Cultural guide.pdf

8/14/2019 Cultural guide.pdf

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CULTURAL GUIDE


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Index

GROUP INFORMATION............................................................................................5TELEPHONE NUMBERS...................................................................................................5

LODGING......................................................................................................................6

COLEGIO XALOC (THURS 11TO SAT 13) ......................................................................6EL POBLADO (SAT 13TO SUN 14).................................................................................6COLEGIO MONTEARAGN (SUN 14TO MON 15) ..........................................................6COLEGIO ANDEL (MON 15-SAT 20&SUN 21-MON 22)...............................................6

OUR PLAN ....................................................................................................................7

ASSIGNMENTS ..........................................................................................................10BARCELONA..............................................................................................................11

MONASTERY OF MONTSERRAT...................................................................................11HOLY FAMILY (SAGRADA FAMLIA)...........................................................................13PARK GELL ...............................................................................................................16LA RAMBLA ................................................................................................................17LAS RAMBLAS:GOTHIC NEIGHBOURHOOD ................................................................17LAS RAMBLAS:LA SEU CATHEDRAL..........................................................................18MONTSE GRASES ........................................................................................................19

TORRECIUDAD.........................................................................................................20

THE SHRINE OF TORRECIUDAD ...................................................................................20


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BARBASTRO CATHEDRAL ...........................................................................................21

ZARAGOZA................................................................................................................21

BASILIC OF EL PILAR ..................................................................................................21CATEDRAL DEL SALVADOR (THE CATHEDRAL OF THE SAVIOR)...............................22PARQUE DE LA ALJAFERA..........................................................................................23

MADRID ......................................................................................................................25

ROYAL PALACE ..........................................................................................................25CATHEDRAL DE LA ALMUDENA..................................................................................26PLAZA MAYOR............................................................................................................27MUSEO DEL PRADO.....................................................................................................28

VILA ..........................................................................................................................30

AVILA CITY WALLS....................................................................................................30CONVENT OF ST.TERESA (CONVENTO DE SANTA TERESA).......................................30

CONVENT OF THE INCARNATION (CONVENTO DE LA ENCARNACIN) .......................31SALAMANCA.............................................................................................................33

UNIVERSITY OF SALAMANCA .....................................................................................33THE NEW CATHEDRAL ...............................................................................................34THE OLD CATHEDRAL ................................................................................................35HOUSE OF SHELLS (CASA DE LAS CONCHAS).............................................................36CONVENT OF ST STEPHEN...........................................................................................37SALAMANCA:PLAZA MAYOR (MAIN SQUARE)..........................................................38

SEGOVIA.....................................................................................................................41

AQUEDUCT..................................................................................................................41ALCZAR DE SEGOVIA................................................................................................42

FIRMES EN LA FE (LYRICS) .............................................................................44


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Group information

Telephone numbers

Paul Chen 91391523Gilbert Hamera 92703117Evan Budisarwono 96730995Ronald Lee 91182095Chandra Nugraha 81822450Adrian Kartawejaya 82822995Getty 97542788Jaybee 97261777Mark Tan +60164125252Benedict Tang 94785214

Nicholas Gan 8282 8265Albert Quah 90462297Shernan Plameras 93822400Colin Gerald 96930756Ivan Clement 96149467Edbert 90591028Ziyu Jiang 85711807Michael Yiin 82680428Fr. Joe 98908195

Pablo 97587426Alex 90115224


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Lodging

Colegio Xaloc (Thurs 11 to Sat 13)

Can Tries, 4, 08902 L'Hospitalet de Llobregat, Espaa

+34 933 35 16 00xaloc.org

El Poblado (Sat 13 to Sun 14)

El Poblado - 22390 - EL GRADO (Huesca) - Tf: 659 488 407

Gps:

-Latitud: 42 9' 0" N

-Longitud: 0 14' 24" E

Colegio Montearagn (Sun 14 to Mon 15)

Paseo Reyes de Aragn, 21, 50012 Zaragoza, Espaa

+34 976 56 22 67

fomento.edu

Colegio Andel (Mon 15-Sat 20 & Sun 21-Mon 22)

Calle Fuente Cisneros, 39, 28922 Alcorcn, Espaa

+34 916 65 52 39

andel.es


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Our planThu Fri Sat Sun11 12 13 14

6:00 6:00 6:00 6:00

6:30 6:30 Prayer 6:30 Morn Prayer 6:30

7:00 7:00 Breakfast 7:00 Ma ss @ Xal 7:00

7:30 7:30 Talk 1 7:30 Breakfast 7:30

8:00 Vans 8:00 8:00 8:00

8:30 8:30 8:30 8:30 Prayer

9:00 MONSERRAT 9:00 Visit Monte 9:00 9:00 Breakfast

9:30 9:30 Mass Montse 9:30 9:30 Circ / T alk 2

10:00 10:00 10:00 10:00 TORRECIUDAD

10:30 10:30 10:30 BARCELON 10:30

11:00 11:00 Sagrada 11:00 11:00

11:30 11:30 Familia 11:30 11:30 Rosary

12:00 Rosary 12:00 12:00 12:00

12:30 BARCELONA 12:30 12:30 12:30

13:00 Bu y bfast 13:00 13:00 13:00

13:30 13:30 13:30 13:30 Reredos

14:00 14:00 14:00 14:00 BARBASTRO

14:30 14:30 14:30 14:30 1. SJs home

15:00 Las Ramblas 15:00 15:00 15:00 2. Cathedral

15:30 Gotic neighbo 15:30 15:30 TORRECIUDAD 15:30

16:00 16:00 Park Gell 16:00 Video projection 16:00 4pm Martyrs M

16:30 16:30 Cathedral 16:30 16:30

17:00 17:00 (Prayer) 17:00 17:00

17:30 17:30 17:30 17:30

18:00 18:00 18:00 18:00 ZARAGOZA

18:30 Pedralbes 18:30 18:30 18:30 1. Parque de

19:00 Med 1 19:00 19:00 19:00 de la Aljafera

19:30 19:30 19:30 19:30 2. Miraflores

20:00 20:00 20:00 20:00 3. Montearag

20:30 20:30 20:30 20:30

21:00 21:00 21:00 21:00

21:30 21:30 21:30 21:30

22:00 Get-together 22:00 22:00 Get-together 22:00 Get-together

22:30 22:30 22:30 Ignacio Seg 22:30

23:00 23:00 23:00 23:00

23:30 23:30 23:30 23:300:00 0:00 0:00 0:00

Trip to TC (5h)

Spiritual

recollection:

16.30 "Mary"17h Ben+Ros

18h Med

Guided v isit to

Sanctuary

Trip to ZG (1h)

7.40 arrival to BCN

Mass at TC (WYD)

Mass @

Monserrat

Lunch

Dinner

Lunch

Dinner @ ElPoblado

"SingaporeanDinner"

Dinner @ Viar


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Fri Sat Sun Mon19 20 21 22

6:00 6:00 6:00 6:00

6:30 6:30 Morn Prayer 6:30 6:30 6.30 Baraj

7:00 Med 4 7:00 Breakfast 7:00 7:00 Mass?

