Neo-mudéjar: the mashup style that reflects Spain’s rich heritage

3 Comments / Architecture, Places to visit /

Muslim Madrid Though little remains of Madrid’s Muslim past, medieval Andalusia lives on in the popular imagination thanks to the efforts of some late 19th-century architects who brought about the revival of a Spanish style known as Mudéjar. Reflecting the fanciful nature of the Romantic period, these red-brick buildings with their square minaret-style towers give […]

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Five things you may not know about Franco

2 Comments / Franco /

Uncharismatic character Having cast such a huge shadow over Spain, I imagined that Franciso Franco must have been either dazzlingly charismatic or devilishly Machiavellian. Not so, according to the Personas Con Historia podcast by Luis Lorenzo, a professor of history at Uex (University of Extramadura). The genial professor paints a rather unflattering portrait of el Caudillo, chuckling over his

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A fire in Madrid’s Alcazar: arson or accident

4 Comments / Art, Bourbons, Habsburgs, Uncategorised /

A narrow escape If you’ve ever been to the Prado you must have seen Velazquez’s masterpiece Las Meninas. Painted in 1656, the picture shows princess Margaret Theresa with her pet dog, dwarf, and ladies in waiting. The enigmatic painting is now famous the world over, but what’s less known is that it narrowly escaped being burned up

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