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Hi, I'm Rick Steves�
back with more of the best of Europe.
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00:00:03,424 --> 00:00:06,369
This time we're deep in
the south of Spain� in Andalusia.
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00:00:06,534 --> 00:00:10,093
This is Sevilla.
Hold on to your castanets.
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00:00:10,497 --> 00:00:11,693
Thank you.
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00:00:42,306 --> 00:00:44,384
Sevilla does festivals with gusto.
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00:00:44,385 --> 00:00:48,645
It's a flamboyant city of larger-than-life
lovers like Carmen and Don Juan,
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00:00:48,795 --> 00:00:51,008
where bullfighting is still politically correct
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00:00:51,188 --> 00:00:54,970
and where little girls still dream of
growing up to become flamenco dancers.
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00:00:55,037 --> 00:00:58,644
Sevilla has soul and a contagious love of life.
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00:00:59,111 --> 00:01:02,793
Sevilla, or Seville in English,
has its share of impressive sights
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00:01:02,980 --> 00:01:06,176
and we'll see its grand cathedral
and plush Moorish palace.
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00:01:06,269 --> 00:01:11,950
But the real magic is the city itself,
with its labyrinthine Jewish Quarter,
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00:01:12,566 --> 00:01:17,762
riveting flamenco shows,
thriving bars and teeming festivals.
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00:01:18,286 --> 00:01:23,837
From Sevilla we head into the hills of Andalusia
to explore the regions finest hilltown
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00:01:23,967 --> 00:01:26,434
Arcos de la Frontera.
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00:01:27,925 --> 00:01:32,728
Located in the southwest corner of Europe,
Spain dominates the Iberian Peninsula.
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00:01:33,064 --> 00:01:35,569
Its southern province is Andalusia.
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00:01:35,737 --> 00:01:38,055
And the region's leading city is Sevilla.
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From there we travel to Arcos de la Frontera.
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00:01:43,661 --> 00:01:46,614
Sevilla was Europe's gateway
to the New World in the 16th century.
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It flourished in the Age of Discovery.
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00:01:48,858 --> 00:01:52,484
The explorers Christopher Columbus,
Ferdinand Magellan and Amerigo Vespucci
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00:01:52,652 --> 00:01:54,839
all sailed from right here.
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00:01:55,175 --> 00:01:59,268
The Golden Tower was the starting
and ending point for trade to the New World.
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00:01:59,501 --> 00:02:01,759
For centuries part of the city's fortifications,
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00:02:01,849 --> 00:02:05,482
it came with a heavy chain draped across
the river to protect the harbor.
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00:02:05,795 --> 00:02:07,230
In the 16th century
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00:02:07,305 --> 00:02:10,774
Sevilla's golden age was powered
by New World riches.
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00:02:13,451 --> 00:02:17,518
In the 17th century, all that money made
the city an important center of arts and culture.
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00:02:17,562 --> 00:02:21,539
In the 18th century, as its harbor silted up
and the Spanish empire crumbled
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00:02:21,808 --> 00:02:23,184
Sevilla's power faded.
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00:02:23,300 --> 00:02:27,599
And in the 19th century, the once-powerful
now-quaint Sevilla became an important stop
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00:02:27,898 --> 00:02:30,290
on the Romantic-era
"Grand Tour of Europe."
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00:02:30,806 --> 00:02:33,815
In the twentieth century,
1992 to be exact,
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00:02:33,927 --> 00:02:39,777
Sevilla hosted a world's fair that left the city with
today's striking 21st century infrastructure.
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00:02:39,853 --> 00:02:44,619
dramatic bridges, a sleek new train system
and even a new airport.
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00:02:45,834 --> 00:02:49,908
Today, 700.000 people,
it's Spain's fourth-largest city�
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00:02:50,039 --> 00:02:53,422
an exuberant Andalusian capital.
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00:02:58,973 --> 00:03:03,963
But the charm of Sevilla is best enjoyed
in its traditions like flamenco.
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00:03:04,075 --> 00:03:07,720
Spaniards consider Andalusia
the home of flamenco.
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00:03:07,721 --> 00:03:11,458
While impromptu flamenco still erupts
spontaneously in old world bars,
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00:03:11,496 --> 00:03:16,711
most tourists attend a show like this.
The men do most of the machine-gun footwork.
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00:03:24,336 --> 00:03:29,120
The women concentrate on graceful turns
and a smooth, dramatic step.
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00:03:32,727 --> 00:03:35,736
Flamenco guitarists, with their
lightning-fast finger-roll strums,
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00:03:35,737 --> 00:03:38,185
are among the best in the world.