7:30 Mass@And 7:30 Mass@And 7:30 7:30

8:00 Breakfast 8:00 Talk 5 8:00 8:00

8:30 8:30 8:30 8:30

9:00 9:00 9:00 9:00

9:30 SEGOVIA 9:30 El Escori al 9:30 9:30 BARCELONA

10:00 10:00 10:00 10:00

10:30 10:30 10:30 10:30

11:00 11:00 11:00 11:00

11:30 Aqueduct 11:30 The Madrid 11:30 11:30 IESE12:00 Cathedral 12:00 of St Josem 12:00 12:00

12:30 12:30 Pales 12:30 12:30

13:00 13:00 13:00 13:00

13:30 13:30 13:30 13:30

14:00 Lunch 14:00 14:00 14:00

14:30 14:30 14:30 14:30

15:00 15:00 15:00 15:00

15:30 15:30 15:30 15:30

16:00 16:00 16:00 Med 5 16:00

16:30 16:30 16:30 16:30

17:00 17:00 17:00 17:00

17:30 17:30 17:30 17:30

18:00 MADRID 18:00 18:00 18:00

18:30 18:30 18:30 18:30

19:00 19:00 19:00 19:00

19:30 19:30 19:30 19:30

20:00 20:00 20:00 20:00

20:30 20:30 20:30 20:30

21:00 21:00 21:00 21:00

21:30 Dinner 21:30 21:30 21:30

22:00 22:00 22:00 22:00

22:30 22:30 22:30 22:30

23:00 23:00 23:00 23:00

23:30 23:30 23:30 23:30

0:00 0:00 0:00 0:00

Flight M AD-BCN

15.45 Flig httowards Doha

Waiting for theflight

Swiming pool,sports, relax

9.30 Mass @

Cuatro Vientos

10.00 Catech (notattending)

"Farewel dinner"?20.3 0 Vigil @

Cuatro Vientos

Approach to 4Vientos

Several testimoniesand performancesin Cuatro Vientos

Way of the Cross(Coln => Cibeles)


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Assignments


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BARCELONA

Monastery of Montserrat

Santa Maria de Montserrat is a Benedictine abbey located on the mountain of

Montserrat, in Monistrol de Montserrat, in Catalonia, Spain.It hosts the Virgin of Montserrat, and the Publicacions de l'Abadia deMontserrat, a publishing house, one of the oldest presses in the world, stillrunning,with the first book published in 1499.

The monastery isCatalonia's mostimportant religious retreatand groups of youngpeople from Barcelona

and all over Cataloniamake overnight hikes atleast once in their lives towatch the sunrise fromthe heights of Montserrat.Virgin of Montserrat (theblack virgin), isCatalonia's favouritesaint, and is located inthe sanctuary of the Mare

de Deu de Montserrat,next to the Benedictine monastery nestling in the towers and crags of themountain. The Escolania, Montserrats Boys Choir, is one of the oldest inEurope, and performs during religious ceremonies and communal prayers inthe basilica.

Montserrat, whose name means serrated mountain, is 48 kilometres (approx30 miles) west of Barcelona, and can be reached by road, train or cable car.

At 1236 metres (4055 ft) above the valley floor, Montserrat is the highest pointof the Catalan lowlands, and stands central to the most populated part of

Catalonia. The stone monolith is ideally located to play an important role in thecultural and spiritual life of Catalonia.

The Basilica houses a museum with works of art by many prominent paintersand sculptors including works by El Greco, Dal, Picasso and more.Montserrat's highest point, Sant Jeroni, can be reached by a footpath from thetopstation of the funicular Sant Jeroni. From Sant Joan, almost all of Cataloniacan be seen and on a clear day the island of Majorca is visible.

Virgin of Montserrat

The Virgin of Montserrat is a statue of the Virgin Mary and infant Christ

venerated at the Santa Maria de Montserrat monastery in the Montserratmountain in Catalonia. It is one of the black Madonnas of Europe, hence itsfamiliar Catalan name, la Moreneta ("The little dark-skinned one"). Believed by


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some to have been carved in Jerusalem in the early days of the Church, it ismore likely a Romanesque sculpture in wood from the late 12th century.

Legend has it that the Benedictinemonks could not move the statue toconstruct their monastery, choosing to

instead build around it. The statue'ssanctuary is located at the rear of thechapel, where an altar of goldsurrounds the icon, and is now a siteof pilgrimage.

Upon his recovery from battle wounds,Ignatius of Loyola visited theBenedictine monastery of Montserrat(March 25, 1522), where he laid downhis military accoutrements before the

image. Then he led a period ofasceticism before later founding theSociety of Jesus.

On September 11, 1844, Pope Leo XIIIdeclared the virgin of Montserratpatroness of Catalonia

Concerts at Montserrat

The Boy's Choir have two main daily performances:

13:00 Salva and Virolai19:10 Salve montserratina

Montserrat Spain History The Holy Visions

The history of Montserrat is fascinating and started in 880 when a small groupof shepherd children saw a bright light descending from the sky in theMontserrat mountains. In the same moment the children heard angels singingand the music filled their hearts with a radiant joy.

Overwhelmed by the experience the children ran home to frantically recall the

experience to their parents. The parents were sceptical but knew their childrenwere trustworthy and honest and so they went to where the children hadexperienced the visions to see if they could see what all the fuss was about.

For the whole month following the first visitation the parents were also witnessto the same heavenly experiences and were left with only one conclusion. Thevisions were a sign from God.

A local vicar was brought to the scene and witnessed the same experiencesas the children and parents. The visions occurred in the same location in acave on Montserrat mountain. When this cave was explored by the religiouselders of the community they found an image of the Virgin Mary. And from thatmoment on the cave became a holy sanctuary for religious pilgrims.


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Today the site of the visions has been marked by a Holy Grotto on themountain. You can walk to the Holy Grotto and see first hand where theseevents took place. The Holy Grotto has now be ordained a holy place and isvisited by pilgrims and curious onlookers from all over the world.

Holy Family (Sagrada Famlia)

Basilica and ExpiatoryChurch of the Holy Family,(Spanish: Baslica y TemploExpiatorio de la SagradaFamilia), commonly knownas the Sagrada Famlia, is alarge Roman Catholicchurch in Barcelona,Catalonia, Spain, designed

by Catalan architect AntoniGaud (18521926).Although incomplete, thechurch is a UNESCO WorldHeritage Site, and in November 2010 was consecrated and proclaimed aminor basilica by Pope Benedict XVI.

Though construction of Sagrada Famlia had commenced in 1882, whenGaud took over the project in 1883 he transformed it with his architectural andengineering stylecombining Gothic and curvilinear, Modernisme forms withambitious structural columns and arches, and including a rich variety ofChristian symbols in the design.Gaud devoted his last years to the project and at the time of his death in1926, less than a quarter of the project was complete. Sagrada Famlia'sconstruction progressed slowly as it relied on private donations and wasinterrupted by the Spanish Civil Waronly to resume intermittent progress inthe 1950s. Construction passed the mid-point in 2010 with some of theproject's greatest challenges remaining and an anticipated completion date of2026the centennial of Gaud's death.

Background

The Basilica of the Sagrada Famlia was the inspiration of a Catalanbookseller, Josep Maria Bocabella, founder of Asociacin Espiritual deDevotos de San Jos (Spiritual Association of Devotees of St. Joseph). After avisit to the Vatican in 1872, Bocabella returned from Italy with the intention ofbuilding a church inspired by that at Loreto.The crypt of the church, funded bydonations, was begun 19 March 1882, on the festival of St. Joseph, to thedesign of the architect Francisco de Paula del Villar, whose plan was for aGothic revival church of a standard form. Antoni Gaud began work on theproject in 1883. On 18 March 1883 Villar retired from the project, and Gaud

assumed responsibility for its design, which he changed radically.The temple could be divided in the next spaces:


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The temple spaces: including the Nativity facade, the Passion facade, theGlory facade with the Baptistery and the Sacrament Chapel, the Crypt, theApse, the Domes and the Obelisks located in the temple four corners, theCloisters, the Sacristies, the Assumption Chapel, the Transept, the Naves andthe choirs and the Presbytery or Altar.

Nativity facade- This side entrance to the church was the first to be built andthe only one Gaud completed in his lifetime. The architect represented Jesusmore human part and celebrated his birth by depicting an exultant nature on a

Gothic base. The Nativity faade faces east,which is where the sun rises every day, sothat it symbolically expresses the birth of life.

The Nativity faade is so called because itpresents the birth, childhood and youngmanhood of Jesus. The entrance to thechurch from this faade is through a central

door and two side doors dedicated to thethree theological virtues: hope, charity andfaith, the names given to each of the threedoors. These three virtues are vital in the lifeof Jesus, in analogy to St Joseph, Our Ladyand Jesus. At the top rise four bell towers,dedicated to the apostles St Barnabas, StJude, St Simon and St Matthew, from left toright.

Passion facade - This was the second faadeto be built following Gauds original project. The architect, who only left thedecorative part annotated, foresaw that future generations would makeinterventions on it according to the aesthetic tastes of the moment. Such is thecase of the sculptural decoration by Josep Maria Subirachs and the stainedglass by Joan Vila-Grau.

