camino de la lengua-en-2003

8/14/2019 Camino de La Lengua-En-2003

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EUROPEAN COMMUNITY

European RegionalDevelopment Fund

San Milln de la Cogolla (La Rioja)Santo Domingo de Silos (Burgos)Valladolid

Salamanca vilaAlcal de Henares (Madrid)

TheC

astilian

Language

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VALLADOLID

SILOSSA N M ILL N DE

LA COGOLLA

SALAMANCA

V ILAA LCA L DEHENA R ES

M A DR ID

LA R IOJA

BUR GOS

C O N T E N T S

Introduction 2

San Milln de la Cogolla, La Rioja 4

Santo Domingo de Silos, Burgos 9

Valladolid 16

Salamanca 23

vila 31

Alcal de Henares, Madrid 39

Useful Information 48

Text:Javier Tom

Translat ion:J. West

Photographs :Turespaa Archives

Graphic Design:P&L MARN

Published by: Turespaa

Secretara de Estadode Comercio y Turismo

Ministerio de Economa

Printed b y:Gaez, S.A.

D.L.: M -46231-2003NIPO: 380-03-043-7

Printed in Spain

2nd Edition

Mo nastery of Yuso inSan M illn d e la Cogo lla,La Rioj a


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The monumental complex,recently declared a WorldHerita ge site, is considered th ebirthplace of t he Casti lianlang u ag e on a ccou n t o f t heGlosas Emi lian enses,

anno tat ions w rit ten inCastilian Spanish in themargins of a w ork by SaintAugustine. Several centurieslater, the f igure of G onzalo deBerceo, a priest from t hemona stery, w ould emergefrom t his same fo cal point of

religious and culturali lluminat ion. He wa sconsidered t he f irst poet inthe Casti lian Spanish langua gean d precursor of the m ysticw riters of late r times.

Art and Monuments

Centuries of fa i th a nd a r t areenclosed in the Monastery ofSuso. The b uilding te lls of t heevolution fro m t he primitivehermit caves to the Visigothicgrounds, finished off byMoza rabic hands in the 10th

century. Mozara bs were

Spanish Christia ns living a ndworking in Moslem Spain. Inthe forecourt of the church,

w e find the f irst great histo ricrelic, the to mbs of t heInfa ntes de Lara . In the

interior, the na ve and t w oaisles are joined by chapels tothe caves hollow ed in therock. Maximum at tent ionshould be g iven to the Go thicpaintings of the altarpiecedepicting t he l i fe and miraclesof t he saint a ccord ing to the13th century writings of

Gonza lo de Berceo.

The Monastery of Yuso w a sbuilt in th e Roma nesque stylein 1053, altho ugh it w asremodeled throughout t hecenturies until achieving itspresent lovely amalgam ofstyles and details. This lesson

in good ta ste begins a t thebaroq ue port ico, w here wecan ad mire a relief of San

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SAN MILLN DELA COGOLLA,LA RIOJA

Born in the vil lag e o f Berceo

an d serving a s a shepherd inhis youth, th e future SanMilln (St. Emiliane)re t ired to t he mounta ins tobecome a hermit. For ha lf acentury he found refuge inthe na tural caves of the sierraof San Llorente, w here peoplefrom al l over were draw n by

the saints fa me. San Millnhea led those possessed by thedevil or af fl icted b y otherspiritua l illnesses, earning th ew ell-deserved reputa tion o f aman to uched by the hand ofGod . Around the year 537, intimes of th e Visigo th ic king

Atana gi ld , he founded a nab bey in Cogo lla. In 574, atthe respecta ble ag e of 101,San Milln died.

After his deat h, San Millnsfame grew, spurred by thelegend recounting hismiraculous appea rancemounted o n a s ta l lionassisting the Christians a ga inst

the Moors in the b at t le ofSima ncas. The Mo za rabMona stery of Suso o r UpperMonastery was built over theancient orat ory where byorder of Sancho III el Mayor,the reliquary containing thebody of the anchorite wa splaced. Anot her story from

the period recounts how kingGa rca, son o f Sancho,arranged t o ha ve the saint smortal remains transferred tothe Mona stery of Santa Marain Njera, b ut t he o xen pullingthe car t re fused to mo ve,w hich w as interpreted as the

refusal of San Milln to bemoved fro m the place he sodea rly loved in li fe. It w asthen w hen the monarchdecided t o build the Low erMona stery called theMonastery of Yuso in the year1053.

Mo nastery of Yuso

Mo nastery of Yuso l ibrary

M onastery of Suso


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Fairs and FestivalsNot everything is prayer a ndrecollection in San Milln de laCogol la . Apar t f rom thecelebration in honor of SantaPota mia o n April 25th , markedby pleas for rain when t he skyis not being excessivelygenerous, in mid-June apilgrimag e to a local shrinecalled a romera is held justfor men in which years agodog s were tossed in the a i rusing blankets and rappeew as consumed.

All the townspeople andvisitors, witho ut reg ards togen der, participat e in themultitudinous celebration o fthe Virgen del Carmen o n July16th , wh ere the typical da nceof San Milln is performed.The 12th of November is thegra nd f estival of San Millnw ith a solemn procession o fth e sa ints relics.

Cuisine

The w ide variet y of La Riojasga stronomy encourag es

visitors to indulge in all theculinary delights. Ga me d ishesand lamb chops are the mo stpopular of the a ppet iz ingmea t d ishes. To ro und o ut t hemenu, nothing is bet ter tha nthe local specialties madefrom exquisite po rk products.

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Milln on horseback. Withinthe ab bey, a serene spiritua lity

ba thes the Hall of Kings,ado rned by an a l tarpiece wi thpaintings by Jua n Rizi , as w ella s the various cloisters. Thechurch w as de signe d b y Tom sRodi in the 16 th century.Worthy of ment ion are thechoir gril le a nd t he rococo-style sacristy with a lovelydecorat ed do me. The ent iremona stery is a lovelycompendium w hich ha searned i t the name Escorialof Rioja . The Escorial is thegrandiose monastery built byPhilip II nea r Ma drid.

The t reasure of codices andma nuscripts in the mo nasterylibrary deserve specialatt ention. Among t he moretha n 10,000 items, w e can findcartularies, rare bo oks andincunab ula in perfect condition.We can a lso see tw o reliqu ariescontaining the remains of San

Milln and San Felices withelaborate ivory decoration fromthe 11th century.

Touring the Province

In the vicinity of San Milln dela Cogo l la , there are tw otow ns inc luded o n thepilgrimage road to Sant iago ,

the mo st religious an dmilitant route of ancientEurope . In Njera, who seIslam ic na mes means a placebetw een rocks , thelegendary Monastery of SantaMara la Rea l w ith the RoyalP an the on and f l am b oyan tGot hic tracery in t he cloister

de los Cab alleros is ofspecia l int erest. SantoDomingo de la Calzada, the Riojan Composte la , has i tsow n cathed ral w ith a w ell-known legend a bout a mirac letha t t ook p lac e whe n a he ncrow ed af ter be ing roasted toprove a youth innocent of acrime.