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00:03:40,894 --> 00:03:44,875
The intricate rhythms are set
by castanets and hand-clapping.
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00:03:50,183 --> 00:03:52,631
In the raspy-voiced wails of the singers
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00:03:52,706 --> 00:03:55,566
you'll hear echoes
of the Muslim call to prayer
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00:03:55,567 --> 00:03:59,734
an evocative reminder of
centuries of Moorish rule.
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00:04:17,116 --> 00:04:21,508
The town square is Plaza Nueva.
It honors King Ferdinand III,
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00:04:21,509 --> 00:04:25,451
fondly remembered for freeing Sevilla
from the Moors in the 13th century.
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00:04:25,619 --> 00:04:29,002
From here, wander into Sevilla's
pedestrian-zone shopping center,
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00:04:29,133 --> 00:04:31,525
which Spaniards prefer
to the suburban mall.
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00:04:31,805 --> 00:04:35,412
This is the place for
traditional Spanish fashions.
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00:04:35,674 --> 00:04:40,048
But I wouldn't know my Manchego from
my mantilla without some local help.
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My friend and local guide, Concepci�n Delgado,
has agreed to be my personal shopper.
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00:04:45,617 --> 00:04:49,243
So there are all these traditional things to buy�
Isn't it just for tourists you can sell these?
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00:04:49,317 --> 00:04:51,747
No way. These are for locals.
We love our things
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00:04:51,748 --> 00:04:54,326
We have preserved our traditions
for centuries.
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00:04:54,420 --> 00:04:56,868
So these traditions are healthy?
Completely
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This one of my favorite shops.
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Buenos Dias.
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00:05:09,651 --> 00:05:15,763
Now let me show you the three most traditional
accessories that women wear in Spain.
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00:05:16,192 --> 00:05:19,613
Shawls, mantillas and fans.
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00:05:19,893 --> 00:05:22,154
Starting with the shawls that you can see here.
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00:05:22,155 --> 00:05:28,976
A big display of beautiful colors and embroideries.
Which are very practical for us.
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00:05:29,518 --> 00:05:32,677
We use them as accessories,
but they also have a function which is
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00:05:32,845 --> 00:05:34,901
warming you when you're cold.
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00:05:35,032 --> 00:05:39,349
This is what we use on top of
the beautiful flamenco dresses
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00:05:39,424 --> 00:05:41,798
during the April Feria.
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00:05:41,967 --> 00:05:44,901
On top of the flamenco dress
you cannot wear a simple coat,
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00:05:44,994 --> 00:05:48,246
you must wear something more distinguished,
which is a shawl.
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00:05:48,321 --> 00:05:51,984
You can wear it like that�
which is more sexy.
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00:05:58,060 --> 00:06:02,732
Here we have the mantilla. The mantilla is
another accessory, which can be in two colors:
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00:06:02,788 --> 00:06:04,227
white or black.
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00:06:04,358 --> 00:06:10,762
It's always combined with this comb,
which is incorporated in the mantilla like this�
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00:06:10,846 --> 00:06:14,116
and then we wear that on our heads.
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00:06:14,349 --> 00:06:18,573
The white one is only for the Feria
for the festival in April
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00:06:18,686 --> 00:06:22,685
and women wear them
to attend the bullfights.
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00:06:24,297 --> 00:06:25,769
Lets look at the fans now.
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00:06:25,979 --> 00:06:31,429
As you can see, different colors and different materials,
but they are mostly made in wood.
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Remember that Seville gets
very hot during the summer
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00:06:34,980 --> 00:06:39,232
and women, old ladies, use them
specially when they attend services.
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00:06:39,302 --> 00:06:43,601
Very old churches have no air-conditioning.
They are cooling themselves like this.
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00:06:43,671 --> 00:06:45,773
Sometimes hardly hear the priest.
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That's all around you.
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In the old days there was a language
1with fans which is disappearing,
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00:06:52,618 --> 00:06:55,912
but in the love-game
it was very useful, too
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00:06:56,006 --> 00:07:01,659
for example you were looking at someone
that you weren't very interested in�
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00:07:03,061 --> 00:07:08,014
you can go away. I don't like you much.
But if you were very interested
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00:07:08,761 --> 00:07:11,799
that movement would tell him something,
don't you think?
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00:07:11,892 --> 00:07:17,242
Anyway, the most common movement
for a fan is...
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00:07:21,213 --> 00:07:26,049
In the year 711, the Muslim Moors swept in from
Africa and conquered the Iberian Peninsula.
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00:07:26,205 --> 00:07:28,023
They ruled Spain for centuries,
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00:07:28,121 --> 00:07:31,915
inspiring a Europe-wide crusade
among Christians to reconquer this land.