The Passion faadeis so called because it represents the Passion of Jesus,in other words, the pain, the sacrifice and the death, as staged along thetwelve stations of the cross, expressed in highly dramatic and emotionally

intense sculpture groups.

The faade faces west andtherefore receives the last raysof the sun before night falls.That arrangement heightensthe symbolic effect of darknessand shadows that haunted thearchitect. Like the otherfaades, it has three entrances,also dedicated to charity, hope

and faith, and four bell towers,dedicated to the apostles St


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James the Less, St Bartholomew, St Thomas and St Philip, ordered from leftto right.

Glory facade - This is the main faade which will be the entrance to thechurch when it is finished. As it is so important, Gaud included in the projectthe construction of a great exterior flight of steps that provided access to the

church with a solemnity befitting the place.The Glory faade was given that namebecause it represents the situation of manwithin the general order of creation: hisorigins, his problems, the roads he musttake and his purpose. Like the otherfaades, it will have three entrances (a maindoor dedicated to charity and two sidedoors dedicated to hope and faith), and aporch with seven columns that will

symbolise the seven gifts of the Holy Spiritand present the virtues opposed to the sins.

The faade will have various sculptedelements and on the upper part, above theroof of the narthex, stretching along the fourbell towers there will be stone cloudsbearing the Credo written in large letters.The bell towers will be consecrated to theapostles St Andrew, St Peter, St Paul and

St James the Great, ordered from left to right.The Glory faade faces south so that the sun beats down on it for most of theday, in harmony with its significance: the exaltation of its strong life and joyousspirit. Gaud himself said: Glory is light, light gives joy and joy is thehappiness of the spirit. For technical reasons it is the last of the three faadesto be built and its architectural and decorative design follow Gauds idea.

Apse facade - is consecrated to Our Lady, forwhom Gaud felt particular devotion. It is built ontop of the crypt and follows its half

circumference shape. Between the walls areseven apsidal chapels with slender windows andpointed arches that recall the Gothic style whichGaud perfected.

A number of sculptures are arranged on theexterior, dedicated to the founders of religiousorders, such as St Antony, St Benedict, StScholastica, St Bruno, St Francis, St Elias andSt Clare; the last has already been set in place.Above the windows are a number of gargoyles

which pour out the surplus rainwater that falls onthe chapels.


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Park Gell

Park Gell is a garden complex

with architectural elementssituated on the hill of el Carmelin the Grcia district ofBarcelona, Catalonia, Spain. Itwas designed by the Catalanarchitect Antoni Gaud and builtin the years 1900 to 1914. It ispart of the UNESCO WorldHeritage Site.

The park was originally part of a commercially unsuccessful housing site, theidea of Count Eusebi Gell, whom the park was named after. It was inspiredby the English garden city movement; hence the original English name Park(in the Catalan language spoken in Catalonia where Barcelona is located, theword for "Park" is "Parc", and the name of the place is "Parc Gell" in itsoriginal language). The intention was to exploit the fresh air (well away fromsmoky factories) and beautiful views from the site, with sixty triangular lotsbeing provided for luxury houses. Count Eusebi Gell added to the prestige ofthe development by moving in 1906 to live in Larrard House. Ultimately, only

two houses were built, neither designed by Gaud. One was intended to be ashow house, but on being completed in 1904 was put up for sale, and as nobuyers came forward, Gaud, at Gell's suggestion, bought it with his savingsand moved in with his family and his father in 1906.This house, where Gaudilived from 1906 to 1926, was built by Francesc Berenguer in 1904. It containsoriginal works by Gaudi and several of his collaborators. It is now the GaudMuseum (Casa Museu Gaud) since 1963. In 1969 it was declared a historicalartistic monument of national interest.

Municipal Garden

It has since been converted into a municipal garden. It can be reached byunderground railway (although the stations are at a distance from the Park andat a much lower level below the hill), by city buses, or by commercial touristbuses. While entrance to the Park is free, Gaud's house, "la Torre Rosa," containing furniture that he designed can be only visited for an entrancefee.

The focal point of the park is the main terrace, surrounded by a long bench inthe form of a sea serpent. To design the curvature of the bench surface Gaudused the shape of buttocks left by a naked workman sitting in wet clay.Thecurves of the serpent bench form a number of enclaves, creating a more socialatmosphere. Gaud incorporated many motifs of Catalan nationalism, andelements from religious mysticism and ancient poetry, into the Park. The visitor


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was originally greeted by two life-size mechanical gazelles (a majoreuphemistic symbol of 'the young beloved' in the Hebrew strand of themedieval love poetry of the region), but these have since been lost during theturbulence of war.

La Rambla

La Rambla is a street in central Barcelona,popular with both tourists and locals alike. A1.2 kilometer-long tree-lined pedestrian mallbetween Barri Gtic and El Raval, it connectsPlaa Catalunya in the centre with theChristopher Columbus monument at Port Vell.

La Rambla can be considered a series of

shorter streets, each differently named, hencethe plural form Les Rambles (Spanish: LasRamblas). From the Plaa de Catalunya towardthe harbour, the street is successively theRambla de Canaletes, the Rambla delsEstudis, the Rambla de Sant Josep, theRambla dels Caputxins, and the Rambla deSanta Monica. Construction of the

Maremgnum in the early 1990s resulted in a continuation of La Rambla on awooden walkway into the harbour, the Rambla de Mar.

La Rambla can be crowded, especially during prime time tourist season. Mostof the time, there are many more tourists than locals occupying the Rambla,which has changed the shopping selection, as well as the character of thestreet in general. For this reason also, it has become a prime target for pickpocketing.

Spanish poet Federico Garca Lorca once said that La Rambla was 'the onlystreet in the world which I wish would never end'.

The name rambla refers to an intermittent water flow in both Catalan andSpanish, and is derived from the Arabic 'ramla' which means 'sandy riverbed'.

The name of the city of Ramla, now in Israel, shares the same origin.

Las Ramblas: Gothic Neighbourhood

Thought to be first conquered by the Romans, inabout 15 B.C. It's Barcelona's oldest residentialdistrict is a maze of narrow streets that housesome fantastic examples of Gothic architecture.It's quite a labyrinth and means that it may take awhile to get your bearings. It's recommend thatyou should always look up and around you or youmay miss some of the best bits.


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Lots of trendy young designers have opened up outlets here over the last fewyears, along with some classybut not too flashyrestaurants, includingtapas bars that fill up with the city's youth on most nights. One of the mainattractions, right in the heart of the district is the huge Cathedral which has astunning courtyard full of plants and oddly, geese. Along with the Gothicbuildings, you can see the most concentrated remains of the Roman periodhere, between Plaa de la Catedral and Plaa Sant Jaume . The old Romanwalls still demarcate the boundary between this and its adjacent districts.

Pros:

SO much going on in this neighborhood and extremely culturally andhistorically rich. Very central and well connected by all forms of transportation.Excellent nightlife, restaurants, and great small streets to explore Goticoshidden gems.

Cons:

This is as downtown as it gets, so the streets are often dirty, crowded, andloud. There is quite a bit of petty theft going on, so you need to be very aware.Living-wise, buildings tend to be old and run down, and apartments on thesmaller side.

Las Ramblas: La Seu Cathedral

In the center of the Barri Gtic (Gothic district), the heart of Barcelona, is thecity's gothic cathedral, known as La Seu. The first stone of the current church

was laid in the 13th century, but it would last until the early 20th century beforethe cathedral was fully completed.

The church was named after Barcelona's patronsaint Eulalia; its official name - Catedral de laSanta Creu i Santa Eulalia - is Catalan forCathedral of the Holy Cross and Saint Eulalia.The commonly used name La Seu refers to thestatus of the church as the seat of the diocese.

The history of the site occupied by the cathedraldates back to Roman times, when an ancientbasilica resided there. In the 10th century thisbasilica was destroyed at the hands of Moorinvaders, Construction of the cathedral began inearnest in 1298, and it was not until 1913 that ithad finally come to completion. The cathedral isan example of Gothic architecture, a stylecharacterized by pointed arches, tall spires and

large windows allowing cascades of light.

