The Soul Spain of 18 September 1 October 2011 Tour Itinerary Travels Through Time Cultural Studies and Tours Melbourne : (03) 9017 0897 Sydney : (02) 8205 7764 email : enquiries@travelsthroughtime.com web: www.travelsthroughtime.com ABN 48 103 903 519
Introduction The English poet and novelist Laurie Lee described the appetites that are most particularly Spanish as chivalry, bloodshed, poetry and religious mortification. Spain is a land of contrasts, such as that between the grotesque and the beautiful, the somber and the decorative, and death and resurrection. This tour is designed to reveal these contrasts to participants by having them experience the art, architecture, and literature created by some of Spain s greatest artists and writers, such as Velázquez, Goya and Cervantes. We will visit major museums, churches and palaces, explore several cities, sample tapas and regional cuisine, stay in scenic hotels and travel by private coaches. We begin in Madrid, where Velázquez and Goya worked as court painters and their most important works hang in the Museo del Prado. We visit El Greco s Toledo, the Alcázar fortress castle in Segovia and Philip II s austere monastery palace of El Escorial. Next is La Mancha, where Cervantes Don Quixote tilted at windmills, to the town of Almagro, which has an authentic Corral de Comedias, a theatre of Cervantes age. The next stop is Córdoba to visit its Muslim Mezquita and and we then journey on to experience for three days the joys and art of Seville, the fiesta loving heart of Andalucía. The last three days of the tour are spent in Granada, last Spanish stronghold of the Moors, where we see the contrasting splendours of the Muslim Palace of the Alhambra, with its Arabian Nights fantasy like Palacio Nazaries, and the Christian Royal Chapel, mausoleum of the Catholic monarchs Fernando and Isabel. 2 Travels Through Time
Day 1 Madrid Arrival at leisure to the Hotel Palacio San Martin. In the afternoon we will begin our tour with a briefing and then walk to the Museo Thyssen Bornemisza, a magnificent collection of paintings originally assembled by Baron Heinrich Thyssen Bornemisza and his son, Hans Heinrich, and housed in the restored and expanded Villahermosa Palace. We will view some of the major works of this collection that includes works from Italian medieval art to modern and contemporary European and American art. We will next walk to Puerta del Sol and then to the Plaza Mayor, built in 1619. Our welcome dinner will be at Restaurante Botín, founded in 1725 and listed in the Guinness Book of Records as the oldest restaurant in the world. Day 2 Madrid This morning we will walk to Calle de Alcalá to visit the Real Academia de Bellas Artes, which contains a wonderful painting collection, including works by El Greco, Ribera, Velázquez, Zurbarán and Murillo and an entire room of Goya masterpieces, such as The Burial of the Sardine and The Madhouse. If time permits, we will also visit the Calcografía Nacional to view Goya s original copper plates and etchings for his print series, such as Los Caprichos. Following on from the Real Academia de Bellas Artes, we will visit the Museo Nacional Centro de Arte Reina Sofía, the major modern art museum in Spain, to study paintings by Miró, Dalí and Picasso, including Picasso s Guernica. The rest of the afternoon is at leisure and we will meet in the early evening in the hotel foyer to walk to Plaza de España to view the Cervantes Monument (built 1925 1930, finished 1957), with its famous bronze sculptures of Don Quixote and Sancho Panza. The Soul of Spain Tour 2011 3
Day 3 Madrid After breakfast, we will take public transport to the Museo del Prado, which has opened its new buildings that connect the museum with the cloister of the Church of San Jerónimo and permit more exposition space for the vast painting collection, which contains the most important Spanish paintings in the world. We will study the paintings of El Greco, Velázquez and Goya. You will have leisure time to view other paintings by artists such as Bosch, Titian and Rubens. Lunch will be at leisure in the Prado and the rest of the afternoon will be free to continue your exploration of the Prado or to do some shopping. We will meet again in the hotel foyer at 5:00 pm and take public transport to the Hermitage of San Antonio de la Florida to view Goya s most beautiful frescoes, which depict on the arches, sidewalls and pendentives female angels and playful cherubs and in the cupola The Miracle of St Anthony of Padua. This Neoclassical church is a monument to Goya, who is buried in front of the altar. Day 4 Madrid / Toledo This morning we will travel by the Ave (High Speed Train) to the medieval city of Toledo, where El Greco lived from 1577 until his death in 1614. After a coffee in the Plaza de Zocodover, the central square in Toledo, we will visit the Museo de Santa Cruz, a museum housed in a former 16th century hospital that contains tapestries, sculptures and paintings, such as El Greco s late Immaculate Conception. We will then walk the narrow, winding streets of Toledo to the Chuch of Santo Tomé, where we will view El Greco s masterpiece The Burial of the Count of Orgaz. Afterwards, we will walk a short distance to the Gothic Cathedral, one of the largest in Spain, where we will study El Greco s Espolio (Disrobing of Christ), Goya s The Taking of Christ, other major paintings, the choir stalls carved by Alonso de Berruguete, and Narciso Tomé s Transparente, an 18th century altarpiece in marble, jasper and bronze that seems to soar up to heaven and is illuminated by a skylight in the roof. After lunch, you will have ample leisure time to explore Toledo. We will depart the city in the early evening and return to our hotel in Madrid. 4 Travels Through Time