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00:07:32,247 --> 00:07:34,203
Muslim rule stretched as far as France.
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00:07:34,359 --> 00:07:36,569
But bit by bit the Moors were pushed back
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00:07:36,647 --> 00:07:42,065
expelled from Sevilla in 1248 and finally pushed
entirely out of Western Europe in 1492.
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00:07:43,335 --> 00:07:46,464
The Moors left a distinct mark
on Andalusian culture.
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00:07:46,582 --> 00:07:51,354
While in Sevilla, they ruled
from here�the Alc�zar.
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00:07:53,369 --> 00:07:58,844
More than six centuries later this magnificent building
still functions as a royal palace.
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00:07:59,060 --> 00:08:03,304
The Alc�zar provides a thought-provoking
glimpse of a graceful Moorish world
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00:08:03,402 --> 00:08:06,120
that might have survived
its Christian conquerors
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00:08:06,237 --> 00:08:07,196
but didn't.
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00:08:07,410 --> 00:08:11,732
What you see today is a 14th-century rebuild
done in Mudejar style.
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00:08:11,889 --> 00:08:14,725
This was a Moorish style done
by Moorish craftsmen
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00:08:14,803 --> 00:08:18,636
but for Christian rulers
after the Reconquest.
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00:08:22,685 --> 00:08:24,543
This became the king's palace.
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00:08:24,797 --> 00:08:29,295
Its centerpiece was the elegantly proportioned
Court of the Maidens.
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00:08:29,705 --> 00:08:34,125
It was decorated Mudejar below
and Renaissance above.
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00:08:35,416 --> 00:08:38,388
The king hired Muslim workers
to give Moorish elegance
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00:08:38,525 --> 00:08:40,852
to what was a stark fortress.
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00:08:40,950 --> 00:08:45,819
They built what's considered
the finest Mudejar building in all of Spain.
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00:08:46,054 --> 00:08:49,398
The intimate Dolls' Court
was the king's living quarters.
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00:08:49,477 --> 00:08:53,975
Imagine the royal family lounging around
a reflecting pool in this courtyard.
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00:08:54,307 --> 00:08:57,827
The stylized Arabic script,
a standard feature of mosques
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00:08:58,023 --> 00:09:01,191
created a visual chant of Koranic verses.
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00:09:01,387 --> 00:09:03,949
But the decor is clearly Christian.
119
00:09:04,125 --> 00:09:07,645
You'll see animals,
buildings and kings
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00:09:07,743 --> 00:09:12,867
that you wouldn't find in religious
Muslim ornamentation, which forbids images.
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00:09:13,728 --> 00:09:17,209
A century or so later, just after
Columbus and New World discoveries
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00:09:17,287 --> 00:09:20,611
Queen Isabel built a more European-style
wing to the palace.
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00:09:20,769 --> 00:09:23,604
Anticipating a big business
in plunder and trade,
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00:09:23,741 --> 00:09:27,203
she built this to administer
Spain's New World ventures.
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00:09:27,418 --> 00:09:31,153
The chapel is dedicated to
Santa Maria de los Buenos Aires.
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00:09:31,349 --> 00:09:35,025
St. Mary of the Good Winds
was the patron saint of navigators
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00:09:35,162 --> 00:09:37,274
and a favorite of Columbus.
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00:09:37,549 --> 00:09:40,306
This altar painting dates
from shortly after Columbus died
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00:09:40,307 --> 00:09:44,785
and features what's considered the first and
most accurate portrait of the great explorer
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00:09:44,824 --> 00:09:46,036
on the left.
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00:09:47,386 --> 00:09:50,632
It's also thought to be the first painting
of Indians done in Europe.
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00:09:50,691 --> 00:09:55,678
The Virgin's cape seems to protect
everyone under it, even the Indians.
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00:09:57,144 --> 00:10:00,684
Like the palace, the gardens
reflect a mix of cultures.
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00:10:00,958 --> 00:10:03,793
The intimate geometric
Moorish gardens lead to the later
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00:10:03,794 --> 00:10:07,353
much more expansive
back yard of Spanish Kings.
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00:10:08,937 --> 00:10:11,205
The gardens are full of tropical flowers,
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00:10:11,264 --> 00:10:14,452
cool fountains and, in the summer,
hot tourists.
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00:10:14,627 --> 00:10:16,485
I'm thankful we're here in late April�
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00:10:16,641 --> 00:10:20,396
beating the brutal heat of
the Andalusian summer.
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00:10:23,720 --> 00:10:26,223
The Moors were relatively tolerant
of other religions.
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00:10:26,262 --> 00:10:29,607
During their rule, Christians, Jews
and Muslims shared this city peacefully.
