like the curtain of mist that lingers over the mountaintop in the early morning. Madrid, just a little over 37 miles away, is as beautiful and vibrant as they come, yet city folk and tourists alike often find themselves drawn to this landform.

El Alcázar de Sevilla: la historia del más famoso palacio real de España recorre el animado registro histórico de la fortaleza palaciega, así como todas las etapas de su construcción. Indaga también sobre algunos de los fascinantes personajes que vivieron allí, y sobre los eventos más decisivos que tuvieron lugar detrás de las centenarias paredes de ladrillo.  

The Calle Cardenal Herrero in Córdoba is an iconic cobbled street impossible to overlook, for it is home to the Andalusian city's spectacular Mosque-Cathedral. Also known as “La Mezquita,” this one-of-a-kind Moorish and Christian place of worship reels in about 1.5 million visitors each year, most of whom find themselves spellbound by its hypnotic architectural features and the riveting history that has transpired and continues to within the beautifully weathered walls of the dual-church. That said, the Mezquita is far more than a mere tourist attraction.

 The Alcázar of Seville: The History of Spain’s Most Famous Royal Palace journeys through the eventful timeline of the palatial fortress as well as the stages leading up to its fruition. It also explores some of the fascinating characters who lived there, and the most pivotal events that took place within the centuries-old brick walls.  

Tucked away on the crest of the Al-Sabika Hill in Granada of Andalusia, Spain, just left of the babbling stream of the Darro River, sits a majestic structure overlooking the charming city and mystical meadows of La Vega. This palatial fortress and the fabled Alhambra are one and the same. To those who have seen it in its full glory, this was heaven on Earth itself. Many were quick to fall under the spell of its breathtaking beauty, with its admirers lovingly dubbing it “a pearl set in emeralds.”

Escondida en la cima de la colina Al-Sabika en Granada, región de Andalucía, España, al lado de la rumorosa corriente del río Darro, hay una estructura majestuosa con vista a la encantadora ciudad y a los místicos prados de La Vega. Esta fortaleza palaciega y la fabulosa Alhambra son la misma cosa. Para los que la vieron en todo su esplendor, esto fue el cielo en la tierra. 

At one point in time, this place had been decked out with a network of captivating castles, heavenly homes and gorgeous gardens, and a handsome military fortress envied by the city's neighboring kingdoms. This was none other than Alhambra, once so enchanting that a countless number of those who visited the place in its heyday praised it as a true paradise on earth. Today, this historic complex has become the setting and inspiration for a host of books, music, movies, and other works of art and literature.

On July 12, 1588, the legendary Spanish Armada headed for the English Channel. The Spanish plan was to take this invasion, led by the Duke of Parma, to the coast of southeast England, where they would be unleashed to conquer Elizabethan England for Spain’s King Philip II and Catholic Christendom. The Armada included over 150 ships, 8,000 sailors, and 18,000 soldiers, and it boasted a firepower of 1,500 brass guns and 1,000 iron guns. Just leaving port itself took the entire Armada two days.

In terms of geopolitics, perhaps the most seminal event of the Middle Ages was the successful Ottoman siege of Constantinople in 1453. The city had been an imperial capital as far back as the fourth century when Constantine the Great shifted the power center of the Roman Empire there effectively establishing two almost equally powerful halves of antiquity’s greatest empire. Constantinople would continue to serve as the capital of the Byzantine Empire even after the Western half of the Roman Empire collapsed in the late fifth century.

By the mid-15th century, the Byzantine Empire had collapsed and the various Crusades that had taken place in the region had largely disrupted the overland routes of the Silk Road and trade. Compounding the difficulties of trade was the rise of the Ottoman Empire in place of the Byzantines and the outbreak of the Black Death in Europe.