Day 5 Madrid / Segovia / San Lorenzo de el escorial Today we travel by private coach from Madrid to Segovia, where we will see the famous Roman aqueduct and visit the Alcázar, a medieval fortress castle expanded in the 14th and 15th centuries but completely rebuilt after a fire in 1862. We will also tour Segovia Cathedral, a beautiful Gothic structure dating from 1525, which has a light, elegantly vaulted interior and over twenty chapels, including one housing Juan de Juni s moving sculpture of the Pietà. You will have some free time to have lunch in Segovia and then we will travel by coach to San Lorenzo de El Escorial for a guided tour of Felipe II s austere palace monastery of El Escorial (built 1563 1584), which contains chapterhouses, a church, an impressive library, a major painting collection, the Royal Apartments, and the Royal Pantheon, where almost all the Spanish monarchs are buried. At about 6pm, we will depart El Escorial by coach and return to our hotel in Madrid. The Soul of Spain Tour 2011 5
Day 6 Madrid After breakfast, we will visit the Palacio Real, built 1738 1755 and first occupied by the Bourbon monarch Carlos III, to view many of its splendid rooms, painting collection and frescoes by Mengs and Tiepolo, particularly Tiepolo s throne room ceiling The Allegory of the Spanish Monarchy. After our visit, you will have the entire afternoon and evening at leisure with plenty of time to do some shopping, or sample some more tapas. Day 7 Almagro Today, after packing our luggage, we leave by private coach for La Mancha. Along the way we will see some of the windmills, which Cervantes Don Quixote fought, believing them to be frightful giants. We will stop along the way to have a light lunch at one of the characteristic roadside restaurants. We will arrive at the enchanting town of Almagro and stay at the beautiful Parador Hotel, formerly the Convent of San Francisco built by the Davila de la Cueva family in 1596. Hundreds of years ago, Almagro was the administrative capital of the Province of La Mancha and the historical buildings in this small town reflect the splendour of its past. In the late afternoon we will visit Almagro s Plaza Mayor, one of the oldest in Spain, and the Corral de Comedias, a 17th century theatre, to see a play from Spain s Golden Age. In the evening, you will have time to have a drink in the Cervantine cellar bar of the Parador before enjoying the group dinner in the atmospheric restaurant of the Parador Hotel. 6 Travels Through Time
Day 8 Seville After breakfast at the Parador, we will pack our bags and journey by private coach to Córdoba, which is located on the banks of the River Guadalquivir. You will have time for lunch and a stroll around the old part of the city. Then we will tour the Mezquita (Mosque), started in 784 AD under the emir Abd ar Rahman I and during many centuries expanded and changed, the most extreme change being the construction in the 1520s of a Christian cathedral in the centre of the mosque. After passing through the Courtyard of the Orange Trees, you enter into a forest of more than 850 coloured granite jasper and marble pillars with horseshoe topped arches containing red and white striped patterns, created by alternate brick and stone. The artistic pinnacle is the octagonal mihrab (prayer shrine) with its shell shaped marble dome and exquisite Byzantine gold mosaics. After experiencing this astonishing interior, we will travel to Seville, the joyful heart of Andalucía, where we will arrive in the early evening. Once we have checked in Hotel Las Casas de la Juderia, we will stroll through the Barrio de Santa Cruz, originally the Jewish quarter of the city but now an area of orange trees, plazas and winding streets with names such as Sal and Pimienta (Salt and Pepper) and Vida and Muerte (Life and Death). For those who enjoy flamenco, there will be an optional performance at the tablao flamenco Los Gallos, located in the Barrio de Santa Cruz. The Soul of Spain Tour 2011 7
Day 9 Seville This morning we will walk to Seville Cathedral, an immense Gothic fiveaisled cathedral (built 1402 1520) with a central nave that rises up 42 metres and a main chapel (Capilla Mayor) containing Pierre Dancart s spectacular carved altarpiece that depicts 45 scenes from the life of Christ. The cathedral also has the tomb of Christopher Columbus and a large art collection, including paintings by Zurbarán, Murillo and Goya, and Juan Martínez Montañés polychromed wooden sculpture the Christ of Clemency. For a remarkable view of Seville, you can climb up to the bell chamber of La Giralda, originally a minaret of the Almohad Mosque but converted to a bell tower. After lunch, we will take public transport to the Hospital de la Caridad. In the 17th century, Miguel de Mañara became the head of the Brotherhood of Charity and established here a hospital for incurable diseases and a church, which contains Pedro Roldán s polychromed wooden sculpture group The Burial of Christ, some of Murillo s most beautiful biblical paintings and Juan de Valdés Leal s grotesque masterpieces about the futility of earthly glory In Ictu Oculi and Finis Gloriae Mundi. Once we have completed our visit, the evening will be at leisure in Seville. 8 Travels Through Time