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00:10:29,822 --> 00:10:31,406
After the Christian Reconquest,
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00:10:31,504 --> 00:10:34,125
Sevilla's thriving Jewish community
was concentrated here�
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00:10:34,126 --> 00:10:35,963
in the Barrio de Santa Cruz.
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00:10:36,100 --> 00:10:39,796
Today only a few peaceful squares
surrounded by a tangled web of alleys
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00:10:39,797 --> 00:10:43,356
survive from the days when
this was Sevilla's Jewish Quarter.
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00:10:43,570 --> 00:10:47,188
Explore, wander among lanes
too narrow for cars,
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00:10:47,267 --> 00:10:52,097
whitewashed houses corralling peaceful squares
and wrought-iron latticework.
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00:10:52,410 --> 00:10:53,818
Regardless of who lived here,
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00:10:53,916 --> 00:10:58,355
the design of the neighborhood seems
to have one goal: stay cool.
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00:10:58,610 --> 00:11:02,541
The narrow streets, some with buildings
so close they're called "kissing lanes"
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00:11:02,542 --> 00:11:05,122
were designed to maximize shade.
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00:11:06,452 --> 00:11:09,522
These orange trees are great for shade.
They never lose their leaves.
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00:11:09,796 --> 00:11:11,497
Refreshing too, on a hot day.
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00:11:11,673 --> 00:11:14,724
Well, not to eat.
These are sour oranges.
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00:11:14,900 --> 00:11:18,968
We just use them for vitamins, perfume
or that type of marmalade the British like.
157
00:11:19,065 --> 00:11:21,510
Oh that bitter English marmalade�
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00:11:21,647 --> 00:11:23,622
� it's made with our oranges.
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00:11:24,697 --> 00:11:27,963
The Santa Cruz neighborhood
comes with a timeless beauty�
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00:11:28,217 --> 00:11:31,679
savor the simple elegance of Sevilla.
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00:11:42,748 --> 00:11:45,643
The delicate charms of Santa Cruz
are just a few steps from
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00:11:45,644 --> 00:11:48,048
Sevilla's immense cathedral.
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00:11:48,146 --> 00:11:50,219
It's the third-largest church in Europe
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after St. Peter's in the Vatican
and St. Paul's in London
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00:11:53,153 --> 00:11:56,380
and the largest Gothic church
anywhere.
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00:11:56,986 --> 00:12:00,467
When they ripped down the mosque
that stood on this site in 1401,
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00:12:00,526 --> 00:12:02,501
the Reconquista Christians bragged,
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00:12:02,599 --> 00:12:08,290
"We'll build a cathedral so huge that anyone
who sees it will take us for madmen."
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00:12:08,525 --> 00:12:11,028
You could fit a soccer field in here.
170
00:12:11,204 --> 00:12:13,668
Everything is supersized.
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00:12:14,254 --> 00:12:17,892
The towering main altarpiece
is covered in gold leaf.
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00:12:18,009 --> 00:12:22,370
Constructed in the 1480s,
it's composed of hundreds of figures.
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00:12:22,507 --> 00:12:26,887
It tells the story of the life of Jesus
in 40 scenes from his birth
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00:12:26,888 --> 00:12:28,765
to his resurrection.
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00:12:31,053 --> 00:12:34,867
The choir, an enclosure within the cathedral
for more intimate services
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00:12:35,003 --> 00:12:37,311
surrounds a spinable music rack.
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00:12:37,624 --> 00:12:39,384
It held giant hymnals
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00:12:39,482 --> 00:12:43,902
large enough for all to chant from, in an age
when there weren't enough for everyone.
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00:12:44,273 --> 00:12:48,752
In the transept, four pallbearers carry
the tomb of Christopher Columbus.
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00:12:48,967 --> 00:12:52,272
They represent the 4 medieval kingdoms
that became Spain:
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00:12:53,250 --> 00:12:56,868
Aragon, Navarra, Castile and Leon
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00:12:57,454 --> 00:13:00,310
each identified by their team shirts.
183
00:13:02,246 --> 00:13:04,573
Columbus even traveled a lot after he died.
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00:13:04,650 --> 00:13:07,682
He was buried first in Seville,
then moved to Santo Domingo,
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00:13:07,721 --> 00:13:11,456
then Cuba and, when Cuba gained
independence from Spain, around 1900
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00:13:11,457 --> 00:13:13,823
he sailed all the way back here,
to Sevilla.
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00:13:14,018 --> 00:13:17,284
Is he really in there?
Sevillanos like to think so.
