Monday 12 December 2011

The Beauty of Monuments - Cathedrals, Monasteries, Castles, Palaces


Spain's architectural and artistic heritage is one of the most important in the world. Where to begin? Cathedrals, monasteries, castles, palaces… There's so much to see and enjoy. Would you like a few examples? The Alhambra in Granada, the Great Mosque in Cordoba, the Aqueduct in Segovia, Gaudí's Sagrada Familia Cathedral, the Altamira caves, Mudejar architecture….

Mudéjar Art in El Tránsito Synagogue.
The El Tránsito synagogue is the common name for the synagogue of Samuel ha-Leví, and is the most important example of Spanish-Jewish art in existence. It was built in the 14th century, and is decorated with Mudéjar elements and beautiful geometric and floral motifs, and inscriptions in Arabic and Hebrew.

Practical info - Construction: Synagogue.  Origin: 14th century. Artistic period: Mudejar. Historic period: 14th century

Location
Calle Samuel Leví s/n, 45002 Toledo (Toledo)

Contact Information - http://museosefardi.mcu.es
Tel.:+34 925223665, Fax.:+34 925215831
Open - From Feb 15 to Dec 7 Tuesday to Saturday 10am to 9pm; Sunday 10am to 2pm. From Oct 1 to Apr 30 Tuesday to Saturday 10am to 6pm
Prices - General: €3, Admission free Saturday afternoons and Sunday mornings.

Murcia Cathedral
This 600-year-old construction has many Renaissance and Baroque elements, although its interior is fundamentally Gothic. Created in 1394 on the site of a former mosque. It was bishop Fernando de Pedrosa who placed the cornerstone. The interior is Gothic. The façade is Baroque and was built according to design by Jaime Bort. It has a 95-metre tower that took more than two hundred years to build with the involvement of many different architects, of whom Ventura Rodríguez stands out especially. Los Vélez Chapel is Flamboyant Gothic and has a vaulted ceiling with star-shaped skylights, while Los Junterones Chapel is in Renaissance style.

Practical info - Construction: Cathedral. Origin: 14th century. Artistic period: Baroque. Historic period: 18th century. Setting: Jesús Church, San Esteban Church and College, Santa Catalina Church, La Merced Church, Episcopal Palace, Romea Theatre, Almudí Palace.

Location - Plaza Cardenal Belluga s/n, 30001 Murcia (Murcia)
Contact Information -  http://www.ayto-murcia.es , Tel.:+34 968221371
Open - Monday to Sunday 7am to 1pm , 5pm to 8pm
Price - Admission free
 
The Great Tower Of Castile.
This is one of the largest towers in Castile. It was used as fortress, and was at one time a strategic military centre. The castle has a trapezoid floor plan. The main entrance now has a fixed bridge, which was once a drawbridge. Once across the bridge, there is an arch with two turrets and the royal coat of arms of the Catholic Monarchs. The interior has four towers with a courtyard, around which the different parts of the building are arranged. It was the Crown’s Archive in the reign of Henry IV. Given its enormous dimensions, it was also put to military use as an arsenal for artillery, and was one of the objectives of the Royalists in the uprising of the communards in the 16th century. It served as a prison for personages of note during the 16th and 17th centuries, and at one time played host to Juana la Loca. In 1942, after the Spanish Civil War, it became a training school.

Practical info - Construction: Castle. Artistic period: Mudejar. Historic period: 14th century. Setting: Collegiate church of San Antolín, Las Dueñas Palace, Casa Blanca, Church of Santiago el Real, Hospital of La Purísima Concepción and San Diego de Alcalá, Royal Butchery.

Location - Avenida del Castillo, 47400 Medina del Campo (Valladolid)

Contact Information - crvcastillodelamota@gmail.com, http://www.medinadelcampo.es
Tel.:+34 983812724, Fax.:+34 983810117

Open – Apr 1 to Sep 30 Monday to Saturday 11am to 2pm, 4pm to 7pm;
Public holidays and Sundays 11am to 2pm Oct 1 to Mar 31 Monday to Saturday 11am to 2pm. 4pm to 6pm, Public holidays and Sundays 11am to 2pm.

Prices - Admission free, Guided tour of the legendary La Mota Castle:General admission: €4, Reduced admission: €3, Guided visit to the keep General admission: 4 €, Joint admission: 2€

The Iron-age Settlements of the Northwest Peninsula
The "castros" were a distinctive type of iron-age settlement in the area of Asturias, León and Galicia. Excavations of this pre-Roman site have uncovered the layout of the villages in the north-west zone of the Iberian peninsula. The archaeological site can be divided into two sectors: on the one hand, the acropolis, which was a large oval area with a sturdy wall located on a hill which served as a fortification; and on the other hand, the northern area where more than 80 small circular constructions are conserved. Between them runs a network of streets and squares.

Practical info - Construction: Fort. Origin: 4th century B.C.. Artistic period: Pre-Roman. Historic period: Iron and Copper Age

Location - Carretera AS-12, 33795 Coaña (Asturias)

Contact Information - info@parquehistorico.org, http://www.parquehistorico.org/
Tel.:+34 985978401

Open - From Oct 1 to Mar 31 Wednesday to Sunday 10:30am to 3:30pm. From Apr 1 to Sep 30 Wednesday to Sunday 10:30am to 5:30pm
Prices - General: €3, Children: €1,50, 7 to 12 years, Retired persons: €1,50
Large families: €1,50, Admission free Wednesdays

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