Day 10 Seville After breakfast, we will walk to the Alcázar (fortress palace). There was originally a fort founded here in 913 AD, but in the 11th century the Almohad rulers built on the site a palace called Al Muwarak. From 1364 to 1366, King Pedro I of Castille (known also as Peter the Cruel) employed Moorish and Christian workers to build on the same site his own sumptuous mudéjar palace, a style created under Christian rule but using Islamic architectural influence. After touring the many sumptuous rooms, which culminate in the Salón de Embajadores, Pedro I s throne room, we will be able to relax as we stroll through the beautiful gardens, which, like the palace, reflect a combination of Muslim and Christian influences. There will be time for lunch, and then in the afternoon we will take public transport to the Museo de Bellas Artes, one of the major art museums in Spain. We will study paintings by El Greco, Cano, Velázquez, Ribera, Zurbarán, Murillo and Valdés Leal. Next we will take public transport to the Basílica de la Macarena. This church contains the polychromed wooden sculpture of the Virgin de la Esperanza Macarena, carved in c.1650 1670 by an unknown sculptor and the most passionately adored image of Seville s Holy Week, when as a paso (float) it is paraded through the streets on Good Friday. You will have the rest of the evening at leisure. The Soul of Spain Tour 2011 9
Day 11 Granada Following an early breakfast, we pack our bags and travel by coach to Granada, which is surrounded by a plain called La Vega and has the Sierra Nevada Mountains in the distance. After checking in to the Hotel Hesperia and having lunch, we will visit the fabulous Alhambra and Generalife. The Alhambra was originally a 9th century fortress, but in the 13th century Mohammed I, first ruler of the Nasrid dynasty, established his royal palace here. His 14th century successors, Yousouf I and his son Mohammed V, built the Palacio Nazaries, which is the core of the complex. The Catholic Monarchs Fernando and Isabel lived in the Palacio Nazaries after conquering the Moors, and their grandson Carlos V had some sections of the palace destroyed to allow space for his Renaissance Palacio de Carlos V. During our tour, we will visit the Alcazaba or fortress, the oldest part of the complex with its Watchtower, the fantastic rooms of the Palacio Nazaries, including the famous Patio of the Lions, the Harem, the Hall of the Abencerrajes and the Hall of the Two Sisters. You will be enchanted by the intricately carved stucco walls, honeycomb vaulting, pools and courtyards and soothed by the sound throughout of running water. We will also visit the Generalife (Garden of the Architect) on the hillside facing the Palacio Nazaries and containing the summer palace of the Nasrid rulers and some of the most beautiful gardens in the world with clipped hedges, grottos, fountains, cypress avenues, cascading waterfalls and a profusion of flowers. After experiencing the delights of the Alhambra and the Generalife, you will have the rest of the evening at leisure. Day 12 Granada Following breakfast at our hotel, we will catch the bus to the Palacio de Carlos V, the large Renaissance palace next to the Alhambra that was begun in 1527 by the architect Pedro Machuca. We will visit the Museo de Bellas Artes, located on the upper floor, overlooking the two tiered circular 10 Travels Through Time
courtyard of the palace. This museum houses an important art collection with paintings and sculptures by Alonso Cano and Juan Sánchez Cotán s wonderful Still Life with Carrots and a Cardoon. After this visit, you will have leisure time to explore other areas of Granada, such as the Albayzín, the old Muslim quarter with its cisterns, gates, fountains, churches, and villas with enclosed patios. At about 4 pm we will walk to Granada Cathedral. This cathedral was designed as a Renaissance structure by Diego de Siloé from 1529 but was not completed until 1704. Alonso Cano designed the main baroque façade in 1667, and his painting cycle on the Life of the Virgin adorns the choir. We will also visit the Royal Chapel (1505 1521), next to the cathedral, which is the mausoleum of the Catholic monarchs Fernando and Isabel and contains Isabel s private art collection. After our visit to the Royal Chapel, the evening will be at leisure. Day 13 GRANADA After breakfast, we will take public transport to the Monasterio de La Cartuja. This Carthusian monastery, built between the 16th 18th centuries, has one of the most lavish baroque interiors in Spain with a sacristy in ornate brown and white marble and a sanctuary with twisted marble columns, paintings, sculptures, gilt decorations and a frescoed cupola. The monastery also contains an important series of religious paintings by Juan Sánchez Cotán (1560 1627), who was a lay brother here. Following this visit, you will have the entire afternoon at leisure to explore Granada or perhaps do some shopping. We will have our memorable farewell dinner under the twinkling lights of the Alhambra high above. Day 14 After breakfast at our hotel in Granada, you will be able to prepare your luggage and transfer to either Granada Airport or Train Station. Note : This tour itinerary is intended as an outline of the planned activites for this tour. These activities and their sequence are subject to change and may need to be altered due to changing circumstances. Travels Through Time 2010 The Soul of Spain Tour 2011 11