Approximately thirtykilometers aw ay is the regionsattractive capital of Logroo,a refined city w ith a solidartistic heritage featuring theCathedral of Santa Mara la

Redonda , the Palac iode Espartero and the Churchof San Bar tolom.

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Inter ior of the M onastery of Suso

LOGROONjera

San Millnde la

Cogolla

SantoDomingo dela Calzada

Cloister of the M onastery ofSan t a M ara la Real in Njer a

Cath edral of Sant a M ara laRedon da in Log roo

Detai l of al tarpiece in SantoDom ing o de la Calzadas Cathedral


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to w ns of Manises and Talaverade la Reina, in a ddition toma gnificent a rchives ofan cient ph arma copoeia. Thema in mona stery library has acollection of 40,000 boo ks.

Tog ether w ith San tiag o deCompostelas Prtico d e laGloriaan d Oviedo s Cmar aSanta, the cloister in theMonastery of Silos isconsidered one of themasterpieces of SpanishRomanesque art . Begun in

times of Sant o Doming o, i tw as not concluded until w ellinto the 12th cent ury. ThePuert a d e l as Vrg enes(Doorof the Virgins), built in 1120,opens up a mag ical universeof sculpted reliefs a nd capitalscarved w ith marvelous figuresof o rienta l influence andmysterious symbolism. Westand before the first medievalsculptural grouping f romCastile and Len . The Mud jarceil ing is decorat ed w ithhunting scenes an d paintingsfrom medieval da ily l ife.

The monastery museum,distributed in t hree roo ms,houses go ld an d silver w orks,including an ena meled chestknow n as the Arqueta de losEsmaltesfrom the 12th

century, in ad dition to sectionson archeology and a collectionshowing Mozarabic l i turgical

codices, some ma de byminiat urists from themonastery.

Before concluding thisinspiring visit to th emona stery, t ime out must betaken to l isten to theGregorian chants of t hemonks performed at varioustimes during the da y. Thisrhythmic ceremonial music, anaut hent ic ba lm for the senses,ha s curiously reached the topspots on t he internat ionalmusic cha rts.


Burgo s provinces rich pa stturns up far and w ide on theplain , adopt ing t he shape ofpalaces, fortresses, castles,mona steries an d churches.Following the course of th eDuero, a metho dical riverinspiring pea ceful meditat ion,

Casti lian w as climbing theevolutionary ladder as al iterary lang uage , as

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Within wa lls transformed b y

transcendental questions, anano nymous holy manscribbled comments inCasti lian in the ma rgin andbetw een the l ines of someLat in boo ks, no do ubt w i ththe intention of facil i tatingcomprehension of difficultLat in wo rds and p hra ses. Thus,the Glo sas Sil ensesappear invarious manuscripts referringto evang elical aspects,confirming t he exceptiona lincident occurring shortlybef ore in San Milln de laCogolla. In these two centersof spirituality and creativity,

Spains greatest a sset a ndprincipal sign o f identity w asborn: the Castil ian Spanishl ang u ag e .

Art and Monuments

The p rimitive Roma nesq ue

church of Silos was replaced inthe 18th century by the presenttemple, using t he original

draw ings by VenturaRodrguez . The architectAntonio Machuca would be incharge of carrying out t heproject bet w een 1751 and1792, preserving amo ng the

original elements the lovelyan teroo m of t he sacristy.Finished in 1732, theoctago nal baroque chapel ofSant o Domingo becamegua rdian o f t he saints relics ina t ab ernacle placed in an urnw ith three g ilded silver crow nsfrom the Peruvian to w n of

Trujillo. Ano th er inte restingplace to see is the pha rmacyor b ot ica , orga nized in1705, displaying med icalinstrument s and ceram icmedicine jars from the Spanish

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Cloister o f Santo Domingo de Silos

M onastery of Las Huelgas inBurgos

Cartuja de M iraflores in Burgos


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Queen Isab ella a s a burialplace for her parent s.Trad ition te lls th a t th eimpressive po lychrom ea lta rpiece by Gil de Silo inthe Car tuja w as g i lded w i th

the f i rst g old brought b ackfrom America. Just south ofthe city of Burgo s is theMonastery of San Pedro deCardea , w here El Cid left hisfa mily befo re going into e xile.

There a re many o therinteresting a ttra ctions in the

province to entice the traveler.In the illustrious collegiat echurch o f Covarrubiasthelegendary Fernn Gonzalez,first count of Casti le, rests fora ll eternity. In Lerma, thena tive village o f the Duke ofLerma, controversial fa voriteof Philip III, ma nifests itsancient aristocratic aura at theelegant ducal palace, asupreme exam ple ofcivil a rchitect ure o fthe per iod .

Fairs and Festivals

Not to o long af t er the newyear beg ins, on Janua ry 30th ,the ca pital s mayor initiat esthe season w i th thetrad i t iona l of fer ing o f thecandle to San Lesmes, pat ron

evidenced b y El cant ar d e M oCid (The Son g o f El Cid). Thisepic poem d at ing from 1180w ould chang e the nobleRodrigo Daz de Vivar, born ina vil lag e in northe rn Burgos,in to the great est romant ichero of the ChristianReconquest.

El Cid is buried, along with hisw ife Jimena , in the stunningCathed ral of Burgos, describedby the French author Thofile

Gaut ier as be ing as del icateas a w oma ns jewel . The cityo f Burgos became the capi ta lof t he united kingdo m ofCastile and Len in 1073 andretained the status until thecompletion of the ChristianReconquest of G ranada .Burgos classical beauty isenriched by ma gnificentmonuments , the b estexamples being the Monasteryof Las Huelgas an d th e Cartujade Miraflores, founded by

View of Covarrubias

BURGOS

Santo Domingode Silos

CovarrubiasLerma

View o f Burgos


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Cuisine

With more tha n a hal f centuryof t rad i t ion, the localgastronomic associations

testify to the professiona lismand preparat ion of Burgoscuisine. Choices are a vailab lefor a l l ta stes and appet i tes. Lechazo , milk-fed lambfrom the ba nks of t he Dueroriver, competes a s the starmeat product on the menuag ainst the sensat ional

morci lla , a b lack sausageprepared w ith rice, onion, a ndpigs bloo d.

Red bea ns from Ibea s arefe at ured in classic recipes, asw ell as th e spicy sausag ecalled chorizo fromVillarcayo . The soft freshBurgos cheese is alw ays ago od selection. The w inesfrom Ribera del Duero,protected by a controlledwine-producing district, meritseparat e a tt ention. These redw ines are vigorous, tastyw ines wi th a p leasant rang e

of rich flavors.

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saint of Burgos. Afte r this act,typical savory buns called pa necillos de Sa n Lesmesare hand ed out . Other eventsof a d istinct cultural natureta ke place during t he monthof June. First is the Mercad odel Camino, an exhibition ofgastronomic productse lab ora te d a long thepilgrimag e rout e. Then Burgoscelebrat es its pat rona l festivalin honor of Saint Peter on the29 th ; a dat e marked by

popular merrymaking,parades of f loats and the Concurso del buen yanta r inw hich various groups compet eag ainst other each w ith afeast .

