History of Spain
The history of Spain begins some 32,000 years ago when humans first entered the landmass known as the Iberian Peninsula – most of which in time would come to be regarded as modern-day Spain.
Early history
The first tribes to settle in this area were Iberians who came from the south (from the area now known as Libya), and Celts from the north. These two tribes merged to form the Celtiberian race which then in time diverged into Cantabrians, Asturians and Lusitanians – each named after the area of Spain in which they settled.
The land was rich in mineral wealth and soon Phoenician traders began to build trading posts and settlements on the Mediterranean coast as well – the port of Cadiz being the most prominent of these was founded in 1104 BC. Soon the Greeks also visited the area and began to exert heavy influence. The Phoenicians opposed the expansion of the Greeks and requested assistance from the Cantabrians and also Carthaginians. This resulted in the Cantabrian’s taking control of most of Spain and prompted Rome to intervene in defence of Greek borders. The result was the 2nd Punic War of 218 – 210 BC so named because the Romans referred to the Carthaginians as ‘Punici’ – a reference to their Phoenician heritage.
Once the Roman Empire had won the victory they began their conquest of Spain and it was to remain under Roman rule for the next 6 centuries – a period which would enable them to heavily influence the Spanish lifestyle, introduce the Latin language to the region – from which the name Spain derives (Hispania is Latin and was the name of the Roman territory which covered most of the Iberian peninsula) and also extol the virtues of the Christian religion.
With the fall of the Roman Empire in Spain in 409AD the land was briefly occupied by the Suevi, Alans and the Vandals – all of whom were defeated by the Visigoths who by the end of the 6th century AD occupied almost all of modern day Spain.
At the beginning of the 8th century Moors from Africa attacked from the south and swiftly took control of all of Spain except for a small area in the north from which resistance would eventually lead to their defeat some 800 years later. The Muslim influence in Spain is still clearly visible today – much Spanish architecture is Moorish.
Quick fact!
The ancient Roman Aqueduct of Segovia in Spain was built in the 1st century A.D. and still supplies water to the city.
15th century
In 1469 the marriage of the crown heads of the separate Spanish regions of Castile and Aragon – namely Isabella and Ferdinand – united the land and ushered in a time of new prosperity and growth. It was at this time that the region of Granada in the south – the last stronghold of the Moors was finally defeated. In 1492 the caravels of the Crown of Castile under control of Christopher Columbus discovered The Americas – paving the way for Spanish influence to be expanded abroad in the new world.
18th century
In the centuries that followed Spain blossomed into a world power and outranked her neighbour France in terms of military power and political influence. In 1701 the War of Succession to the Spanish throne, which lasted until 1714 resulted in the demise of the Habsburgs and the coming to power of the Bourbon dynasty. In 1713 the Treaty of Utrecht gave formal ownership of the Rock of Gibraltar to the British and in doing so gave rise to the only ongoing land dispute between these two nations.
Quick fact!
In 1588, the king of Spain sent 133 ships (the Armada) to England. Almost half of the ships sank in stormy weather or while fighting the British navy.
19th century
In 1808 France, having been in Spain’s shadow for the preceding two hundred years, rose to prominence once more as Joseph Bonaparte was handed the throne following the invasion by his brother Napoleon. However Spanish resistance was considerable resulting in the Peninsular War and by January of 1809 the former King Ferdinand VII was back on the throne again.
Resistance against the French rule continued until the Spanish war for independence shattered the country and resulted in the way being open for many of Spain’s mainland American colonies to also seek their independence.
By 1898 an unsuccessful war against the United States resulted in the loss of the remaining colonies of Cuba, Puerto Rico and the Philippines and the final dissolution of the Spanish overseas empire. In 1876 the name España became the official name for the Spanish state.
1931 – 1975
In 1931 Spanish elections clearly showed that most major cities had voted against those candidates that favoured the monarchy and though country votes gave the King enough votes to still retain his power it became clear that the vast majority no longer wanted a monarch to rule their country.
Within two days the King – Alfonso XIII was advised to step down and leave the capital Madrid in order to avoid bloodshed and violence – as large crowds of angry voters were gathering.
On April 14th of that same year the Second Republic of Spain was born and lasted for five turbulent years of political upheaval, financial scandals and conflicts all of which led the country to split into two distinct and opposing groups. The inevitable boiling over of this melting pot of political opinions resulted in the Spanish Civil War of 1936 – an intense and violent conflict which lasted for three years.
During this time, in 1936 General Franco took over as Head of State and Commander in Chief of the Armed Forces and thus began an almost 40 year dictatorship which ended with his death in 1975.
Quick fact!
Spanish double agent Joan Pujol Garcia is perhaps the only person ever to receive an award from both sides during World War II, gaining an Iron Cross from the Germans and an MBE from the British.
