Knights, Palaces, Franco, and Bullfights

So when I think of knights in shining armor and the medieval life, my mind automatically goes to old England...or used to I should say. The Three Musketeers and Robin Hood are prime examples of films that automatically connect chivalry with the British. Despite what you see however, where the real action was in Spain. It is said that at one time Spain had 10,000 castles dotting the country. While I do not know how much of that is true, I have certainly seen my fair share of some of the coolest buildings built centuries ago by the Spaniards.

Thursday, May 10^th, we went to the Monasterio de Uclés. This is building is currently being used as a monastery for those wanting to work within the church, but in its past it used be a training ground for the templar knights in the Order of Santiago. I’m not really sure how to describe these types of knights , to my knowledge they would be equivalent to the Green Berets in America. They would have to take certain oaths and live a life dedicated to defending the Church. Also in the building is buried Jorge Manrique, a famous poet from the middle ages known for his work Coplas a la Murete de su Padre (Couplets for the Death of His Father).

Following the monastery we went to Cuenca, a town built high up in the hills. The place is beautiful! Surrounded by two rivers down in the valley, anyone who attacked this city and conquered it really deserved to have it, since its geographic location gives the defenders a great advantage. Cuenca is most known for the casas colgadas (hanging houses). Tourists can walk along this bridge going over the valley and look upon the cliff to see several houses that are more than dangerously close to the edge. They really do hang over the edge as if they were actually part of the wall. One of the homes now hosts an abstract museum from artists of this and last century. Unfortunately the balcony area is prohibited so I could not look down or out from one of the “hanging” houses but I can only imagine it would have been a great view. Also, we went the Our Lady of Grace Cathedral  which was built in 1270 but crumbled in 1902 and then rebuilt again. It is unique in that it more reflects architecture from Britain.

The next day we went to Aranjuez to see the royal palace there. It was a beautiful palace and a huge garden connected with it. The fact that we are here in the spring means that we get to see all the flowers blooming, and here was no exception. While although this palace cannot compare with La Granja, it definitely was worth going in.

Last Tuesday we got the chance to go to a corrida de toros, a bullfight. Done in the Plaza de Los Toros, we were there during Las Ventas, a series of fights that happen during the festivities of San Isidrio (Spain’s patron saint). During the event there were three different teams consisting of toreros, and each team got to fight and kill two bulls. While I will not go into details of all of the rules and details, I will say that it was really interesting to watch the structure of the event. The first two teams were terrible and it looked more like animal cruelty. The first matador kept missing the bull with his sword. In fact, his performance was so bad that he was “booed” as he was leaving the arena and people threw their seat cushions at him. The latter team and matador showed more of the art in bullfighting. He was able to almost dance with the animal and you could see he was a lot more confident being next to the beast weighing over 1000kg. I am not sure if I would want to go to another fight but I am glad to say that I went. Yes, it was bloody and yes, seemed like torture but I reminded myself that we must kill so many cows on a daily basis to satisfy our needs for McDonalds and Wendy’s that a few bulls is nothing. Granted we also do not see the slaughter house where our meet comes from. Interesting fact though is that more and more Spanish are frowning on the custom and in some autonomous communities (equivalent to our states), it is even banned. The area itself was fun, but packed. I cannot complain about seating in the Marriot or LaVell Edwards stadium after this experience. Also, every other person was smoking a cigar or cigarette so I inhaled a pack of second smoke while there too. All part of the adventure.

 

 

 

 

 

We had some free afternoons this past week so a group of us decided to do some walks around Madrid. We stopped at the Palacio Real (meaning royal palace, not real palace). King Charles III occupied this palace after the previous castle had burned down. While the inside of the palace was beautiful and reminiscent of other palaces, what I really enjoyed was the armory. Across from the actually palace there was a two story exhibition of armor from several centuries. Unfortunately pictures were not allowed inside, but just think of every type of armor you have seen in movies and it was there. Most everything there was armor and weapons of royalty so they were especially decorated. I even found my armor. I stood in front of one of the displays and my head, chest, and torso’s reflection fit perfectly in the armor as to appear if I was wearing it. As we were going out we stopped by the old pharmacy. If you have ever seen Shrek 2 and remember the fairy godmother’s place, which is what it reminded me of. There were jars and drawers for just about every type of herb or vegetable. 

Saturday we took a day trip to El Escorial and Valle de Los Caídos. Like many other places I visited recently, photography was not allowed inside both so I can only show pictures I found online and images from the outside. The Royal Seat of San Lorenzo de El Escorial served as a summer home for Phillip II (who the Philippines is named after). The area houses both a basilica/monastery and a palace. Included in the monastery is one of the most important libraries in the world and to the Catholic’s the 2^nd most important next to the one found in the Vatican. It was a place of tolerance, however, and books on the Quran and black magic can be found among its many ancient volumes dating back hundreds of years ago. Just as impressive are the frescos, or paintings, on the ceilings.  The palace was actually a very humble (for a king at least) abode that resembled the décor of a monk rather than royalty. This is where Phillip II died living up to 70 some-odd years (which is like over 100 in our years) after being carried on the shoulders of servants from Madrid, a journey of about 7 days. The most impressive part of the building was the pantheon of the Kings. Starting with Emperor and King Carlos V, this is where all the royalty in Spain is located and where the parents of the current king will be buried soon. Apparently the bodies rot for 25 years before their bones are removed and put into this beautiful room made of marble. The room is directly below the main altar of the basilica to symbolize God being over all and the power of the resurrection. While I do not agree with all the teachings of the Catholic Church and I know that the royalty of Spain has had a bloody past, I must say I am impressed by their dedication to what they felt to be true and their devotion to God.

One such example of this bloody past I am referring to is even as of recent as the 1940s. After the Spanish Civil War, dictator Francisco Franco, built a church in honor of the Nacionalistas that had fallen against the Repúblicos. El Valle de los Caídos is as impressive as they come. It is monument and cathedral built into the mountain. There is the ominous feeling as well as complete awe as you see huge arc angels and giant hallways that make this place larger than St. Peters Cathedral in Rome. I could not get over the mosaic art on the ceilings that must have taken forever to put together. Franco had used the prisoners of war to build the place and if they died would be put into a mass grave nearby. This was in contrast to the memorial and final burial place for the fallen Nacionalistas, Primo de Rivera (the creator of the Falangist party), and Franco. The place is now recognized by the state of Spain as a place to remember both sides of the war, but it still has this paradoxical feeling of being a church, but one by which a dictator left his name (and his body I suppose). Some of the students said the place felt more like a Jedi temple and whistled Star Wars until they got in trouble for making noise in the church.

I could go on and on about where I have been and what I have been doing but there is way too much to say and too little time to write it. Other considerations for the post would include the puppet show we went to, the chocolateía we visited that was built in 1894 and has since been maintained, visiting El Parque Europa where I climbed the Eiffel Tower, and going to mass at the Basilica of St. Francisco of Assisi.