On the da y af ter CorpusChristi at the Mo na stery of LasHuelgas, a more historicallydeep-rooted custom takespla ce. The so -called ElCurpillos, celebrates theprocession of the famousstandard captured from the

Moors at the ba t t le of LasNavas de Tolosa . During t hefestivities, the Almohadtapestry donated by AlfonsoVIII to Burgos is on display incommemorat ion of thelegenda ry victory. Among themyriad festivities in theprovince of Burgo s, the Cron icn d e Oa w i thmedieval performan ces fromthe history o f Casti le held inmid-August is part icularlynoteworthy .

Los Giganti l los in Burgos

Roast suckling lamb

Arch o f Santa M ara in Burg os

Shopping andHandicrafts

Handicraft s are a vailab le inmany a ttra ctive forms in

Burgo s. Visitors ma y a cquireproducts as diverse a s hand -pa inted ceramics, w ineskins,porcelain a nd even heraldiccoats of arms, a testimonial tothis brave and noble land . Alsofor sale are objects mad e outof w icker and ea r thenware , asw ell as costume jew elry in

myriad shapes and colors. Andfor the mo st devout , themonks at the Cartuja deMiraflores make rosaries fromrose petals which are highlyprized by visitors.

Given the excellent culinarypossibilities mentioned,stocking up on some of t hecharacteristic products willfa cil ita te o ur leave-ta king.There is no w ay a nyone couldpossib ly go w rong w i th astring o f b lack sausages,accompanied by a couple ofbot tles of w ine from Ribera

del Duero.

Useful Information

Local Tourist OfficePlaza Alonso Martnez, 7. Burgos% 947 203 125

Bus StationMirand a, 4. Burgo s% 947 288 855


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Chinese a nd Philippine a rt , th emost complete on e in Spain,am assed by the Augustinianmissiona ries in th e Fa r Ea st.

Touring the ProvinceMany to w ns in the provincealong t he course of the benevolent Duero r iverb e sp e ak o f the g rowth o f thelanguag e in lands w hich ha ve

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which is the earliestRena issance w ork in Spain,and the Church of San Pablo,a profusion o f f i ligree instone . One of the chapelsboasts a superb RecumbentChristin sto ne by Grego rioFernndez.

Museums

The finest exhibit in Va lla do lidis housed in th e National

Museum of Sculpture, locat edin the show piece of Spanish-Flemish art , t he f ormerColegio de San G regorio. Thecolleges exceptiona l fa ade isan a ppropriate entryw ay tothe mo st importa nt collectionof religious ima gery inEurope. The museum displays

significant works by AlonsoBerruguete, Juan de Juni andGregorio Fernndez.

The Museum of Valladolid,insta lled in the man sion builtby t he b a nker Fa bio Nelli in1576, exhibits a complet ecollection of go ld and silverworks, archeological arti factsan d po pular ceramics inadd i t ion to a sec t ion devotedto local history.

Finally, the Oriental Museumoccupies the Church of t heAgustinos Filipinos. It displaysan unusual collection o f

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Paafiel

Olmedo

Simancas

Tordesillas

VALLADOLID

Church o f Sant a M ara La Ant igua Nat ional M useum of Scu lp t ure Uni versity f aade

Recumben t Christ in t heNational M useum of Sculpture

Plaza d el Coso i n Peaf iel

much to t ell. The t ow n ofPeafiel is intimately linked tothe l i fe of prince Don JuanManuel , nephew o f Alfonso Xel Sab io and prose w riter w itha particular style all his ow nw hich he knew ho w to re f lectin El Conde Lucanor, his best-know n w ork. The mo stinteresting mo nument is theChurch of San Pa blo, a fineexample of the Mudjar-Go thic style. The perfe ctlypreserved Peafiel castlehouses the exhibit roo ms ofthe provincial w ine museum.


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colonized in the New Worldbetw een the tw o countr ies . Ofinterest w i thin the to w ncenter is the Mona stery ofSanta Clara , originally a pa lacebuilt b y Alfonso XI in 1350,

an d a collection of sculpturesw hich can be visited at theChurch o f San Antoln.

Fairs and Festivals

Many o ccasions formerrymaking a re provided a t

the abunda nt fa i rs andfestivals held throughout theyea r in Vallado lid. Especiallynotew orthy is the fest ival ofSan Mateo on September 21st ,marked by dances and thepopular g astronomic boo thsdisplaying their exquisiteproducts to visitors. Aroundthese same d at es theInterna tiona l Samples Fairta kes place , a t tend ed bynumerous exhibitors a ndw holesalers. During themont h of October, the city isdecked out for theInterna tion a l Film Festival, the

fa mous Seminci , amanda tory date f or lovers ofthe seventh ar t .

However, the most importantcelebration in Valladolid isduring Ea ster or Holy Week,fo r its ant iquity as we ll as i tsdistinctive charm. Among the

different parades recreatingthe Passion of Christ is the

religious procession do w n th ecapital citys main arteries onthe morning of Good Friday,comprised of a round th irtyfloa ts bea ring scenes sculptedby t he b est Casti lian religiousimage makers.

CuisineThe outsta nding ga stronomicrepertoire found in the seessentially a gricultural a ndcattle-raising lands is based onsucculent dishes with all thesimple charm provided by

their uncomplicated recipes.The most representative maindishes are lecha zo (milk-fedlamb) and ga l lina enpepitoria, a fricassee of henin garlic sauce, typical ofMedina del Campo . To soakup the sauce of a g ood stew,nothing is bet ter tha n the

excellent b read f ound inValladolid.

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Three kilomet ers from t hecapita l l ies Simancas. Itsf am e d c ast l e has b e e n thereposi tory for the Nat ionalSpanish Archives since theperiod of Philip II. I tpreserves a collection ofhisto r ic documents on theGolden Age of the Spanishe m p ire whe n an e xpor te dl ang u ag e e m b od ie d a l l thep ow e r and v it a l it y o f t heCasti l ia n soul.

In Tordesillas, Spain a ndPortugal s igned the t reaty in1494 dividing the territories

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Sim ancas castleChurch o f Sant a M ara del Castil l oin Olmedo

Tordesillas

The tow n of Olmedo,inspirat ion to the g reat w r iterLope de Vega w hen hecreated the f ict ionalcabal lero of Olmedo, boaststhe a rchitectural jew els of thechurches of San Miguel an dSanta Mara d el Castil lo. Ina dd ition is th e unusua l Them ePark of Mudjar Art, a greenexpanse w ith scale replicas o fthe most nota ble Mudjarmonum ents in Castile andLen. Mudjar refers toMoslems living un der Christianrule a s we ll as th eirarchitecture.