Adjacent to the cathedral is a 14th century cloister. There are always 13 geese

in its central courtyard. Each goose represents one year in the life of themartyr Santa Eulalia, a young girl tortured to death in the 4th century by theRomans for her religion. The cloister also contains a small museum with


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liturgist artifacts. As typical of a patron saint, her remains can be found in acrypt beneath the altar.

Montse Grases

Montserrat Grases was born in Barcelona, Spain in 1941. Montse, as she was

known by everyone, grew up in a devout Roman Catholic family. Aftergraduating from high school, she continued her studies at the BarcelonaWomens Professional School. A very pious and devout girl, she felt in 1957that God was calling her to Opus Dei. After seeking counsel, she asked for theadmission to Opus Dei as a numerary member.

In June 1958, she was diagnosed with bonecancer in her leg. The cancer caused intense pain,which she reportedly bore with serenity and heroicfortitude. As a result, she continued bringing manyfriends and schoolmates closer to God during herillness. She died in Barcelona on Holy Thursday,March 26, 1959. According to witnesses, she diedlooking at a picture of the Virgin Mary. Her lastwords were, "How much I love you! When are youcoming for me?"

The process for her cause of canonization wasopened in Barcelona on December 19, 1962

four years after her death and was closed on March 26, 1968, the 9th

anniversary of her death. On February 22, 1974, the Congregation for theCauses of Saints issued the decree on writings, and on May 15, 1992, thedecree of validity of the process. Between June 10 and October 28 of 1993, adiocesan investigation took place to add new documents to the process. ThePositio was submitted to the Congregation for the Causes of Saints inDecember 1999, to be studied for a proposal to the Vatican to authorize adeclaration on her life and virtues.


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TORRECIUDAD

The Shrine of Torreciudad

Torreciudad is a shrine dedicated to

the Blessed Virgin Mary, in Aragonin the north of Spain. Devotion toOur Lady of Torreciudad dates backto the eleventh century. The newShrine, built under the guidance ofthe founder of Opus Dei, SaintJosemara Escriv, was inauguratedon 7 July 1975. He said that what hehoped for from the shrine were"spiritual fruits: graces that the Lord

will wish to grant to all who come to honour his Blessed Mother at her shrine.These are the miracles I desire: conversions, and peace for many souls." Withthis in mind, he asked for confessional chapels to be built and for everythingbe done to enable people to pray at the Shrine in peace.

CONTEMPORARY RELIGIOUSARCHITECTURE IN A PEACE FUL SETTING

The principal architect of the new Shrine isHeliodoro Dols. From 1970 to 1975 hesupervised the building works, with the

assistance of the architects Santiago Sols andRamon Mondejar.

The new shrine of Torreciudad is a uniquearchitectural monument. Among theoutstanding features of the main church arethe alabaster altarpiece, the work of JuanMayn, and the Blessed Sacrament chapel,with its bronze figure of the crucified Christ, byPasquale Sciancalepore.

In the crypt there is a chapel dedicated to theHoly Family, as well as three confessional chapels. These chapels arededicated respectively to Our Lady of Loreto, Our Lady of the Pilar and OurLady of Guadalupe. Along three covered archways on the esplanade, theJoyful, Sorrowful and Glorious mysteries of the Rosary are represented.

These ceramic works are by Jos Alzuet. He also did of the Stations of theCross, which follow a way between rocks and centuries old olive trees.

As you walk along the path leading to the original medieval shrine you can seethe Seven Sorrows and Seven Joys of St Joseph, in ceramic, the work ofPalmira Laguens.

The medieval shrine housed the original statue of Our Lady of Torreciudadbefore it was transferred to the new church. People from the surrounding


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towns and villages have a great devotion to Our Lady of Torreciudad, as domany pilgrims who come to this corner of northern Aragon. Spiritual activitiesat the Shrine are entrusted to the Opus Dei Prelature.

Torreciudad is open every day of the year. If they wish, visitors may participatein the liturgical acts of worship and in the other spiritual activities organised in

this pilgrimage centre.Barbastro Cathedral

Barbastro Cathedral is an elegantbuilding with three aisles and richyornamented vaulting supported byfluted columns. The cathedral is on thesite of a former mosque and datesfrom the early 16th Century. The maintreasure of the church is the 16thCentury retablo of alabaster andpolychrome wood by Damien Forment. Some of the side chapels are in theChurrigueresque style and one has a rococo carved dome.

St Josemara Escriv was baptised in Barbastro Cathedral on the feast of theBaptism of our Lord.

The cathedral, the episcopal palace, the seminary, and the college of theClerks Regular of the Pious Schools, or Piarists, are among the most notedbuildings in the city. Besides the seminary for the education of youngecclesiastics, there are, in the diocese, various communities of both sexes

devoted to a contemplative life and the education of the young. The Piarists,the Sons of the Immaculate Heart of Mary, the Poor Clares, and the Capuchinnuns have foundations in the capital, the Benedictines in the town of Pueyo,and the Discalced Carmelites in Graus and Salas-Altas. There are schools inall the towns of the diocese.

ZARAGOZA

Basilic of El Pilar

The Baslica de NuestraSeora del Pilar (betterknown simply as El Pilar)is one of two majorcathedrals in the heart ofZaragoza, Spain. It is animportant pilgrimage site,thanks to an ancient pillarsaid to have been givenby the Virgin Mary to

Saint James on this veryspot.


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History

According to local legend, in 40 AD the apostle Saint James the Greater waspraying on the banks of the Ebro River in Zaragoza (then the Roman town ofCaesar Augusta) when the Virgin Mary appeared to him. She was still living inJerusalem at the time; this is her only reported apparition prior to her

Assumption.The Virgin gave James a small statue of herself and a pillar made of jasper,and instructed him to build a church called Our Lady of the Pillar. Asinstructed, Saint James built a small chapel on the spot, which would make itthe first church dedicated to the Virgin Mary.

Many churches were subsequently built on the site, each one more impressivethan the last. Today's version was designed in 1681 by Felipe Snchez yHerrera but significantly remodeled in the 18th century by Ventura Rodrguez.The towers were finally finished in the early 20th century.

El Pilar has received many distinguished pilgrims over the centuries, includingSaints Teresa of Avila, John of the Cross and Ignatius Loyola, as well asvirtually all the kings and queens of Spain. Pope John Paul II visited in 1982. Ithas also become a tradition for Spanish children to make a pilgrimage to ElPilar at the time of their first communion.

Today, Our Lady of the Pillar is the second-most visited pilgrimagedestinatination in Spain after Santiago de Compostela (also associated withSt. James). Thousands of pilgrims come every year to kiss the small statuegiven by the Virgin herself, and the El Pilar Festival is one of the most popularin Spain.

El Pilar is a massive edifice, dominating the Zaragoza skyline from its riversidelocation. Its exterior has an exotic Oriental flavor, almost mosque-like in itsoverall appearance, with a large rectangular floor plan and tall corner towers.Between the towers is a large central dome surrounded by ten smaller domes;the latter are decorated with bright blue, green, yellow and white tiles.

Inside there are a number of artworks, but the star attraction is the famousstatue of Our Lady of the Pillar, located in the Holy Chapel. Made of wood andstanding only 15 inches tall, is located near the center of the basilica in aglittering shrine. There is an opening behind the statue allowing pilgrims to kissit. The cupola of the Holy Chapel was frescoed by Francisco de Goya.The Museo del Pilar houses the jewelry used to adorn the Pilar statue as wellas sketches by Goya and other artworks.

Catedral del Salvador (The Cathedral of the Savior)

The cathedral is located on the Plaza de la Seo and is commonly known as LaSeo (Aragonese for "see") to distinguish it from the nearby El Pilar, whosename (pillar) is a reference to an apparition of Mary in Zaragoza (also knownas Saragossa). The two share co-cathedral status in metropolitan Zaragoza.The arrival in Zaragoza in 1118 of Alfonso I, the Battler did not lead to theimmediate demolition of the mosque. He gave the Muslims one year to moveout of the town, and on October 4, 1121, the building was consecrated under


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the name San Salvador, and the necessary renovations were made to allowthe building to be used for Christian purposes.