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00:13:18,438 --> 00:13:21,156
All that survives of
Moorish Sevilla's main mosque
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00:13:21,157 --> 00:13:24,422
is its courtyard of orange trees
and a towering minaret.
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00:13:24,559 --> 00:13:29,096
The tower offers a brief recap of the city's history,
sitting on a Roman foundation,
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00:13:29,272 --> 00:13:33,360
a long Moorish period
capped by the Christian age.
192
00:13:33,731 --> 00:13:38,013
The Moors built its spiraling ramp
to accommodate a rider on horseback.
193
00:13:38,111 --> 00:13:42,629
Somebody climbed the tower 5 times a day
to call Sevilla's Muslims to prayer.
194
00:13:45,210 --> 00:13:49,141
Today, tourists gallop up
for fine city views�
195
00:13:53,013 --> 00:13:56,553
and the former minaret functions
as the cathedral's bell tower.
196
00:13:56,631 --> 00:13:58,821
It's topped with a bronze weathervane�
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00:13:58,822 --> 00:14:03,261
a statue that symbolizes
the Triumph of Faith.
198
00:14:09,714 --> 00:14:16,715
Some of Spain's best bullfighting is done
in Sevilla's 14,000-seat Plaza de Toros.
199
00:14:18,093 --> 00:14:21,730
There are bullfights scheduled on
most Sundays, Easter through October.
200
00:14:23,295 --> 00:14:25,348
While bullfights are controversial
201
00:14:25,349 --> 00:14:29,612
and some believe the patronage of tourists
just keeps a brutal spectacle alive,
202
00:14:29,846 --> 00:14:33,014
others consider bullfighting a real
and vivid part of Spanish culture.
203
00:14:33,288 --> 00:14:35,854
Whether or not to actually attend
a bullfight is up to you.
204
00:14:35,932 --> 00:14:38,529
To learn about this tradition
without actually supporting it,
205
00:14:38,607 --> 00:14:42,737
you can tour Sevilla's Plaza de Toros
and check out its bullfight museum.
206
00:14:43,441 --> 00:14:47,430
Your visit starts with a tour through
the strangely quiet and empty arena.
207
00:14:48,619 --> 00:14:50,684
In the museum you'll learn more.
208
00:14:50,950 --> 00:14:53,125
A few special bulls are honored here
209
00:14:53,250 --> 00:14:56,066
each awarded the bovine equivalent
of an Oscar
210
00:14:56,161 --> 00:14:58,507
for putting up the best fight of the year.
211
00:14:58,867 --> 00:15:00,291
This one's missing an ear
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00:15:00,401 --> 00:15:03,827
it was awarded to the matador
who also performed well.
213
00:15:04,061 --> 00:15:05,719
Matadors dress to kill
214
00:15:05,766 --> 00:15:09,709
elegant in their tight-fitting and
richly-ornamented "suits of light."
215
00:15:11,918 --> 00:15:15,094
The first-aid room is where
injured fighters are rushed.
216
00:15:15,417 --> 00:15:19,876
Hoping not to end up there,
matadors pray here, in the chapel.
217
00:15:22,943 --> 00:15:26,338
The Virgin of Macarena
is a protector of matadors
218
00:15:26,431 --> 00:15:28,966
and the favorite among Sevillanos.
219
00:15:29,545 --> 00:15:31,642
While her images are everywhere,
220
00:15:31,720 --> 00:15:36,680
you can see the actual darling of Sevilla
nearby, at the Bas�lica de la Macarena.
221
00:15:38,542 --> 00:15:41,202
Grab a pew and study
the Weeping Virgin.
222
00:15:41,656 --> 00:15:46,834
She's a 17th-century doll, complete with
articulated arms and human hair
223
00:15:47,006 --> 00:15:49,791
she's even dressed with underclothes.
224
00:15:50,135 --> 00:15:52,857
With crystal tear drops
her beautiful expression
225
00:15:52,936 --> 00:15:57,661
halfway between ecstasy and sorrow,
touches pilgrims.
226
00:16:00,836 --> 00:16:05,451
Sevilla's "Semana Santa" or Holy Week
celebrations are the most magnificent in Spain.
227
00:16:05,717 --> 00:16:08,893
During the week leading up to Easter,
the city is packed with pilgrims
228
00:16:08,894 --> 00:16:12,929
witnessing grand processions carrying
elaborate floats through the streets.
229
00:16:13,351 --> 00:16:17,591
The two most impressive floats of the festivities
are parked behind the altar.
230
00:16:18,029 --> 00:16:22,770
The biggest float, slathered in gold leaf,
shows the sentencing of Christ.
231
00:16:23,099 --> 00:16:25,680
Pontius Pilate is about to wash his hands.