Holy Week in Val ladol id


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SALAMANCA

Reputed as one of thefo remost centers of lea rningin ancient Europe, it is

certainly fi t t ing thatSalama nca be cal led the w isecity . In 1218, the mona rchAlfon so IX of Len f ound edan Estudio General inSalamanca, evolving withAlfo nso X el Sa bio un til itreached the sta tus ofuniversity. Around the year

1255, the academic institutionw as a lready considered a s one of t he four centers oflearning in the w orld , on apar w i th Oxford , Bologna a ndParis. Sala man cas professorscollaborated w ith t he king inthe w rit ing of the TablasAlfonsinas and the Cdigo d elas Siet e Parti das (the f irstm od e rn l aw b o ok to b ew rit ten in the lang uag e of thepeople), in add ition t osprea ding Arab culture

through t ranslat ions of w orksby Ga len, Avicenna a ndAverros.

As one o f i ts most fa mousrecto rs, the philosopher a nd

poet Miguel de Unamunow ould say centuries later,revolutionizing the languageis one o f the greatest ta sksthat can be done . Since it w asfo unded, t he University ofSalama nca has been devotedto re f in ing a nd fo r t ify ing t heCasti l ian language, thanks to

the illustrious professors whohave ta ught here such asFrancisco de Vitoria, creator ofInternational Law, Antonio deNebrija an d th e huma nist FrayLuis de Len, translator toCasti lian o f the biblical Cantarde lo s Cant ares (Son g o fSongs). Throu gh th eseha llow ed ha lls ha ve passedstudents including HernnCorts, Fray Ba rtolom d e lasCasas, St. Joh n o f t he Cross,Lope de Vega , Luis de

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Sausag es from Zarat n , ma de

w i th lean pork are a lsotypical, as wel l as ho rnazos ,a sa vory pie fi l led w ithappe tizing bits of spicysausag e a nd eg g , usual lyea ten aro und Easter time. Totop o f f the m e a l , a g o odportion of fresh sheeps milkcheese from Villaln deCampos called pa ta d emulo (l itera lly, mules foo t)because of its cylindricalshape , accompan ied bysomething sw eet , perhapsspong e cake fro m Tord esillasor pastries from Med ina deRioseco.

The rich lands of Valladolidhave yielded t hreedema rca ted zo nesdist inguishing i ts aw ard-winning wines : red winesfrom Ribera del Duero , thearoma tic ros o f Ciga les , andthe yo ung w hi te w ines

gro w n in the reg io n o fRueda .

Shopping andHandicraftsA long pot tery tra dition is sti llalive in Valladolid thanks tocraf ts wh ich continue tofo llow procedures blessed b ycenturies of a ntiquity.Decorative items for th ehome, pot t ery and ba sketrya re prime exam ples. We mustnot fo rget the w orkshopsspecializing in leather objects,as w ell as a series of industriesdevoted to the popularCastilia n-style furnit ure.

Useful InformationLocal Tourist OfficeSant iag o, 19Valladolid% 983 344 013

Bus StationPuente Colga nte , 2

Valladolid% 983 236 308

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University of Salaman ca

Ribera del Duero w ines


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Queen Isabellas personalphysician, houses animportant ar t g al lery as wel las collections of go ld andsilver wo rk and coa ts of a rms.

Juan del Enzina , consideredthe fa ther of Spanish thea ter,w rote a large number of h isplays in Salam anca . Inad dition, tw o de cisive novelsin the long and memo rablehistory of t he Casti lian to nguesaw the l ight in Salama nca. ElLazarillo de Torm esmarked

the zenith o f Spanishpicaresque literat ure,characterized by a l iving a ndsomewha t ma licious lang uag ew hich sat i r ized g ood-humored ly the sad rea lity oftha t per iod . La Celestin a,considered t he second no velof importa nce from SpainsGolden Age a f ter DonQuixote , represents the leapfrom the med ieval w orld tothe Renaissance. The pages ofthis tragicomedy mix thecul tured langua ge o f thetimes with the vernacular tofo rm a universal w ork.

Art and MonumentsDeclared a World Herita geCity by the UNESCO, it isalmost impossible tosummarily describe thespecta cular a rtistic wea lth ofthe city, also know n a s LittleRome for the number andquality of i ts monuments.Among ma ny otherat t rac t ions, Salama nca canalso boa st tw o majorcat hed rals. The Old Cathedral,

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Gng ora a nd even Miguel deCervantes, who dedicated hisw ork called El LicenciadoVidrierato the city. Such an

intellectual display explainsthe typical say ing he w how ants to learn should go toSa l am anc a .

The University of Salamancasfa ade is a jewel of t hePlateresque , an o rnate fo rmof the Rena issance styledevelo ped in Spain. The richarray of det ails and fi ligreew ork on the main faadeconstitute s the t riumph of t heunleashed imag inat ion.According to former student s,a f igure of a small frog w assaid to ha ve brought luck on

exams. Within this marvelouscompendium of stoneornamenta t ion is a meda l lion

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Fray Luis de Len s Classroo mat t he Universi ty of Salamanca

View o f Salamanca

w ith a l ikeness of t he Cath olicmona rchs, and abo ve it , thecoat of arms of Charles V. Inthe Patio de las Escuelas,presided over by a statue o fFray Luis de Le n, t here a retw o interesting museums. The

University museumcontainsdiverse items perta ining to theinsti tutions heritag e.Especially no tew orthy is ElCie lo de Salamanca , par t of afresco o n the va ult in the o ldlibrary painted by Fernand oGallego in 1490. The Museum

of Salamanca, in the pa lace of

Rooster tow er of the OldCathedral

Church of San Esteb an


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beg un in 1140, boa sts a mainalta rpiece consisting o f f i fty-three pa nels presided over bya sta tue o f th e Virgin of LaVega , patron sa int of th e city.The cathedrals best-knownfea ture, typically appe aringon ma ny of the po stcards of

Salama nca, is the splendid,Byzantine-style dome called

th e Torre d el Ga llo (RoosterTow er). The cat hed ralmuseum displays valuableexamples of religious art ,including pan els by Jua n deFlandes a nd carvings byBerrugue te. The NewCathedral, begun by Juan Gi ld e Hon tan a t the s t a r t o fthe 16th century, presents acomplex mosaic of styles andtrends which w as notcomplet ed unt il 1733. Ma ssivein size, t he spa cious inte rior isrichly furnished. Its baroquetow er is one of the mo st

bea utiful in all Europe.

We must not miss themarvelous Plateresque faadeo f the Church of San Esteban,decorat ed in deta il l ike analta rpiece, or the mag nificenttw o-story cloister of thenearby Convent of Las

Dueas, with d epictions of theVirgin a nd f renzied bea sts.The Clereca, si te of th e

26

La Cl er eca

Cloister in th e Convent of las Dueas

Pontifical University today,displays an imposing butelegant exterior, embellishedby the ba roque sty le of i tstwin towers.

Opposite this masterpiecerising befo re our e yes is theCasa de las Conchas (House o fth e Scallop Shells), th e mo strepresenta tive pala ce of civilarchitecture in Salama nca.Built during t he reign of t heCatho lic Mona rchs, its fa adeis decorat ed w ith scallop shells

associated with St. James andthe pi lgr imag e to Sant iag o deCompostela. Salama ncas PlazaMayo r, due to i ts size andstructure, is considered to bethe m os t im p ort an t tow nsqua re in Spain. Built bet w een1729 and 1755, on the w estside sta nds the Pa belln Real,

decorat ed w i th a bust ofPh ilip V.

