Books and eBooks about Spain – in English
May 12, 2013
Meet San Isidro in Madrid this week! San Isidro the Labourer is the patron saint of Madrid and he was a poor farm labourer who worked for a nobleman called Ivan Vargas and while he prayed angels came down from heaven to drive his plough. His son fell down a well but was miraculously resuscitated. He shared his meals with the birds and even with the ants....
Apr 30, 2013
Chickens in the Church: Santo Domingo de la Calzada Santo Domingo was a humble road-worker (hence his name de la calzada) who performed many miracles, one of which is commemorated in an unusual manner, from October to April, in the Romanesque Church of Santo Domingo de la Calzada, forty-four miles from Burgos, on the Camino de Santiago. Visitors are not a...
Apr 28, 2013
Santo Cristo in La Laza (Orense) The Santo Cristo is an original May celebration held in the village of La Laza, in Orense in south-east Galicia. The organizers of the Santo Cristo fiesta, called Mayordomos, select a man and a young woman who represent Adam and Eve in the procession which usually takes place on the first Sunday in May. Adam is chosen for his...
Apr 23, 2013
Come to the biggest cheese fair in Spain Every year Extremadura celebrates cheese in a big way. The venue for the cheese extravaganza is the city more famous for its New World Conquistadores — Trujillo. The Plaza Mayor, one of the largest and most picturesque in Europe, is covered in hundreds of stands devoted to the very best in local and national cheeses....
Apr 21, 2013
Virgin of Ujue, Navarra There is something apocalyptic about Ujue. The landscape looks ancient and eroded. Even the local place-names – Unx, Ujue … sound old and remote. The hamlet of Ujue crowns a cone that could have been a volcano; the terraces spreading fanwise down the sienna-coloured slopes emerge like flattened rims of civilizations ending...
Apr 4, 2013
St George and the Moors and Christians of Alcoy, Alicante Moors and Christians fiestas are to be found throughout the year all over Spain, since at one time or the other the Arab menace was present on a national scale. But they differ according to the regions and their diverse temperaments and St George plays an important role in a number of these fiestas. St...
Mar 27, 2013
The Descent of the Angel – an eye witness account Where: Tudela, Navarra Date of event: Easter Sunday “The Descent of the Angel” is held every Easter Sunday in Tudela, Navarra’s second largest city, praised by the Arab historian Rassis for the excellence of its fruit, and the birthplace of the intrepid medieval traveller, Rabbi Benjamin, the first...
Mar 12, 2013
The Route of the Drum in Teruel, Aragon The Route of the Drum Festival (La Ruta del Tambor) during Easter is one of the most important cultural heritages of Aragon. It is of religious origin, but over time has acquired different nuances, becoming a popular, cultural, family and social festival which has been declared of National Tourist Interest. The...
