World Heritage Cities of Spain
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WORLD HERITAGE CITIES OF SPAIN NIO M O UN IM D R T IA A L • P • W L O A I R D L D N H O E M R I E TA IN www.spain.info G O E • PATRIM Organización Patrimonio Mundial www.ciudadespatrimonio.org de las Naciones Unidas en España para la Educación, www.spainheritagecities.com la Ciencia y la Cultura SANTIAGO DE COMPOSTELA SALAMANCA TARRAGONA SEGOVIA ÁVILA ALCALÁ DE HENARES TOLEDO CÁCERES CUENCA MÉRIDA IBIzA / Eivissa ÚBEDA CÓRDOBA BAEzA CITIES IN SPAIN SAN CRISTÓBAL DE LA LAGUNA declared as WORLD HERITAGE SITES INTRODUCTION 1 WORlD HeRITage CITIes Of spaIN 3 By UNESCO Alcalá de Henares 4 Ávila 6 Baeza 8 Cáceres 10 Córdoba 12 Cuenca 14 Ibiza/Eivissa 16 Mérida 18 Salamanca 20 San Cristóbal de La Laguna 22 *REINVENTED CITIES Santiago de Compostela 24 Segovia 26 Spain has the privilege of being among the countries with the largest number of Tarragona 28 registrations in UNESCO’s World Heritage list. The World Heritage Cities of Spain Toledo 30 Group began joining the forces of the cities involved in 1993, to create a not-for- Úbeda 32 profit association with the purpose of acting together to protect the historical and cultural heritage of those cities: alcalá de Henares, Ávila, Baeza, Cáceres, THeMeD ROUTes 34 Córdoba, Cuenca, Ibiza, Mérida, salamanca, san Cristóbal de la laguna, Conferences 36 santiago de Compostela, segovia, Tarragona, Toledo and Úbeda. World Heritage Cities and the Spanish Language 40 These fifteen cities offer an extraordinary legacy, as well as modern spaces with Modern and Contemporary Architecture 42 renewed infrastructures to enhance their monumental character and make them Natural areas 44 closer to their citizens. They are reinvented cities, especially designed to live the Sephardic Heritage 46 adventure of history. Punic, Celts, Romans, Visigoths, Jewish, Arabs, Christians... Roman Hispania 50 all those different civilisations and cultures that have dominated the peninsula Islamic Legacy 52 and its islands over the centuries, have left their traces in these cities with their Religious Tourism 54 architecture and history. This legacy can be followed around the country in those NTRODUCTION Renaissance Cities 58 traces, via the themed routes designed by the World Heritage Cities of Spain I Olive Oil Tourism 60 Group. Nautical Tourism 62 Active Tourism 64 At the same time, the touristic, sports and social resources of each city give Golf 66 the visitor the possibility of combining the visit to their historical centres with many other entertainment and sports activities, with visits to lush natural areas. UsefUl INfORMaTION 68 Furthermore, one can attend congresses and conventions, enjoy some of their most modern architectural feats or taste some of their many, diverse gastronomic features. Published by: Text: NIPO: Silvia Castillo 072-13-009-4 Grupo Ciudades Patrimonio de la Translation: D.L.: M-10910-2013 Humanidad David Pugh Printed in Spain by: A&M Gráficas © Turespaña Photographs: Provided by Grupo Ciudades Free copy Ministerio de Industria, Patrimonio de la Humanidad Energía y Turismo We prepare and revise our texts with great interest in order to be able to provide de España reliable and up-to-date information. Even so, taking into account the time passed 2nd edition 2014 between the date of completion of the text and its publication, there may have been Layout: changes or errors. If you find any errors, please write to us at [email protected]. Kokoro lab Thank you for your collaboration. 1 CITIES AlcAlá de HenAres, ávilA, BAeZA, cáceres, córdoBA, cuencA, iBiZA / eivissA, MéridA, sAlAMAncA, sAn cristóBAl de lA lAgunA, sAntiAgo de coMpostelA, segoviA, tArrAgonA, toledo And ÚBedA. Alcalá de Henares was the first city to be built as a university site and was considered as an adapted version of the “City of God”. The city became a model for other education centres in Europe and America, as its boundaries provided shelter for the wise man, feeding their creativity and protecting them so that Spanish literature could be defined and enriched. In 1547 Alcalá gave birth to the most celebrated narrator in Spanish literature, Miguel de Cervantes, who was born less than half a century after the cardinal Cisneros founded the university. The city transformed from the ancient Roman town of Complutum, to the Muslim Alcalá and later to a mixed enclave in the Middle Ages. This is an example of Muslim, Jewish and Christian cohabitation which experienced an artistic and cultural explosion in the 16th and 17th centuries. This strong trace of heritage can be seen in every corner of the city, as the spirit of the university not only shaped people’s conscience, but completely defined the city’s development. The limestone facade of the university, which is a landmark