MuseumsThe Museum of Art Nouveauand Art Deco, installed in asingula r mod ernist palace,boa sts a de l icate and beaut ifu l

collection of bron ze w ork,porcelains, dolls an d t oys forthe d elight of the visito r.

The o rigins and evolution o fSalamanca are amply describeda t the Museum of the Historyof the City. Archeolog ical a ndarchitectural vestige s of

buildings no longer standingare exhibited. Severalcuriosities are also displayedsuch as the lega cy of themusician Tom s Bret n a nd t heDuke of Wellingto ns field ca se.

The House-Museum of Miguelde Unamuno, where therecto r of the University ofSalama nca resided betw een

Plaza M ayor


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whe n the y ran aw ay f romhome imagining themselvesdying a s martyrs a t the ha ndsof the infidels.

The Convent of Santa Teresa

was founded in 1636 thanksto the p a t ronag e o f theCount-Duke of Olivares an dbuilt over the ho use whereTeresa o f vila w as bo rn onMa rch 28, 1515. Her birthpla ceis still preserved inta ct, no wconverted into a chapel, asw ell as the Cepeda fa milys

g ard e n .

Outside the w alls stand s theMonastery of La Encarnacin,w here Teresa o f vila lived f ortw enty-seven yea rs until herdepa rture in 1562 to fo undnew convent s. The mystics cellis preserved with various

elements from the originalperiod w ithin the 17th centurytemple. Under thecommunion ra il is theconfessional of St. John of the

trad ition. The custo marychoices on the menu o f roa stlamb a nd suckling pig areenriched by meat fromMorucha, a Specific

Designa tion comprising abreed of na t ive cat t le thatl ives an d g razes in thepasturelands of Salama nca.

An aut hent ic culina ry treasureis the cured h am from Guijelo,a na m e a t t e s t ing to thespecific origin and a

test imonial to good eat ing .This Iberia n pig, no urishedw ith acorns, is bred half in thew ild in the Salama ncacountryside.

Lent ils from La Armua , aw idely renow ned Specific

Designa tion, ef fo rtlessly meetthe best expectations forqua l ity legumes. And to w ashdow n the carmelized a lmondsfro m Alba de Torme s, a fewsips of the artisan-producedaro mat ic w ines from Arribesdel Duero or t he Sierra deSalama nca w ould be most

pleasant .

Shopping andHandicrafts

A tasty sou venir is therenowned cured ham from

Guijuelo, w hich could b epacked in the suitcase a longwi th a t r ay o f sw e e t s and abot tle of local wine. Ifha ndicraf ts are preferred, i t iseasy to f ind many i tems tochoose from in the myriadshops in the old q uarter.Hiking boo ts, leat her shoes

an d ha ts are all splendid an duseful gifts.

Loo k fo r silver ring s andearr ings w i th the unique charro but ton, shaped l ike asun adorned with l i t t le tears,the ma in sign of identity inSalama ncan trad i t ional

regiona l dress. If w e w ish toget closer to t he fo lkloricroots of t h is proud and noblepeople, the typical hat fromSalamanca is an original andpract ical souvenir.

Useful InformationLocal Tourist OfficeCasa de las ConchasRa Ma yor, s/n. Sa lama nca% 923 268 571

Bus StationAvenida Filiberto

Villa lob os, 71-85Salamanca% 923 236 717

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Roast suckling p ig

Los Cuat ro Postes

VILA

In t he city of vila, of tencalled a land of s tones andsaints , the Cast i lian languag e

ado pted i ts most in t imate a ndspiritua l nuan ces, tha nks to St.Teresa o f vila a nd St. Jo hn o fth e Cross. The p resence of the Saint , as Teresa deCepeda w as known here , isfelt in every corner, filled withreminders of t he grea t mysticw riter. The b est view of this

small hospitable provincecapital , declared a WorldHeritag e Site in 1985, isaf f orded from the lookoutcalled los Cuatro Postes , onthe ro ad to Salama nca. This isan ideal spot to ad mire vilasfamous medieval walls moretha n tw o ki lometers long , the

best preserved circuit in all ofEurope. According to locallegends, this w as the placew here young Teresa and herbrother Rodrigo w ere found

View of vi la


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Cathedral presents an un usualfortress-like appearance. Itshuge a pse , the most popularo f the w a l l t ow e rs know n as e l Cimorro , forms par t ofthe def enses. After gaz ing a tthe main faade , a

compendium of Gothic andba roq ue styles, w e go insideto see a na ve flanked by aislesin red and w hi te stonew ork.Of pa rticular interest a re theRenaissance choir, theelongated high al tarpiece a ndthe a labaster tomb carved byVasco de la Zarza of the 15th

bishop o f vila know n as ElTostado . Some of the mostimportan t trea sures in theCathed ral Museum are a silvermonstra nce by Juan d e Arfean d a collection of musicbooks of Juan de Carr in.

Just out side the n orth cornerof the w al l stand s the Basilicaof San Vicente, vila s most

important Roma nesquebuilding. The w est doo rwa y,surrounde d by rich sculptures,is of ten compa red for i tsmag nif icence to the Cathed ralof Sant iag o de Composte la .

Within the t emple, some timeshould be taken to admire thesplendid sarcophag us of St.Vicent a nd his sisters Sab inaand Criste ta , decorated w i th arelief narrating themartyrdom suffered by thesechildren the 27th of Octo ber inthe year 306.

With rega rds to civilarchitecture in vila, we mustmention the Palacio de losVelada and the Casa de DonBlasco Nuez de Vela, a lovelyRena issance ma nsion w hich isnow occupied by territorialcourts of the Audiencia

Provincia l. Pa rticularlynotew orthy is the Palacio de

33

Cross, the brilliant mystic poetfro m Font iveros in vilaprovince who collaboratedw ith his friend Teresa in t hereform of the Carmelite order.A fervent writer of enormousinspirat ion, h is Cnt icoespirtualis considered one of

the m asterpieces ofRena issance poet ry in theCasti l ian language.

The Saints imprint a ndanecdotes connected w ith herlife crop up in every part of

the city. In the Church of SanJuan, she wa s bapt ized , and inthe Convent of San Jos,there is a small museum in theHerreran-style churchcontaining paintings, papersan d ot her relics related to t helife o f St. Teresa .

Art and Monuments

Begun at the c lose of the 12th

century accord ing to draw ingsby Master Fuchel, the

32

Tabla d e San Pablo in vilasCathedral

M onast ery o f la En carn acin Chu rch o f San Ju an

Basilica of San Vicent e


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Touring the ProvinceIn th e north ern part of vilaprovince , tw o unique tow nsare located : Arvalo, declareda Historic-Artistic complex in1970, and Madrigal de las

Altas Torres, roya l residence inthe 15th century andbirthplace of Queen Isabella,the Ca tho lic. Also w orthvisiting is the reg ion o f LaMoraa, known f or its

magnificent Mudjararchitecture, churches andot her buildings.