The destruction of themosque and the constructionof the Late Romanesque

cathedral began in 1140.The new church, with abasilical layout consisting ofa transept and three navesending in apses, constructedof stone, owed muchstylistically to the Cathedralof Jaca, from which it tookvarious elements. Besidesthe church building itself, it

had an archive, a refectory, a nursery, and two cloisters. From this era thelower part of two of the apses is still preserved, with small windows betweeninscribed capitals depicted, adorned with so-called "checkered jaqus" on theoutside, and, inside, a set of sculptures that at present are hidden behind themain altarpiece. The construction of the original cathedral continuedthroughout the 13th century.

From 1204 up until the 15th century, all Aragonese kings were crowned in thischurch, by a special privilege bestowed by Pope Innocent III. The king, whothe previous night had kept watch over his armaments in the Aljafera, wouldapproach from there in a procession. The ceremony included four parts:investiture of weapons, unction with holy oil, placing of the crown and the royalinsignia, and oath of the fueros (statutes) and liberties of the Kingdom ofAragon. The last king to be crowned in La Seo was Charles I. Later kingsneeded only to swear to the fueros. Royal baptisms, weddings, and burialswere also performed in the cathedral.

Parque de la AljaferaPark La Aljafera islocated between the

barrios of Delights andAlmozara, around thebuilding of the palace.

The palace of the Aljaferais a fortification built in thesecond half of theeleventh century, Al-Muqtadir time, as theresidence of the kingshudie, which reflects the

splendor achieved by theTaifa kingdom ofSaraqusta. Currently, part


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of the palace can be visited, being an important tourist resource of the city andelsewhere in the palace stands the headquarters of the Courts of theGovernment of Aragon.

This park has an area of 53,610 m 2 and configuration Arabic, is a young tree,clipped hedge formed figures, areas with seasonal flowers and a network of

roads sanded the entire surface.


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MADRID

Royal Palace

The Palacio Real de Madrid (The Royal Palace of Madrid) is the official

residence of the King of Spain in the city of Madrid, but it is only used for stateceremonies. King Juan Carlos and the Royal Family do not reside in thepalace, choosing instead the more modest Palacio de la Zarzuela on the

outskirts of Madrid.The palace isowned by theSpanish State andadministered by the

PatrimonioNacional, a public

agency of theMinistry of thePresidency. Thepalace is locatedon Calle de Bailn

(Bailn Street), in the Western part of downtown Madrid, East of theManzanares River, and is accessible from the pera metro station. The palaceis partially open to public, except when it is being used for official business.

The main facade of the Palace was built on a base pad, on which rises aseries of big Tuscan pillars. It is also adorned with a series of statues of saintsand kings, relocated under the reign of Charles III to give to the gates of therecint a classicist touch.

At the time, Italian Sachetti decidedfourteen vases and placed at thecorners statues of the Aztec tlatoaniMoctezuma II and the IncaAtahualpa, works by Juan Pascual deMena and Domingo Martnez,respectively. Near the Tuscan

columns are representations ofHonorius, Theodosius I, Hadrian andTrajan. A medallion with classicalfigures topped the set.

On the southern front were placed thestatues of Philip V, Maria Luisa ofSavoy and Elisabeth Farnese, andthat of Ferdinand VI and his wifeBarbara of Portugal. Also foundflanking both sculptural series anallusion to Zodiac of the Greeks.


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Is remarkable the intervention of Juan Domingo Olivieri and his workshop, wholabored more than half of the sculptures that adorned the palace at the time ofFerdinand VI. It was also the author of many heads of mask and otherallegorical figures of Greek mythology, that not occupied a place as visible asother works.

he vast palace is richly decorated by artists such as Velzquez, Tiepolo,Mengs, Gasparini, Juan de Flandes, Caravaggio, and Goya. Several royalcollections of great historical importance are kept at the palace, including theRoyal Armoury and weapons dating back to the 13th century, and the world'sonly complete Stradivarius string quintet, as well as collections of tapestry,porcelain, furniture, and other objects of great historical importance.

Below the palace, to the west, are the gardens of the Campo del Moro thatwere given this name due to the fact that here in the year 1109, Muslim leaderAli ibn Yusuf, encamped with his men in the attempt to recapture Madrid andits Alczar (fortress) from the Christians. The east faade of the palace gives

onto the Plaza de Oriente and the Teatro Real opera house. To the south is avast square, the Plaza de la Armas, surrounded by narrow wings of thepalace, and to the south of that is located the Catedral de la Almudena. To thenorth are the Jardines de Sabatini (Sabatini Gardens), named after one of thearchitects of the palace.

On the Plaza de Armas facade, two life-size statues on both sides of the mainentrance honor the two native Emperors from the Americas, Moctezuma,Emperor of the Aztecs, and Atahualpa, Emperor of the Incas.

Cathedral de la AlmudenaMadrid's cathedral, The Cathedral de laAlmudena, took more than 100 years tocomplete. It was finally consecrated by popeJohn-Paul II in 1993. Soon after King PhilipsII made Madrid the capital of Spain in 1561,he wanted a cathedral for his new capital.Partly due to political turbulences and strongopposition by the powerful archdiocese ofthe then larger city Toledo, the construction

was constantly postponed. Finally in 1868 acongregation devoted to Virgin Almudena,the female patron saint of Madrid, receivedthe permission from the archdiocese inToledo to construct a new church dedicatedto the patron saint.

In 1883 construction finally starts and oneyear later, Madrid becomes a diocese

thanks to Pope Leo XIII. This made it possible to build a cathedral instead of a

church. Consequently, the project is updated to reflect the higher status of thebuilding. The new design by Marqus de Cubas called for a neo gothiccathedral building with a ground plan in the form of a Latin cross.


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Construction progressed slowly and even came to a complete halt during thecivil war in the 1930s. In 1944 the design of the cathedral comes under firesince its neo gothic style would contrast with the neo classical style of thefuture cathedral's famous neighbor, the Royal Palace. A commission chose anew design by architects Fernando Chueca Goitia and Carlos Sidro. Theyproposed a design that included more classical elements.

While works would continueuntil 1999, the Almudenacathedral was officiallydeclared complete in 1993.That same year pope John-Paul II consecrated the newcathedral. A statue of thepope can be found in front ofthe cathedral. The cathedral

is 104m long and 76m wide.The central dome has adiameter of 20m. The interiorof the Almudena Cathedral ismore modern and much more modest than that of its larger counterpart inToledo. The building, situated adjacent to the Royal Palace is neverthelessworth a visit, if only for its sheer size.

Plaza Mayor

The Plaza Mayor, a grand arcaded square in the center of Madrid is verypopular with tourists and locals alike. The symmetrical rectangular squarefeatures a uniform architecture, very similar to the contemporary Place desVosges in Paris. During the middle ages the site was just a market placeoutside the citywalls. In the 1560s,King Philip II askedJuan de Herrera,architect of theEscorial, to turn themarket place into areal square. Itwould take until1617, during thereign of King PhilipsIII, before theconstruction of thenew Plaza Mayorstarted. Under thedirection of Herrera's successor, Juan Gmez de la Mora, the plaza wascompleted in just two years. The result was a large square, measuring 120mlong and 90m wide (394ft x 295ft). It was surrounded by wooden buildings, atone point up to six stories high. Fires destroyed all the buildings around the


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Plaza Mayor three times in history: in 1631, 1672 and 1790. Each time theywere rebuilt, the last reconstruction after a design by Juan de Villanueva iswhat we see today.

At the center of the square is a bronze statue of King Philips III, constructed in1616 by the Italian sculptors Giovanni de Bologna and his apprentice Pietro

Tacca. In 1848 it was moved from the Casa de Campo to the Plaza Mayor.Around the same time, the plaza was redesigned with gardens, but those wereremoved in 1936.

The most prominent building on the Plaza Mayor is the Casa de la Panaderia,the seat of the powerful baker's guilt. It was completed as early as 1590,before the square was even laid out. Its current design with symmetric towersdates from after the last fire in 1790. The colorful allegoric murals were onlyadded recently, in 1992.