232
00:16:25,852 --> 00:16:29,622
His wife cries as a man reads
the death sentence.
233
00:16:29,967 --> 00:16:33,628
While pious Sevillan women wail
in the streets, relays of 48 men
234
00:16:33,629 --> 00:16:36,168
carry this three-ton float
on the backs of their necks
235
00:16:36,387 --> 00:16:39,250
only their feet showing under the drapes,
as they shuffle through the streets
236
00:16:39,251 --> 00:16:43,056
from about midnight until 2:00
in the afternoon each Good Friday.
237
00:16:43,826 --> 00:16:47,628
This float, with the Weeping Virgin from
this church's altar placed regally in the center,
238
00:16:47,706 --> 00:16:49,474
is the hit of the parade.
239
00:16:49,537 --> 00:16:52,463
It's festooned with wax flowers
and candelabra.
240
00:16:52,635 --> 00:16:55,357
It seems fragile, all silver and candles
241
00:16:55,639 --> 00:16:58,722
but, as locals explain:
"It's strong enough to support the roof
242
00:16:58,847 --> 00:17:02,946
while delicate enough to quiver
in the soft night breeze."
243
00:17:06,811 --> 00:17:09,283
Have you actually seen this thing
going through the streets?
244
00:17:09,392 --> 00:17:11,848
The Queen of the City you mean?
Of course.
245
00:17:11,926 --> 00:17:16,557
When she wears her crown
she looks absolutely beautiful.
246
00:17:16,651 --> 00:17:19,483
When she goes through the streets
people get crazy.
247
00:17:19,560 --> 00:17:25,599
They can't explain all the emotions. They clap
or they cry or they throw petals from balconies.
248
00:17:25,646 --> 00:17:28,415
What's so special about
this particular float?
249
00:17:29,057 --> 00:17:30,872
She knows everything about us
250
00:17:30,903 --> 00:17:34,376
because we have been telling her
our problems for centuries.
251
00:17:34,627 --> 00:17:38,303
Her name means "hope"
which is what we all need.
252
00:17:41,808 --> 00:17:46,329
Sevilla's passion for religious art is preserved
and displayed in its museum of fine art
253
00:17:46,439 --> 00:17:48,754
the Museo de Bellas Artes.
254
00:17:49,729 --> 00:17:54,794
The top Spanish artists, Vel�zquez, Murillo,
Zurbar�n, all called Sevilla home.
255
00:17:55,146 --> 00:17:57,904
Sevilla was Spain's commercial
and material capital�
256
00:17:58,099 --> 00:18:03,145
its New York City, while Madrid was a newly built
center of Government� like Washington DC.
257
00:18:03,320 --> 00:18:07,936
In the early 1800s, Spain's liberal government
disbanded many of the monasteries and convents
258
00:18:08,131 --> 00:18:10,556
and secular fanatics were looting churches.
259
00:18:10,752 --> 00:18:14,526
Thankfully, the most important religious art
was rescued and hung safely here
260
00:18:14,624 --> 00:18:17,206
in this convent-turned-museum.
261
00:18:17,342 --> 00:18:19,963
Spain's economic Golden Age,
the 1500s
262
00:18:19,964 --> 00:18:24,089
blossomed into the golden age
of Spanish painting, the 1600s.
263
00:18:24,773 --> 00:18:29,760
Artists such as Francesco de Zurbar�n
combined realism with mysticism.
264
00:18:29,971 --> 00:18:33,080
Under a protective Mary,
he painted balding saints
265
00:18:33,120 --> 00:18:37,031
and monks with wrinkled faces
and sun-burnt hands.
266
00:18:37,579 --> 00:18:40,962
The inspirational style fit
Spain's spiritual climate
267
00:18:41,080 --> 00:18:45,304
during an age when the Catholic Church
was waging its Counter-Reformation battle
268
00:18:45,412 --> 00:18:47,564
against the Protestant rebellion.
269
00:18:48,150 --> 00:18:54,545
The Apotheosis of St. Thomas Aquinas is considered
Zurbar�n's most beautiful and important work.
270
00:18:54,799 --> 00:18:59,982
It was done at the height of his career,
when stark realism was all the rage.
271
00:19:00,060 --> 00:19:05,164
Zurbar�n presents the miraculous in
a believable, down-to-earth way.
272
00:19:07,080 --> 00:19:10,992
Eventually, the soft and accessible style
of Bartolom� Murillo
273
00:19:11,031 --> 00:19:14,277
became more popular than
Zurbar�n's harsher realism.
274
00:19:14,726 --> 00:19:19,224
Murillo became the rage in Spain
and through much of the Catholic world.