South of the city of vila risesthe Sierra de Gredos, rockyspine of Castile. This imposing

mountain chain is saturatedw i th lakes and pea ks w herethe ea r th seems to s lip aw ayan d o nly the sky remains. Inthe foothills, we can admirethe mag ical toros de

35

los Dvila, from the 13th t o the

16 th centuries, built f or bo thresidential an d d efensivereasons.

Museums

The Museum of vila, locatedin the at tractive Casa d e los

Deanes, has an a rcheologysection covering t hePaleolithic to the Middle Ages.In the Fine Arts room s,ceramics, weapons and avaluable Flemish triptych aredisplayed. The ethn og raphicsection enta ils a journey

throug h time via t he custo ms,ga rments and householdute nsils of rura l vila .

The Royal Monastery of SantoToms, a short dista nce from

the city center, w as foun dedon April 11, 1482 und er th eauspices of t he Cat holicMonarchs, the most importantsovereigns in the history o fSpain. Their only male heir,Prince Don Juan, is buried in aCarrara marble tomb in thissplendid temple of cathedral

proportions. Atte ntion shouldbe g iven to t he superb highal tar , decorated w i th panelsby Pedro Be rrugue te. Thedepend encies surround th ecourtyards of the Noviat e , o f S ile nce and o f theKings , and a t one side of t hemona stery, w e f ind the

Oriental Museumw ith exot iccollections ama ssed by t heDominican s during theirevangelizing missions. One ofthe rooms is devoted to theexhib i t ion o f fa una f rom al lover the w orld .

Madrigalde las Altas Torres

Arvalo

VILA

SIERRADEGREDOS

Plaza de Sant a Teresa in vila

Royal Mo nastery o f Sant o TomsM adrig al de las Alt as Torres

Arva lo


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Fairs and FestivalsThe b usy ca lenda r of Avila ncelebrat ions, w hen typicalCasti lian a usterity g ives wa y totheir more fun-lovingcharacter, focuses primarily onCat ho lic saints. The f estival of

the pat ron saint San Segundo,on Ma y second , pa ys homag eto the f irst bishop o f vila,patron of the c ity and thedioceses. Solemnity and

recollection prevail at theEaster celebrations duringHoly Week; the mo st poigna ntmomen t being t he processioncalled Cristo de losAjusticiad os held on Go odFriday.

With the a rrival of go odw eather a nd sunshine ,monotony is broken by the Summer fest ival ,distinguished by regiona ldances, artistic exhibits andbullfights. The pilgrimage to alocal shrine, called romera ,in honor of the Virgin ofSonsoles, patron of theAmbls valley, cong rega tes a nenthusiastic crow d a round th ishermitag e in the out skirts ofthe capital city.

vilas gran d g ala is centeredaround the o mnipresent St .

Teresa . During t he en tirew eek of Octob er 7th until the15 th da ily routines are

37

Gu isand o , a g rou p o f fou rlife-size bulls carved ingra nite. The mea ning of t hismonument from t he Celt iccul ture , da t ing from aroundthe second century, isunknown, a l though expertshave associated i t withtotemic idols that protectedthe flocks. Here th e Concord ia de los Toro s deGuisan do w as signe d in 1468,a pa ct w hich put an end tothe c ivil wa r betw eenEnriq ue IV of Castile and his

sister Isabe lla .

A short dista nce to the no rthof t he city of vila, w e findt h e t o w n o f Gotarrendura,w here the Cepeda f amily hada country house a ndconsiderab le lan d. St. Teresaspent her summers here as achild. Sti ll sta nding from tha tperiod is a pigeon h ousew here she used to pla y. As anad ult, she w ould call convents dovecotes , a fond reminderof t his symbo l from herchildhood.

36

Toros de Guisand o at El Tiemb lo

Sierra of Gred os

Tradit ional dr ess


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39

in terrupted t o ce lebrat e a sdeserved Avilas greatestglory.

Cuisine

Like the pen of its writers,vilas cuisine combinestrad i t ion a nd imaginat ionw ith moderat ion. The meatfrom the o ldest breed ofcatt le in Europe en joysright ful recog nition for i tsqua lity a nd e xcellent

presenta tion a t the t ab le. The lecha zo (milk-fed lamb ) an dsuckling pig, slowly roasted inba kers wo od -burning ovens,are not to b e over looked .

The bea ns from the tow n of ElBarco de vila ha ve earnedtheir Specific Designa tion, an

exceptiona lly ta sty and easilyd igested f ood . Before

38

Veal chop from vi la

finishing a mea l, figs orcherries fro m t he Tita r valleymust be t r ied , topping off thedessert w ith a piece of fineAvilan cheese. The mosttypical confections are t he

fa mous eg g-yolk sw eets called yemas de Santa Teresa , at reat for the palate .

Shopping andHandicraftsIt is customary to purchase a

packag e of yemas de SantaTeresa or ano ther one o f thevarious specialties made bythe nuns in the Avilanconvents because of the irexcellent reputa tion. Withoutstraining our purse strings, w ecan also buy a type ofearthenware pitcher called

botijo, jugs called cn ta ros , p l a te s and o the rpieces of po tte ry, as w ell asthe f ine leatherw ork made bytalented local craftsmen.

Useful Information

Local Tourist OfficePlaza de la Catedral , 4vila% 920 211 387

Bus StationAvenida de Mad rid, 2vila

% 920 220 154

ALCAL DEHENARES, MADRID

Our Rout e of the Castil ianLang uag e concludes i ts

cultural journey in Alcal d eHenares, distinguished by t heUNESCO a s part o f t he WorldsCultural Heritage, along withSalama nca a nd vila. Fromthe fo unding of Complutumby t he Roma ns, this lovelyha rmonious city ha s seenma ny different civil izat ions

pass throug h its territory, a l lgenerous contributors to thefo rmation of i ts rich historicaland artistic heritage.

Alcal natives include the

Archpriest of Hita , one o f t hefirst w riters to use theCast i lian lang uag e as a w orkto ol, as well as Miguel deCervantes , joy of the muses ,w ho came into the w orld onOctober 9, 1547. The Museumand House of Cervantes, sitew here he wa s born and spent

Monu ment t o Cervantes

l I h Ch l f


22/26

Colegio Mayor de SanIldefonso, originally th eheadq uar ters of theUniversity, to w hich a series of co le g ios w e re ad d e d ,reaching fo rty in number in

41

his early years w ith hisparent s, Rodrigo de Cervantes,a surgeon, and Leonor deCortina s, stylishly provides aglimpse into t he l ife o f a w ell-to -do fa mily in the 16th

century. The roo ms of t hetw o-sto ry home, joinedaround an at t rac t ive por t icoedcourtyard, recrea te a spects of

the d aily lives of t he Cervan tesfa mily: Don Rodrigo s off ice,the kitchen full of do mesticitems and t he bed rooms. Allare decorated w i th furniture ,ceram ics and etchings from

th e period. Tw o roo ms displayCervantine books of greatvalue bibliog raphically a ndartistically from Spain a s we llas ot her countries.