Museo del Prado

The Museo del Prado is a museum and art gallery located in Madrid, thecapital of Spain. It features one of the world's finest collections of Europeanart, from the 12th century to the early 19th century, based on the formerSpanish Royal Collection. Founded as a museum of paintings and sculpture, italso contains important collections of other types of works. A new, recentlyopened wing enlarged the display area by about 400 paintings, and it iscurrently used mainly for temporary expositions. El Prado is one of the mostvisited sites in the world, and it is considered to be among the greatestmuseums of art. The principal attraction takes root in the wide presence of

Velzquez, Francisco de Goya (theartist more extensively represented inthe collection), Titian, Rubens andBosch, of that it possesses the bestcollections that exist on a globalscale

The collection currently comprisesaround 7,600 paintings, 1,000sculptures, 4,800 prints and 8,200drawings, in addition to a large

number of works of art and historicdocuments. By 2012 the Museum will be displaying about 1300 works in themain buildings, while around 3,100 works are on temporary loan to variousmuseums and official institutions. The remainder are in storage.[2]

The best-known work on display at the museum is Las Meninas by Velzquez.Velzquez not only provided the Prado with his own works, but his keen eyeand sensibility was also responsible for bringing much of the museum's finecollection of Italian masters to Spain.

Pablo Picasso's renowned work Guernica was exhibited in the Prado upon its

return to Spain after the restoration of democracy, but was moved to theMuseo Reina Sofa in 1992 as part of a transfer of all works later than the early19th century to other buildings for space reasons.


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The building that is now the home of the Museo Nacional del Prado wasdesigned on the orders of Charles III in 1785 by the architect Juan deVillanueva in order to house the Natural History Cabinet. Nonetheless, thebuilding's final function was not decided until the monarch's grandson,Ferdinand VII, encouraged by his wife, Queen Mara Isabel de Braganza,decided to use it as a new Royal Museum of Paintings and Sculptures. TheRoyal Museum, which would soon become known as the National Museum ofPainting and Sculpture and subsequently the Museo Nacional del Prado,opened to the public for the first time in November 1819. It was created withthe double aim of showing the works of art that belonged to the SpanishCrown and to demonstrate to the rest of Europe that Spanish art was of equalmerit to any other national school. The first catalogue of the Museum,published in 1819 and solely devoted to Spanish painting, included 311paintings, although at that time the Museum housed 1,510 from the variousReales Sitios [royal residences] including works from other schools. Theexceptionally important royal collection, which forms the nucleus of thepresent-day Museo del Prado, started to increase significantly in the 16thcentury during the time of Charles V and continued under the succeedingHabsburg and Bourbon monarchs. Their efforts and determination meant thatthe Royal Collection was enriched by some of the masterpieces now to beseen in the Prado. These include The Descent from the Cross by Rogier vander Weyden, The Garden of Earthly Delights by Hieronymous Bosch, Knightwith his Hand on his Breast by El Greco, The Death of the Virgin by Mantegna,The Holy Family, known as "La Perla", by Raphael, Charles V at Mlhberg byTitian, Christ Washing the Disciples Feet by Tintoretto, Drer's Self-portrait,Las Meninas by Velzquez, The Three Graces by Rubens, and The Family ofCharles IV by Goya.


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VILA

Avila City Walls

The walls of Avila are the symbol of the city and it is one of the best kept,

medieval walled enclosures in Europe.The City Wall (11th century) is of courseAvila's most emblematic and spectacularmonument. It surrounds the old town,illustrating the wealth, power and influencethis fortified city enjoyed centuries ago.Alfonso VI ordered the construction of thisfortification after his conquest of Avila in1090. Apparently, he used Moorishprisoners to build the wall.

Beautifully illuminated at night.

Look for the impressive Alczar and San Vicente gates.

Today it measures 2.5 kilometres long, 14 meters high and as much as 3meters thick, it is marked by almost 2,500 crenellations, a hundred towers, 9gates and three openings. The walls are in are still in really good condition.

Convent of St. Teresa (Convento de Santa Teresa)

The Convent of St. Teresa is one of two main destinations for Catholic pilgrims

to vila. The 17th-century convent was built after the canonization of St.Teresa (1515-82) over the house where she was born. It contains her relics,along with those of her friend St. John of theCross, in a small museum.

The Convent of St. Teresa, which belongs tothe Order of Carmelitas Descalzos (BarefootCarmelites), was built between 1629 and 1636under the patronage of the bishop of vila,Mrquez de Gaceta.

What to see:The Convento de Santa Teresa (Convent ofSt. Teresa) is the primary shrine of St. Teresain vila. Located on the Plaza de la Santa, itstands over the site of Teresa's birth.

It is an active convent and much of it remains closed to visitors, but pilgrimscan visit the site of Teresa's birthplace, now an elaborate chapel within theBaroque church. The chapel is decorated with scenes of the saintdemonstrating her powers of levitation.


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The Sala de Reliquias contains the relics of St. Teresa and St. John of theCross. The exhibit of St. Teresa's relics include a finger from her right hand,the sole of one of her sandals, her rosary beads and a cord she used toflagellate herself. Also on the site is a small garden where St. Teresa playedas a young girl.

St. Teresa's incorrupt heart and arm are enshrined and displayed at theCarmelite convent in the nearby town of Alba de Tormes.

Convent of the Incarnation (Convento de la Encarnacin)

Just outside themedieval walls ofvila is theConvento de laEncarnacin(Convent of theIncarnation), animportant stop onthe pilgrimage toSt. Teresa's vila.This is whereTeresa lived,wrote, and hadmany of hermysticalexperiences.

St. Teresa entered this Carmelite convent on November 2, 1535. At the time itwas one of the most populous and wealthy in the city, and many of themonastic rules had been relaxed.

Teresa lived in La Encarnacin for 30 years. It was here that she received theadvice of Francisco de Borja, Juan de la Cruz (John of the Cross) and Pedrode Alcntara, began to reform the Carmelite order, and had some of hermystical experiences.

Teresa left the convent in 1562 to found herfirst monastery and returned in 1571 asprioress. She left the Convent for the final timethree years later.

What to see:

Today, the Monasterio de la Encarnacinremains an active convent but also houses apublic Museum of St. Teresa. Here you canvisit her monastic cell, tour other roomsassociated with the saint, and see a variety ofitems used or touched by her. A display


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provides an introduction to Teresa's life, with maps showing the convents shefounded and a selection of her sayings.

The courtyard of the convent is paved with a visual representation of theInterior Castle, written by St. Teresa in 1577. This work compares thecontemplative soul to a castle with seven successive interior courts, or

chambers, analogous to the seven heavens.


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Salamanca

University of Salamanca

In the XIII century, theUniversity of Salamancawas built very close to thecathedral due to the fact thatalmost all professors wereclergymen, the mostqualified people that time.

Already from the start, theUniversity of Salamancawas found among one of themost important in Europe,together with that of Paris,Oxford and Bologna.

Its climax brought along theconstruction of four Major and 28 Minor Schools for students.

The faade was added in the XVI century superimposed to a XV centurygothic body. From bottom to top the engravings become thicker, since whenthe university was built the schools patio was not wider than the streets nearby. The engravings where then made so as to increase the perspective.

It is divided into 3 stories. In the first one, we see the famous frog, a symboland warning for the sin. In truth, the whole faade is an allegory to virtue andvice so as to warn the students about what they should tend to and avoid. Wesee two doors .The left side represents the good, and the right, the bad.

Any student arriving to Salamanca comes to see the frog. According totradition if the student doesnt find it, he or she will not graduate.

The faade shows the pope and the monarchic symbols, protectors of theuniversity. In this surface, conceived as an altarpiece, we can observe in thefirst story, a medallion with the busts of the Catholic Kings framed in a coin ofthe time. Both hold the power scepter like in the portraits, and the queen isleaning her hands on a ledge with an inscription in Greek that reads: TheUniversity for the Kings, the Kings for the University.

In the second story, at the center, the Emperor Carlos V coats of armscrowned with the imperial eagle, from which a lamb (or golden vellocino) ishanging.

To the left, we see the bicephalous eagle, and to the right, the Queen.

