Visitar España  



Spain is a country with a rich and varied history. 

It was part of the Roman Empire, under Visigoth rule, and then part of the Islamic Empire.  It went through the dark and terrible period of the Inquisition, in which everyone who refused to convert to Catholicism was either expelled or tortured, at the same time as it was colonizing the Americas.  

As it grew wealthy from its colonies, the arts flourished, and Spain entered its Golden Age of art and literature.  It was during this time that the most famous novel in Spain, Don Quijote, was written my Miguel de Cervantes.  


Spain Facts


Has 18 autonomous communities (like our states), and 2 autonomous cities (like our Washington, DC).

La capital de España es Madrid.  Can you find Madrid on the map?













Has the oldest cave paintings in Europe. 
The caves are in Cantabria. 
Find Cantabria on the map above. (Hint: look on the north coast).
The cave paintings are about 40,000 years old.









 
Has the oldest language still spoken in Europe, called Basque or Vasco. The Basque people call their language Euskera.
Find the Basque country on the map. (Hint: it's also on the north coast).  
In the Euskera language, Good morning =  Egun on.












Has possibly the oldest standing synagogue in Europe.
The synagogue is in the city of Toledo, in the region of Castilla- La Mancha.  Find Castilla - La Mancha on the map. (Hint: it's in the center of the country).











Has 3 world-class art museums in the capital, Madrid. 
Find Madrid on the map above.
There you'll find Pablo Picasso's famous painting Guernica
that depicts the horrific bombing of a Spanish city during the Spanish Civil War.






There are lots of regional festivals in Spain.
La Tomatina is an annual festival in Valencia.
  • Partipants throw crushed tomatoes at each other
  • It lasts one hour
  • Up to 20,000 people are allowed to participate 
  • Over 150,000 tomatoes are thrown










Watch the video for a brief history of the Spanish empire.