The trail of this one-handedgen ius, aut hentic glory ofCasti lian letters, can be tracedthroughout a c ity of f er ingmany pleasant surprises. In theformer Corral de Comedias,located in the P laza deCervant es, the echoes oflaugh ter sti ll resound f rom th ethea trical performa nces of h isw orks. The Cervan tes Institute,

housed in t he Colegio d el Rey,is an excellent o rga nizationpromoting the Spanish

40

House of Cervantes

Oidor ChapelThe Universitys Great Hall,the Paraninf o

Faade o f t he Un iversity of Alcal

l anguag e . In the Chapel ofOidor, embellished byMudjar tracery, w e canadmire the restored baptismalfont w here Miguel deCervantes wa s bapt ized on

Octob er 9, 1547.

Each year th e University ofAlcal hosts the mostimportan t social eventinvolving the Castilianlanguage: the Cervantes Prizefor Literature aw arded by theKing a nd Queen of Spain .

Modeled on the EstudiosGenerales started by BishopGarcia de Gudiel in 1293, thegreat educat or Card inalCisneros fo unded theprestigiou s University o fAlcal de Hen a res in 1499,initial ly backed by t he Cat holicMonarchs. The primitive

insti tution consisted of the

Cardinal Cisneros wa s also t he


23/26

in the 16th century w hichincludes the Old a nd NewTesta men ts in G reek, Latin(Vulgate), Hebrew, Aramaicand Latin translation.

The diffe rent universitycolleges a re spread

throug hout t he city. Ofparticular interest amo ngthem a re the Colegio deMlaga w i th a c loister byGmez d e Mora, the Colegiode Jesuitas, notable for thestairwa y by VenturaRodrguez, and the Colegio deSan Pedro y San Pablo w ith alovely Tuscan co urt ya rd. All ofthese college s haveperpetua ted t he universityspirit of Alcal. Throu gh the irhalls have passed saints suchas Ignacio de Loyola,distinguished men of lettersincluding Lop e d e Veg a , Tirso

de Mol ina a nd Quevedo, andlinguists such as t he g reatAntonio d e Nebrija.

Cardinal Cisneros wa s also t heinspirat ion behind t heMagistral Church-Cathedral,built a t th e close of t he 15th

century over the place w heretrad ition says the children

Justo a nd Pastor w erema rtyred. The church, b uilt inthe Lat e Got hic t rad i t ion, w asdevastated by f i re dur ing theSpa nish Civil War.Nevertheless, the presentbuilding still preservescharacteristic elements such asthe g ates carved by Juan

Francs and t he Plateresqueto mb in the am bulato ry. Inthe exterior, the robust 17th

century Herrera n-style bellto w er is of particular interest.The museum displays ivoryobjects, exquisite g old a ndsilver works, and memorabiliaof the Card inal.

43

the 17th century. Altho ugh theuniversity wa s transferred toMadrid in 1836, it would

return to Alcal in 1977 alongw ith all the vitali ty andintellectual brilliance of itsdistinguished pa st.

Rebuilt by Rodrigo Gil deHonta n in 1553, themag ni f icent faade of theColegio de San Ildefo nso,bear ing the coat of arms ofCarlos V amidst delicatePlateresque ornamenta t ion,ushers us into a g roup ofcourtyards a nd cloisters ofdifferent periods a nd styles.The Herreran-style Pa tio deSant o Tom s de Villa nueva

finished in 1662 compa resadmirably wi th the Pat ioTrilinge , t he o ld schoo l of

La tin, Gree k and Hebrew . TheParaninfo o r Great Hall ,covered b y an exquisite

Mudjar coffered ceiling a ndembellished w ith Plateresquetracery on the w alls, becomesthe stag e every April 23rd f orthe highest public recognitiongiven to w riters in theCast i lian languag e w i th theceremony of the PremioCervant es . The high point o fthe t our is the chape l of SanIldefonso, t he o ldest buildingof t he University, dat ing from1510. Here we can see th erichly decorat ed t omb carvedin Carrara marble of CardinalCisneros. Among man y othe rthings, w e ow e this eminent

prelate the publication of thefirst Polyglot Bible, atypog raphical treasure printed

42

Sant o Toms de Villan ueva court yard at th e University

Archb ishop s Palace

M agistral Chu rch-Cath edral

The OratoryofSanFelipe


24/26

The Oratory of San FelipeNeri, the o nly male religiouscongregation which sti l lsurvives in Alcal, occupies asober building a dorned insidew i th rococo ornamenta t ionan d a n interesting collectionof paint ings by Mael la a ndCarducho.

Our tour of Alcal concludesa t t h e Hospital of Antezana,the oldest ho spita l sti llfunctioning in Spain. Found edin 1483 to care f or th e

indigent, Cervantes fatherRodrigo w orked here as asurgeon a nd the fu ture St .Igna cio de Loyola coo ked forthe pat ients w hen he wa s astudent in Alcal.


In the ea stern part of t he citystood t he Roman c ity ofComplutum, dat ing f rom thefo urth century. In a ddition tothe a rcheolog ical complex ofthe Ca sa de Hippolytus, anan cient schoo l w ith ba sil icaan d h ot springs, in t he vicinitythere are numerous tow ns

45

MuseumsNext t o t he imposing silhouet teof the Archbishops Palacestands the Convent of SanBernardo, a cloisteredmona stery founded in 1618 byBernardo de Sando val,Archbishop of Toled o a t th etime. Within these walls,

Isabella the Ca tho lic andChristopher Columbus met f orthe f irst time. One must no t befooled by the extreme austerityof t he brick faade , the interiordisplays a magnificent ellipticalfloor plan covered by an ovaldom e. Around it are sixadjoining chapels exhibitingw orks by Angelo Nardi, courtpainter of Philip III. In additionto the curious ba ldachininstea d of t he usual altarpiece,the Berna rdine convent a lsohouses a splendid museum ofreligious art .

Next do or in the ArcheologicalMuseum there are valuablevestiges from an cient times.

44

MADRID

Alcalde

Henares

distinguished by artisticmosaics from t he Roman

period. The Archeolog ica lWorksho p Scho ol ca lled TEARincludes a museum nea r theRoma n Forum divided intothree sections: prehistory,Roma nizat ion and theVisigothic period. Theinstitution called TouristPromot ion of Alcal

organizes buses to takevisitors to see the interestingruins of Complutum.

Side t rips can also be t aken t othe ba nks of th e Hena res river,a place intimate ly connectedto som e o f the g re a tmasterpieces of Spanishliterat ure. Authors chose th is

Ruins of Roman Complutu m

Cervantes certifi cate of bapt ism

Oppo site rises the ma ssive

tow er cal led Torren Tenorio,included in the east w ing ofthe Archbishops Palace andpresent site of the Diocesanlibra ry. Close by, the Casa dela Entrevista serves as a nexhibit ha ll on the sitefo rmerly occupied by th eConvent of San Juan de la

Penitencia.