In the third story the statue of the pope sitting in his throne with the keys of

Saint Peter in his hands. He is surrounded by advisors and cardinals, amongmany other decorative and symbolic motifs representing the churchs approval,help and blessing over the students.


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Inside one can visit the Fray Luis de Leon theology room, Unamunos CanonLaw room, the chapel and the Paraninfo. This is the Universitys great room,where important events are celebrated. It is also the place where theconfrontation between Miguel de Unamuno and the general Millan Astray took

place in October 12th, 1936.The New Cathedral

In 1513, Canons complained to the Catholic Kings that their cathedral wasdark and small, in a city that started to go through a golden period. So, it wasdecided to enlarge the cathedral. Back then, this was usually done therewhere the former church or cathedral used to be. Thanks to a very importantmeeting of architects the old cathedral remains intact, since it meant a lot tothe people.

The New Cathedral was built leaning ona wall of the older one, and due to the twocenturies time of its construction we cansee gothic, renaissance, baroque andneoclassical styles.

Juan Gil de Hontan was appointedmaster, and after he died, his son Rodrigocontinued the works, introducingrenaissance features without forgetting thegothic project.

The main faade, built by Gil de Hontan, shows three ogee arches andpresents the greatest decoration of the Spanish gothic. It represents the lifeand death of Jesus Christ. In the middle we see Virgin Mary on a base, to theright Jesus birth with the Three Wise Men honoring the child who looks older,for a king had to be represented awake and alive and not as a newborn.

It is curious to see how these characters have been represented wearing theclothes of the time they were sculpted. To the left we see the shepherdsworship, and up in the top, Jesus crucifixion with Mary to his left.

At the top we will also find profane details, despite the fact that stone carverscould only represent religious, geometrical and flower patterns. But at a 40meters distance people could not distinguish what carvers represented, andfor that reason they felt free to carve what they wanted, knowing that no onecould sue them.

The interior is poorly decorated, due to the economic problems the cathedralwent through during its construction, and has no altarpiece. However, thealmost 40 metres high wide pillars and the 80 metres high dome over thetransept provide well enough the greatness this cathedral deserves.

It is surrounded by 14 chapels, some of which are the Golden Chapel, theSantisimo Chapel, the Cristo de las Batallas Chapel and the Soledad Chapel.The choir, located in the middle of the main nave was built by AlbertoChurriguera. It is fully decorated and is one of the most relevant ones in


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Spanish baroque of the XVIII century. It was designed in walnut wood byJoaquin de Churriguera, short before his death. It presents two types of choirstalls and two organs, a baroque one dating from the XVII century and aplateresque one, from the XVI century, all enclosed by a rococo grating. Todaygreat organ concerts are played at this choir.

The cathedral was affected by the October 1755 Lisbon earthquake. Thepeople of Salamanca, fearing it would be the end of times, got shelter insidethe cathedral. Due to the earthquake, the central domes cylinder fell from a 80meters height. The west tower bells started to strike because of theearthquake. Miraculously, there was not any victim in Salamanca. Due to thisfact, the chapter wrote an edict that established a practice that consisted of aperson climbing up to the bell every vesper of All Saints Day as athanksgiving to God. The family who lived at that time inside the cathedral andwas in charge of tolling the bells was known as the Mariquelos; today, the lastMariquelo, Angel Rufino, continues with the tradition of his ancestors, wearing

the citys typical outfit, that represents all salmantinos and carrying atambourine and a flute climbs up each year to the tower, in order tocomemoratesuch event.

The Old Cathedral

In the year 1850, Salamanca arises in a protest conducted by the bishop andcalls King Fernando II of Leon to arms, who obsessed with the constructions ofthe cathedral leaves Salamanca without power or money once the works hadstarted. The battle takes place at the Valmuza, battle that results in a defeatfor the people of Salamanca against the King.

But the people started to help in theconstruction of the Cathedral. Even thosewho died gave their belongings, wealth andproperties for the cause, which acceleratedworks much more than expected.

The King, aware of such news, contributedwith 25 flint stones so as to help finish it. Butthe fear for confrontations and battles makesthis cathedral be built with a wall as a

fortress. Still today we see the battlementsaround it.

The cathedral has Roman Cross plan and aGothic elevation, although the mostimportant feature is the dome, known as theCocks Tower, beautifully decorated withscales.

The patio Chico is one of most beautifulcorners in Salamanca, and the only place

where we can enjoy the Roman style of the Cathedral . Here we can also seehow the Old Cathedral is joined to the newer one, and how this one is leaned


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on the walls of the first .Also we see the different but harmonic styles and thebeauty of his medieval towers.

We can go inside through the New Cathedrals door, where we will find themain altar, made by the Delli brothers at the end of the XV century,representing the splendor of the Italian Renaissance. This altarpiece has 53

sequential pictures representing different stages of Jesus and Marys life.This cathedral conserves one of the oldest organs in Spain, from the XIVcentury.

Chapels in this cathedral acted as the first classrooms of the University ofSalamanca. Inside the cloister, and to the left, we will find the Santa BarbaraChapel, where the PhD exams took place. The night before the exam, thefamily invited the bishop and the professors for dinner at the cloister. Afterdinner, the student had to spend the night at the chapel, sitting in a leatherchair and touching the bishop Juan Luceros grave with his feet. The pupils

spent the night being watched over by a person from the university, who did sothrough a little window to the left of the door. The next morning, professorsentered and the exam took place. If the student passed, he came out of theOld Cathedral door; the city came to cheer him and there was a food and funpaid by his family for three days. The last day, the family celebrated a bullfightfor everybody, and after the killing of the bulls, the student took their blood andmixed it with oil, clay and paprika. Then, he wrote in the walls of the universityhis Vitor.

The capi gorrones, today known as tunos, who sung and acted all aroundthe city to get money for their studies, were the first to await him. His success

meant they would eat three days for free. If the student didnt pass, tunos werealso the first to put him in a carriage and drive him to the river, where he wasthrown.

House of Shells (Casa de las Conchas)

Sir Rodrigo Arias Maldonado built thishouse in 1490 after his marriage withMaria Pimentel.

The 373 shells that are placed in a

rhombus pattern are characteristic of theIslamic art, known as tresbolillo. Thepresence of the shells might beexplained by the fact that the owner ofthe house belonged to the Santiagoorder or by their appearance in the coatsof arms of his wife.

This house presents a continuoustransition of styles. As opposed to theChristian palaces, the main door and the

stairs in this house are not centered, a proof of the Islamic influence. Themixtilinear arch (an arch combining curve and straight lines in it) contains the


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San Esteban (Convent of St. Stephen) is of particular note and is one of thecitys most impressive historical attractions.

Lying across a smallstone bridge leading fromthe Plaza Concilio de

Trento, the Convento deSan Esteban offers amagnificent firstimpression with itsmajestic facade ofpronounced reliefs andstatues. In pride of placeabove the imposingdoorway sits theMartyrdom of St. Stephen

by Ceroni, dated to 1610.Built in the 16th century in the shape of a Latin cross, it is the golden andgrand exterior of the Convento de San Esteban which proves to be the realarchitectural draw, although there are also several worthy attractions inside.The huge stone altar created by Jose Churriguera in 1693 is often a particularfocus for visitors to the church, along with another depiction of the stoning ofSt. Stephen by Claudio Coelle which sits above it.

Beyond the church, the Claustro de los Reyes (Cloister of the Kings) isconnected to the main building by a portico in the style of an Italian loggia. The

courtyard itself, meanwhile, is a captivating combination of Gothic andRenaissance influences; the lower level features delicate mullion windows androunded arches and the decorative motifs above are wholly Renaissance indesign. Furthermore, from a standpoint at the top of the convent, you cancatch some of the most breathtaking views of Salamanca.

Standing on the place of the Church of the Dominicans from the 13th century,the Convento de San Esteban has enjoyed a rich and varied history at theheart of the Dominican community in Spain. In the 16th century, Cardinal JuanAlvarez of Toledo replaced the original building with this much moreimpressive church to reflect the grandeur of his order. The Salon de Profundis,

in which Columbus conversed with the Dominicans on his voyage to the WestIndies, can still be visited today. The Pantheon of the Theologians anotherimportant room in the convents history and now home to the tombs of manyDominican leaders has also been preserved.