275
00:19:19,341 --> 00:19:22,627
This Madonna and Child shows
how Murillo wraps everything
276
00:19:22,861 --> 00:19:25,893
in warm colors and soft light.
277
00:19:27,399 --> 00:19:32,112
Murillo's favorite subject is the Virgin Mary,
shown young and pure.
278
00:19:32,523 --> 00:19:35,105
The painting is called
The Immaculate Conception,
279
00:19:35,242 --> 00:19:38,038
one of dozens Murillo
painted on this subject.
280
00:19:38,155 --> 00:19:42,106
Catholics believe that not only
was Jesus born of a Virgin,
281
00:19:42,184 --> 00:19:47,660
but that Mary herself was completely pure�
conceived immaculately.
282
00:19:51,513 --> 00:19:55,835
With all this religiousity, it's no surprise
that Sevilla is also famous for
283
00:19:55,836 --> 00:19:58,393
letting loose in vibrant festivals
284
00:19:58,549 --> 00:20:02,480
and we're here for the biggest of all�
the April Fair.
285
00:20:02,793 --> 00:20:07,858
For seven days each April, it seems much of Sevilla
is packed into its vast fair grounds.
286
00:20:07,975 --> 00:20:11,809
The fair feels friendly, spontaneous�
very real.
287
00:20:12,630 --> 00:20:16,307
The Andalusian passion for horses,
flamenco
288
00:20:18,458 --> 00:20:20,297
and sherry is clear
289
00:20:20,590 --> 00:20:25,323
riders are ramrod-straight, colorfully clad,
senoritas ride sidesaddle
290
00:20:25,479 --> 00:20:28,647
and everyone's drinking sherry spritzers.
291
00:20:28,745 --> 00:20:32,265
Women sport outlandish dresses
that would look clownish all alone
292
00:20:32,382 --> 00:20:35,472
but somehow brilliant here en masse.
293
00:20:35,727 --> 00:20:40,166
Over a thousand private party tents
or casetas line the lanes.
294
00:20:40,440 --> 00:20:45,446
Each striped tent is the private party zone
of a family, club or association.
295
00:20:45,602 --> 00:20:49,963
To get in, you need to know someone
in the group, or make friends quickly.
296
00:20:50,218 --> 00:20:54,931
Concepci�n's well connected�
and as a friend of a friend, we're in.
297
00:21:01,345 --> 00:21:05,217
Because of the exclusivity,
it has a real family-affair feeling.
298
00:21:05,335 --> 00:21:07,075
Everyone seems to know everyone
299
00:21:07,076 --> 00:21:11,886
in what seems like a thousand wedding parties
being celebrated all at the same time.
300
00:21:13,372 --> 00:21:15,876
It's time to say adios to Concepci�n.
301
00:21:15,895 --> 00:21:19,963
She's got more celebrating to do and
we're heading an hour south of Sevilla
302
00:21:20,119 --> 00:21:23,053
for a dose of small town Andalusia.
303
00:21:25,908 --> 00:21:30,484
The Route of the Pueblo blancos or white towns
is a charm bracelet of characteristic towns
304
00:21:30,485 --> 00:21:32,987
perched in the hills and
mountains of Andalusia.
305
00:21:33,164 --> 00:21:37,134
The queen of the white towns
is Arcos de la Frontera.
306
00:21:38,816 --> 00:21:43,822
Arcos smothers its hilltop, tumbling down
its back like the train of a wedding dress.
307
00:21:44,096 --> 00:21:47,342
The old center is a delight to explore.
308
00:21:47,461 --> 00:21:49,279
Viewpoint-hop through town.
309
00:21:49,455 --> 00:21:54,599
The people of Arcos boast that only they
see the backs of the birds as they fly.
310
00:21:57,512 --> 00:22:02,656
Feel the wind funnel through the narrow streets
as cars inch around tight corners.
311
00:22:02,894 --> 00:22:06,904
Driving is tricky. It's a one-way system,
if you miss your hotel,
312
00:22:06,982 --> 00:22:08,996
you'll drive all around again.
313
00:22:09,270 --> 00:22:13,416
Under the castle and facing the church
is the town's main square
314
00:22:13,417 --> 00:22:15,684
which once doubled as a bullring.
315
00:22:18,736 --> 00:22:23,508
Towns like Arcos with "de la Frontera" in their
names were established on the "frontier,"
316
00:22:23,586 --> 00:22:27,771
the front line of that centuries-long fight
to take back Spain from the Muslims.
317
00:22:27,888 --> 00:22:30,841
As the Moors were slowly
pushed back into Africa,
318
00:22:30,842 --> 00:22:36,239
the towns, while no longer of strategic importance,
kept "on the frontier" in their names.