from the Renaissance of Spain, the courtyards of Santo Tomás de Villanueva, Filósofos and Trilingüe, San Ildefonso chapel, which houses the tomb of Cisneros, and the Paraninfo (lecture hall), which has a Mudéjar coffered ceiling, all compose an unforgettable setting. By walking through the city’s streets and parks and entering its churches and buildings you can follow the same steps taken by the great thinkers in search of inspiration like Juan de la Cruz, Fray Luis de León, Lope es de Vega, Calderón de la Barca, Francisco de Quevedo R and Cervantes. a N The city treasures its abundant and valuable heritage; e with medieval echoes around the Plaza de los Santos Niños, the main cathedral and the fourteenth-century H walls. The city’s history runs deep in the Plaza de e Cervantes, the epicentre of the city; in the arcades of the Calle Mayor, in the Casa de los Lizana, in the Colegio de Mínimos, the present Faculty of Economics Á D and in the Palacio de los Arzobispos (Archbishops al 2 1. CALLE MAyOR Palace) in Toledo. It is here where Christopher 1 C 2. UNIVERSITy Columbus first told the Catholic Monarchs his plan to 3 3. COFFERED CEILING OF THE reach the Indies by sailing in a straight line, six years 4 UNIVERSITy’S PARANINFO prior to disembarking in the New World. This is one of al ALCALÁ 4. COMEDy theatre many dreams that were conceived in Alcalá. 5 DE HENARES 5. MAIN CATHEDRAL DON’T MISS: University Casa de Cervantes Museum Comedy theatre A RENAISSANCE-STyLE CITy built Complutum / Casa de Hyppolitus Los Universos de Cervantes Interpretation Centre to lodge the wise men of the Semana Cervantina (Cervantes Week) and Quijote Market (month of October) UNIVERSITy and inspire their dreams. Easter Week in Alcalá Don Juan in Alcalá (1st November) Cervantes Award Ceremony, Abril de Cervantes (23rd April) Festival de Clásicos (month of June) 4 5 Due to its exceptional condition, the medieval wall of Teresa convent and the Museo Teresiano (Santa Teresa Ávila is an extraordinary monument, which is unique Museum) form part of the heritage. in Europe. The stone wall encloses a historic city which has expanded within its boundaries, scattered The legacy of the soldiers is also an essential part with churches, convents and palaces. Losing yourself of Ávila’s heritage. The palace of Los Dávila stands in the streets allows you to get a taste of medieval life in out as a symbol of nobility and power, and is found the 21st century. against the city’s wall. The palace is accompanied by other noble buildings, such as the Torreón de los Ávila was reborn after the reconquista, when it Guzmanes (Los Guzmanes tower), and the palaces of was rebuilt by the knights, who considered it as an de Los Marqueses Velada, Los Verdugo, Los Deanes and Los Águila. la 1. LAS JORNADAS MEDIEVALES DE ÁVILA impregnable fort. The twelve-century wall dominates 1 2 3 2. Calle de la CRUz VIEJA the landscape and from a distance it makes those who 4 5 3. PANORAMIC VIEW see it for the first time shudder with fear, due to its 88 ÁVI 4. SANTA TERESA CONVENT crenelated towers, and its solid structure of 2500 metres DON’T MISS: ÁVILA 5. DRAMATISED VISITS ON THE WALL in perimeter, 12 metres in height and 3 in thickness. The Wall Cathedral Within the walls of the city you will find a labyrinth Santo Tomás Monastery and the of small streets, quiet plazas, churches, palaces and Oriental Museum stony passages, which reveal its interesting past. The Legendary guided tours, every Saturday fighting spirit which rebuilt Ávila is well represented in from June to October th the cathedral, which was started in the 12 century and Santa Teresa Convent stands with the solidarity of a fortress. Other beautiful La Encarnación Monastery religious buildings are nearby, such as the Santo Easter Week in Ávila. Declared a National The wall and its towers create an Tomás monastery, and the Romanesque churches of Tourist Attraction San Vicente, San Pedro and San Andrés. Theatre on the wall. Dramatised night unusual landscape, protecting this visits in July and August However, Ávila also has a mystic past. Saint Teresa Las Jornadas Medievales de Ávila (Medieval MySTIC AND WARLIkE CITy. occupies the most important pages in the city’s history re-enactments). First Friday books, and even today, several convents of nuns follow of September her teaching. The sixteenth-century La Encarnación Ávila en Tapas Contest. Last weekend monastery, San José monastery, which has a version of June of the cell where Teresa had her revelations, the Santa 6 7 DON’T MISS: Easter Week, declared of National Tourist Interest. The Corpus Christi festival (June), which is very popular in Baeza. Feria de Agosto festival, held to honour Baeza’s Patron Saint, Our Lady of Alcázar. Cruces de Mayo festival (first week end in May), set in the old town.