The Convento de San Esteban continues to be both a significant religiouscentre and an important monument. Although it is still a working church,visitors to Salamanca are able to see the convent every day (from 9am to1.30pm then 4pm to 8pm) and browse the traditional pastry stalls run by thenuns to capitalise on its popularity.

Salamanca: Plaza Mayor (Main Square)


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Towards the middle of the 18century, Salamanca felt the need of an adequatespace for its market. The square was a large plot surrounded by the differentsquares in the area, with stall markets even next to the cathedral. The largestSquare in Spain, people who visited used to say back then. In this huge butuntidy market, compared to therest of the city, shows anddemonstrations were held,causing circulation problems.

The mayor Sir RodrigoCaballero y Yez with thesupport of King Felipe V hadthe initiative of furnishingSalamanca with a main squaresimilar to those of the bigCastilian cities, with a square

shape and porticos.In 1728, the project for the

building was given to the architect Alberto de Churriguera, and works startedthe year after, on May 10th, at the Royal Pavilion, East faade.

The square was finished by Andrs Garca de Quiones in 1755, whomaintained the original plans of Churriguera, introducing though a new projectfor the town hall. It resulted in a 4,408m2 space with irregular measures at thesides, with a total of 88 semicircular arches, decorated with medallions at thespandrels, in which kings and other relevant people are represented. The

uniformity of the four sides, three stories high above the continuous archery, isonly altered by the Royal Pavilion at the East side and the Town hall in theNorth, which do not affect however, the unity of the square. Here, a rhythmicaland modulated baroque style can be admired.

The North faade where the Town Hall is located has 21 arches and twofloors with balconies, ending in a belfry consisting of three bells and a clock.The statues in this faade represent the four virtues: prudence, justice, forceand restraint. Among the medallions, we will find those of King Juan Carlos Iand Queen Sofia, which could not be placed at the East faade for beingalready completed.

The East faade is known as the Royal Pavilion, as reads the plaque in itscenter commemorating the beginning of the works. Under the image ofFernando III, patron saint of the Spanish monarchy, we can see the busts ofthe King Felipe V and Isabel de Farnesio. This faade is made up of 22arches, containing the medallions with the images of the Spanish kings. Thearch in this faade is the most impressive one in the square, ended in its topby a belfry and the royal coats of arms.

The South faade contains the medallions of the main Spanish conquerors,as the Cid or Christopher Columbus.


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In the West faade, where we can still see empty medallions, we will findthose of Miguel de Cervantes and Saint Teresa of Avila. The last medallionwas sculpted in 2002 by Fernando Mayoral in memory of Tomas Bretn.

This beautiful space has been a bull ring, theatre and scaffold, music hall,circus ring, sports arena..a scenery for all kinds of events and demonstrations

derived from the social, political, economical and religious changes in the city.Not too long ago women here used to walk in opposite direction to men, so

as to see each other face to face. Today the square is still the heart of the city,all streets start and end there. When the weather allows it one can see theyoung, the old, the students and foreigners seating at the terraces or even onthe floor.

When the sun sets one can enjoy the best of it. As the night comes, the colorand the intensity of the Villamayor stone gradually changes; this spectacleculminates with the sudden lightning of the square, increasing even more in

beauty.


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SEGOVIA

Aqueduct

The ancient

Roman aqueduct inSegovia is such amagnificentmonument that isthe most visited andphotographed sightin Segovia and thesymbol of the city,its massive scaleand state of

preservation areunmatchedanywhere in Europe.

Architecture of Spain author Alejandro Lapunzina calls Segovia's aqueduct"the most impressive Roman structure in Spain" because of its "long span,architectural beauty, and dramatic presence in the center of a dense urbanfabric."

History

Begun in the 1st century AD under Emperor Domitian and probably completed

under Trajan in the early 2nd century, the aqueduct brought water to Segoviafrom the Fro River 10 miles (16 km) away.

Some of the arches in the center of the aqueduct were destroyed during theMuslim conquest of the 9th century, but they were restored in the 15th centuryby order of the Catholic kings.

Sadly, after surviving remarkably intact for almost 2,000 years, the aqueduct isnow being seriously threatened by the pollution and traffic vibrations of themodern world.

What to See

Segovia's aqueduct stretches from the southeast end of the city across thePlaza del Azoguejo to the southeastern walls of the old city. Its scale andstones are best admired from the Plaza, but then be sure to climb the stairs tothe city walls for a view over the top and along its length into the distance.

At its highest point, the water channel is 100 feet off the ground. The visiblepart of the great structure consists of 800 meters of granite blocks, 166 arches,120 pillars. And not a bit of mortar or cement was used to hold it all together.Instead, the stones were precisely cut to transmit and bear the load in aperfect equilibrium.

During the Roman era, each of the three tallest arches displayed a sign inbronze letters, indicating the name of its builder along with the date of


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construction. Today, two niches arestill visible, one on each side of theaqueduct. One of them is known tohave held the image of Hercules,who according to legend was founderof the city. The other niche nowcontains the images of the Virgen dela Fuencisla (the Patroness ofSegovia) and Saint Stephen.

Alczar de Segovia

This Alcazar, a castle-palace, lies in the walled city of Segovia in the provinceof Segovia in Spain. It's one of the most famous castles in Spain due to thefact that a lot of Spanish kings resided here and because of its beautiful

exterior.1155 the reference to thecastle became "Alczar", anArabic word for royalresidence, which is situatedon the northwest extreme ofthe medieval wall whichsurrounds Segovia. It was inthis Alczar that QueenIsabella promised Columbusthe backing he needed tofund his venture thatdiscovered America.

The construction of thismajestic castle-palace probably began in the last quarter of the 11th century,by King Alfonso VI, following the Reconquest, on a site fortified by theRomans, Visigoths and Moors successively. The great keep, with its dozensemicircular sentry boxes, next to the entrance of the Alcazar over the artificialmoat (seen left), was the last to be built. A lot of royals resided here, such as;

King Ferdinand III, King Alfonso X, King Juan II and King Enrique IV, who allaltered the buildings to their likings.

In 1474, in this palace, Isabel was proclaimed Queen of Castile, and Carlos IIIerected the Royal Artillery College. King Philip II, son of the Holy RomanEmperor Charles V, established the capital of his kingdom in Madrid butreformed the Alcazar. He altered the roofs, replacing them with the conicalslate-covered ones like which he'd seen in Flanders, Belgium.

In 1862 however the Alcazar was devastated by fire. In 1882, it was rebuiltusing old sketches of the interior before the fire. So all we see inside today is a

19th century remake. After completion the Alcazar firstly became the MilitaryArchives and later an Artillery Academy and Museum. In the mid-20th century


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this use also ended and the Alcazar is now used for cultural activities and as amuseum.

An interesting note about this Alczar is that it continues to have wondersdiscovered; it has multiple underground levels and secret passages thatconnected it to other palaces of Segovia and also the river. Not long ago a

passage was discovered that led to the discovery of a Roman stronghold ofancient Segovia, thanks to a document found in the Vaticans Library. Thestronghold had the same stone as the Aqueduct.

As a side note, the towers may look familiar as the Alczar de Segovia issupposed to have been the inspiration for Cinderella's Castle at Walt DisneyWorld in Florida.


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que marchan con impulsos de tu gracia.Tu Iglesia es la casa de mil puertasencima de tu piedra edifi cada.Oh, Cristo, nuestro Hermano,oh, Cristo, nuestro Amigo,nuestro Seor.Haznos firmes en ti!

Tus jvenes caminan con Mara,que canta como novia engalanada.Con ella cantaremos tu victoria,la muerte ha sido ya aniquilada.Oh, Cristo, nuestro Hermano,oh, Cristo, nuestro Amigo,nuestro Seor.Haznos firmes en ti!

Letra: Mons. Csar FrancoMsica: Enrique Vzquez, pbro.


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Firmes en la fe, caminamos en Cristo

[Firm in the Faith, we walk in (thefootsteps of) Christ] (Col 2:7)

Documents

Cultural guide.pdf