319
00:22:37,119 --> 00:22:39,818
The main church is a reminder
of that re-conquest.
320
00:22:40,033 --> 00:22:43,553
After Christian forces retook Arcos
from the Moors in the 13th century,
321
00:22:43,650 --> 00:22:49,048
it was the same old story, the mosque was demolished
and a church was built on its sight.
322
00:22:51,469 --> 00:22:53,699
There are historical curiosities everywhere.
323
00:22:53,777 --> 00:22:56,358
This stone was scavenged from
an ancient Roman temple.
324
00:22:56,359 --> 00:23:00,856
You can just make out the Latin inscription
and this 2,000 year old tree of life.
325
00:23:02,010 --> 00:23:06,117
But the mysterious highlight is
this 15th-century magic circle:
326
00:23:06,214 --> 00:23:12,336
12 red and 12 white stones, the white ones
with various constellations marked.
327
00:23:16,942 --> 00:23:21,871
Back then on a child's day of baptism, the parents
would stop here first for a good exorcism.
328
00:23:22,085 --> 00:23:26,740
The exorcist would stand inside the protective circle
and cleanse the baby of any evil spirits.
329
00:23:27,032 --> 00:23:29,516
Then they could proceed into the church.
330
00:23:31,026 --> 00:23:33,432
The flying buttresses were added
to shore up the church
331
00:23:33,433 --> 00:23:37,030
after it was weakened
by an earthquake in 1696.
332
00:23:37,167 --> 00:23:40,922
Arches prop up earthquake-damaged
buildings all over town.
333
00:23:41,275 --> 00:23:43,621
Peek politely into private patios.
334
00:23:43,739 --> 00:23:47,337
Cool and inviting family courtyards
are typical of Arcos.
335
00:23:47,435 --> 00:23:49,958
While the old wells now
generally hold flowerpots,
336
00:23:50,095 --> 00:23:54,554
they're reminders that these courtyards once
functioned as water catchment systems.
337
00:23:54,555 --> 00:23:58,740
They funneled rainwater to a drain
in the middle, which filled the well.
338
00:24:00,011 --> 00:24:04,646
Explore the narrow whitewashed and
flower-lined lanes of this charming hill town.
339
00:24:05,370 --> 00:24:07,423
And while you're at it,
work up an appetite.
340
00:24:07,482 --> 00:24:09,946
We're eating at
Restaurante El Convento
341
00:24:10,142 --> 00:24:14,307
where Se�ora Mar�a Moreno-Moreno and
her husband serve the best
342
00:24:14,308 --> 00:24:16,634
of traditional local cuisine.
343
00:24:17,084 --> 00:24:21,562
Throughout Europe I find that mom-and-pop
places like this offer the best values.
344
00:24:21,778 --> 00:24:25,415
And, to dine well on a budget,
I eat better for less
345
00:24:25,513 --> 00:24:28,192
in a small town rather than in a big city.
346
00:24:28,349 --> 00:24:32,514
Their refreshing gazpacho, a chilled
tomato-garlic soup, is a great starter.
347
00:24:32,632 --> 00:24:34,803
Ask about seasonal specialties.
348
00:24:34,804 --> 00:24:38,537
The wild asparagus dish is just right
in springtime, as are the artichokes.
349
00:24:38,674 --> 00:24:43,563
Here they're served with shrimp. Spanish wine
has moved up on the respectability ladder lately�
350
00:24:43,759 --> 00:24:46,985
our full-bodied red is mucho delicioso!
351
00:24:47,200 --> 00:24:49,566
This is a good opportunity for game.
352
00:24:49,821 --> 00:24:52,969
Well�small game.
I'm having pigeon.
353
00:24:56,098 --> 00:25:00,401
Whether finding new ways to stay cool,
checking out a new dance,
354
00:25:01,183 --> 00:25:03,608
seeing how the Moors made their mark,
355
00:25:04,430 --> 00:25:08,263
appreciating a new artist
or just joining the party,
356
00:25:08,459 --> 00:25:11,666
travel shows me how life
can be enjoyed to its fullest
357
00:25:11,822 --> 00:25:15,127
in ways that I haven�t even considered.
358
00:25:17,239 --> 00:25:20,251
Enjoying life with abandon
comes easy here in the south of Spain.
359
00:25:20,505 --> 00:25:23,165
I hope you�ve enjoyed our taste
of Sevilla and Andalusia.
360
00:25:23,184 --> 00:25:24,084
I'm Rick Steves.
361
00:25:24,201 --> 00:25:25,042
Until next time,
362
00:25:25,257 --> 00:25:27,624
keep on traveling.
Adios.
34928
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