1975 – present
Following Franco’s death and having endured this period of time under such a totalitarian rule, the Spanish people succumbed willingly to the restoration of the monarchy and the placing on the throne of the present King – King Juan Carlos I de Borbon y Borbon. He quickly established that he was in favour of a western style of democracy – brought about by gradual reform and the first democratic elections took place in 1977. A new constitution was ratified on December 6th 1978.
Today Spain is a vibrant, bustling, economically sound country ruled over by the People’s Party.
Spanish language and culture
Culture of Spain
Ancient Rome was the primary influence in the evolution of the Spanish culture and history. Given the colonization of the Americas and territorial proximity, it is speculated that Spanish might soon become the second official language in the United States. Spain has experienced a high level of cultural diversity during the past few centuries, which helped shape the wonderful cosmopolitan destination.
Cuisine
The variety of Spain’s cuisine is comparable to that of its music, as the former is also influenced by the traditional Jewish, Roman and Arab recipes. Although every region has its specific dishes and seasonings, they all share a few common characteristics, such as the use of olive oil and sofrito, drinking wine before or during meals, raw salad and fresh fruit consumption. Baked goods (e.g. pie, cake) are usually served on special occasions.
Music and dance
There are many genres that relate to the fiery, passionate traits of the Latino people, and flamenco is probably the most representative.
Dating back to the Middle Ages, flamenco used to be played only by the poor, and is a mixture of gypsy, Andalusian and Jewish elements. A very similar dance is the rumba catalana, native to the Catalonian city of Barcelona.
Sport
The most popular sport is football, followed up by basketball and tennis. Do Sevilla, FC Barcelona or Real Madrid ring any bells? If so, you will be delighted to visit their home cities, have a tour of the stadiums or even sit with the fans following the game!
Festivals and traditions
Spain hosts more festivals than you can attend in a whole summer, so you’ll have to carefully plan your itinerary. During the ‘La Tomatina’ Festival, tens of thousands of people gather in the small town of Bunol, Valencia only to throw over 250,000 pounds of tomatoes at each other.
The Corpus Christi festival (organized in May) is a celebration dedicated to Juliana of Liege, a nun who once had a vision of a full moon darkened by a strange shadow in the center. As Jesus himself is said to have revealed to her, the bright part of the moon symbolized all religious celebrations, whereas the dark spot marked the absence of a holiday to honor Christ’s presence in the Eucharist (a debateable matter among the clerics at that time).
Architecture
The Sagrada Família is an iconic structure and the main tourist attraction in Barcelona – you’ll be genuinely shocked by its dimensions and stunning Catalan Modernist architecture. The Spanish cathedrals prove the existence of architectural styles and influences throughout the ages; the most significant are the Romanesque Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela, the Gothic Cathedrals of León and Toledo, and also the Baroque Granada Cathedral.
Languages of Spain
Spanish (Castilian) is the official language in Spain which nearly everyone in the country can speak as a first or second language. Spain also has some co-official languages; these are Catalan, Basque and Galician. However these dialects are usually only spoken in certain regions in Spain.
Basic Spanish words and phrases
Hello – Hola
Goodbye – Adiós
Please – Por favor
Thank you – Gracias
Yes – Si
No – No
My name is… – Me llamo…
I don’t speak Spanish – No hablo español
Spain weather
The generally nice weather of Spain is a primary attraction for millions of visitors from around the world every year. Although altogether nice, Spanish weather varies from region to region. The far northern coastline and mountainous regions can get down-right chilly while the southern coast and lower altitudes enjoy much warmer and fair weather.
Spring in Spain
As things start to warm up, people begin to flock towards the beach once again; warm enough to lay-out without the worry of getting scorched. While temperatures can be quite toasty, it is not rare to have the occasional rain storm that cools things down quite a bit. Dress in layers to prepare for any temperature and don’t forget to have a jacket at hand.
Summer in Spain
Spanish summers bring less rain, meaning clear skies and sunshine. Expect highs near 30C along the coast, but as you make your way south or toward the interior far from the cooling ocean breeze, highs can be as hot as 40C. You don’t need anything more than a light short-sleeved shirt and a pair of shorts to enjoy yourself during the summer months of Spain.
Autumn in Spain
Autumns in Spain begin a bit warm but slowly cool as winter draws closer. After September, the extreme highs slowly begin to level out and nights begin to become much cooler. This wonderful retreat from the heat makes autumn a lovely time to visit. A light jacket and a pair of jeans are advisable as winter begins to near.
Winter in Spain
The majority of Spain experiences quite a cool down during the winter months, although mild in comparison to the rest of Europe. During the day average highs are close to the mid-teens while average lows hover around the lower single digits. On a sunny winter’s day it is not rare for temperatures to reach a pleasant 20C. Winter is categorized by its unpredictable temperatures and storms. A thick coat should be handy in case temperatures take a plunge or a storm catches you by surprise.
Average temperatures in Madrid, Barcelona and Tenerife
Average rainfall in Madrid, Barcelona and Tenerife
No comments:
Post a Comment