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The Spirit of Spain
Spain looks pretty small on a
world map, but this country has produced
an extraordinary culture.
All over the world, people
have no problem
recognizing the music, art, dance, or
food that comes from Spain. Spanish
culture is
unmistakable.
When a person thinks of Spain, the
first thing that
comes to mind might be flamenco
dancing.
Passionate and lively, usually
performed to the
accompaniment of fast guitars,
flamenco dancing
originated in southern Spain, and
it has strong
gypsy roots.
Bullfighting
is another of Spain's most famous
attractions, and it is not just for
tourists; bullfighting
is
enormously
popular
with the Spanish themselves.
Thrilling and
artistic, a bullfight is a
match
between a toreador,
or bullfighter, and a bull. Bullfighting
is one of Spain's
long-standing traditions that
might seem quite different from the ways
of the modern world.
Spain is known as a country of
romance, and for
good reason. The history of Spain
had its starting
point not in a war over
territory or the discovery of a
new continent, but in a marriage. In
1469, Queen Isabella of the Kingdom of
Castile married King Ferdinand of the
Kingdom of Aragon, joining two of the
most powerful Christian kingdoms in what
is known as the
unification of Spain. This
unification began the period of Spanish
history that saw three centuries of
global exploration,
trade, and
conquest, carrying the Spanish
language and culture all over the world.
No longer
one of the world's strongest empires,
Spain's political power has
declined
over the years, but its culture is
as
inspiring and well known now
as ever. The spirit of Spain
continues to inspire the world. |