Monumentto CardinalCisneros

fi l led with allusions to migasgeographical setting so of Spain awa rd the Cervant es


25/26

fi l led with allusions to migasma nchega s (fried g arlickybread crumbs), chorizosausag e and fr ied egg s,succulent cocido Mad rileo(chickpea stew) andtrad i t iona l duelos yquebrant os (a fr ied d ishm ad e w ith e g g s , b ac on andbra ins); specia lties which canbe sampled in the ta verns andrestaurants of the city. Thefresh vegetables from theferti le plains of th e Henaresdeserve special ment ion a nd

are a n ideal complement o nthe menu to the roa st l amband suckling pig.

The rich co nfe ctionerytrad ition in Alcal is due t othe delights prepared sincetime immemorial in thecloistered convent s. The best

examples can fo und in the rosquillas (pastry rings) andr ich a lmendras ga rrapiada s(carmelized a lmonds) made b ythe nuns of the o rder of St .Clare. Within this repertoire ofsweets , w e canno t forget thecand ied seed-ca kes, sublimeinvent ion of the f ormer royalpastry-makers.

Shopping andHandicraftsOn and a round the street ofCalle Mayor, the tapa s ba rs

and shops are a constantinvi ta t ion to enjoy the g oodlife. Here w e w ill find

excellent examples of thebrill ian t local craf ts tra ditionre lat ing to ea r thenwa re ,

leat her, w rought i ron andw ood. The shop window s ofjewelry stores an d ot herestab lishments are packedw ith t ypical i tems evokingCervantes made from noblemeta ls, glass or bound inleather, providing a goodselection of souvenirs to ta ke

hom e .

Useful Information

Municipal Tourist OfficeCallejn de Sant a Ma raAlcal de Henares% 918 892 694

Municipal Tourist OfficePlaza de los San tos NiosAlcal de Henares% 918 810 634

Continental Auto(Bus Company)

(Alcal-Madrid)Avenida de Gua dalajara , 5% 918 881 622

47

geographical setting, soappro priat e fo r sublimerepose , as the sta ge f or LaGalateaa n d El Libro del BuenAmor. A scant thirtykilom ete rs from Alca l isMad rid, w ith endlessopportunities forenter ta inment a l l year round .

Fairs and Festivals

The ritual f estivals in Alcal deHenares are saturated w i th

cultural symbolism. Thememo ry of t he saintly childrenJusto a nd Pasto r iscommemorated each August6th . At the en d of August, thecity enga ges in a joyouswhirlwind celebration of SanBar tolom, b idd ing fa rewel lto summer amidst da ncing

and other enter ta inment . OnApril 23rd , as mentionedbefore , the King a nd Queen

of Spain awa rd the Cervant esPrize f or Literature, t he Nobe l Prize of SpanishLett ers . Also a gra nd f estivalis held on October 9 th ,coinc id ing w i th the da te ofCervant es bapt ism.

At the beginning o fNovember another g reatfictiona l cha racter, Don Jua nTeno rio, has the spo tlight ,tha nks to the t ravellingperformances of Zorrillasimmortal work. During the

same month, the prestigious Quevedo pr izes for graphichu m or a re aw ard e d .

Cuisine

Alcalas ga stronomy, noted forits heartiness and sparkle, is

strongly l inked t o the citysmost e minent na tive son. Thepag es of Don Quixote a re

46

Migas

Hospital of An tezana

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e-mail: sing apor e@to urspain.es

UNITED STATES OF AMERICALos AngelesTourist Of fice o f Spa in

8383 Wilshire Blvd, Suite 960

Beverly Hills, Ca lifornia 90211

% 1(323) 658 71 88) 1(323) 658 10 61

w w w.okspain .org

e-mail: losangeles@to urspain.es

gTou rist Office Of Spain

Wa te r Tow er Pla ce, suite 915 Ea st

845, North Michigan Avenue

Chicago, Illinois 60-611

% 1(312) 642 19 92

) 1(312) 642 98 17

w w w.okspain .org

e-mail: chicago@to urspain.es

MiamiTou rist Of fice o f Spa in

1221 Brickell Avenu e

Miam i, Florida 33131

% 1(305) 358 19 92

) 1(305) 358 82 23

w w w.okspain .orge-mail: miami@to urspain.es

New YorkTou rist Of fice o f Spa in

666 Fifth Aven ue 35th f loor

New York, New York 10103

% 1(212) 265 88 22

) 1(212) 265 88 64

w w w.okspain .org

e-mail:[email protected]

EMBASSIES IN M ADRID

CanadaNez de Balbo a, 35 - 3a planta

% 914 233 250) 914 233 251

Great BritainFerna ndo El San to , 16

% 913 190 200) 913 081 033

Japan. Serrano, 109% 915 907 600

) 915 901 321

Russia. Velzquez, 155% 915 622 264

) 915 629 712

United States of AmericaSerran o, 75% 915 872 200

) 915 872 303

USEFUL INFORM ATION

International code: 34

Tourist Information TURESPAA% 901 300 600w w w.spain .inf o

La Rioja % 941 291 260w w w.lario ja.com /turi smo

Castile and Len% 902 204 030

w w w.jcyl.es/tu rismo

Madrid% 902 100 007 www.madrid.org

PARADORES DE TURISM O

Parador Hotel Reservation CenterCalle Requena, 3. 28013 Madrid

% 915 166 666) 915 166 657

w w w.parado r.es

La RiojaParador de Calahorra% 941 13 03 58

Parador de Santo Domingo dela Calzada% 941 340 300

ValladolidParador de Tordesillas% 983 770 051

SalamancaParador de Ciudad Rodrigo% 923 460 150

Parador de Salamanca% 923 192 082

vilaParador de vila% 920 211 340

Parador de Gredos% 920 348 048

Madrid

Hostera de Alcal de Henares% 918 880 330Parador de Chinchn% 918 940 836

G O O

General Emergencias% 112Medical Emergencias% 061Civil Guard% 062Nacional Police% 091Municipal Police% 092General Municipal Information% 010

Post Office% 902 197 197w w w.correo s.es

TRANSPORTS

AirportsMadrid% 913 936 000Salamanca% 923 329 600Valladolid% 983 415 400w w w.aen a.es

Serviberia% 902 400 500w w w.iberia.es

RENFE% 902 240 202w w w.renfe.es

Traffic Department HighwayInformation% 900 123 505w w w.dg t.es

SPANISH TOURIST

INFORMATION OFFICES

ABROAD

CANADA. TorontoTou rist Of fice o f Spa in

2 Bloor Stree t West Suite 3402

Toro nt o, On ta rio M4W 3E2

% (1416) 961 31 31

) (1416) 961 19 92

w w w.tou rspain.toro nto .on.ca

e-mail : t oront o@tou rspain.es

GREAT BRITAIN. LondonSpa nish Tou rist Off ice22-23 Manchester Square

Lon do n W1M 5AP

camino de la lengua-en-2003

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