Culture of Spain
Spain is a largely mountainous
country in the southwest of Europe, consisting of various
geographically diverse regions and known for its culturally diverse
heritage, having been influenced by many nations and peoples
throughout its history. The Spanish culture has roots in Celtiberian,
Latin, Semitic , other European countries and Roman Catholicism; and
an ongoing tension between the centralized state (dominated in
recent centuries by Castile) and numerous regions and minority
peoples. In addition, the history of the nation and its
Mediterranean and Atlantic environment have played strong roles in
shaping its culture.
Regionalism
A strong sense of regional identity exists in many regions of Spain.
These regions or nationalities—even those that least identify
themselves as Spanish—have contributed greatly to many aspects of
mainstream Spanish culture.
Most notably, the Basque Country, Catalonia and Galicia have
widespread nationalist sentiment. Many Basque and Catalan
nationalists back statehood for their respective regions. Basque
aspirations to statehood have been a cause of violence (notably by
ETA), although most Basque nationalists (like virtually all Catalan
nationalists) currently seek to fulfill their aspirations by
peaceful means.
There are also several communities where there is a great sense of
regional identity: Andalusia, Asturias, Navarre, Balearic Islands
and Valencia (the last two feeling attached to Catalan culture in
different ways) each have their own version of nationalism, but
generally with a smaller percentage of nationalists than in the
Basque Country and Catalonia.
There are other regions which, despite a broad Spanish nationalist
feeling, have strong regional identities: Cantabria, Rioja, Aragon,
and Extremadura.
There are also the cases of Madrid, an administrative autonomous
community inside the two Castilles; the two north African autonomous
cities of Ceuta and Melilla, and the autonomous community of Murcia.
Castile was the core kingdom under which Spain eventually unified
after centuries of evolution and incorporations. Yet there are also
strong movements in the provinces of the extinct region of Leon,
pushing to separate from Castilla-Leon.
Spain has a long history of tension between centralism and
regionalism. The current organization of the state into autonomous
communities (similar to a federal organization) under the Spanish
Constitution of 1978 is intended as a way to incorporate these
communities into the state.
Languages of Spain
While nearly everyone in Spain can speak Spanish (which is almost
universally known in Spain as castellano — "Castilian" — rather than
español — "Spanish") other languages figure prominently in many
regions: Basque (Euskara) in the Basque Country and Navarre; Catalan
in Catalonia, Balearic Islands and Valencia (where it is usually
referred to as Valencian), and Galician in Galicia. Spanish is
official throughout the country; the rest of these have co-official
status in their respective regions and all are major enough that
there are numerous daily newspapers in these languages and
(especially for Catalan and Basque) a significant book publishing
industry. Many citizens in these regions consider their regional
language as their primary language and Spanish as secondary; these
languages cover broad enough regions to have multiple distinct
dialects. (Spanish itself also has distinct dialects around the
country, with the Andaluz dialect being closer to the Spanish of the
Americas, which it heavily influenced.)
In addition, there is strong and growing support for other regional
languages, some of them in danger of extinction. These include
Asturian in Asturias, Aragonese in Aragon, and Aranese, a dialect of
Gascon spoken only in the tiny Val d'Aran, but enough of a live
language to be used in the public schools there.
With the exception of Basque, which appears to be a language
isolate, all of these are Romance languages.
Climate and geography
Spain's natural surroundings have helped shape the culture of the
nation. The success of the Basques in maintaining a separate culture
over a period of millennia has doubtless been aided by the
mountainous geography of their region. Several separate parts of
Spain have strong maritime traditions, including inland ports on
rivers: Seville, for example, was a major port until the
Guadalquivir silted up. Since the availability of mass air
transport, Spain's Mediterranean beaches, especially those along the
Costa del Sol, have drawn millions of tourists, providing
considerable revenue (and enormous contact with the outside world)
to a long-depressed and isolated area of the country.
Except for the subtropical Canary Islands, Spain can be divided into
areas experiencing, respectively, a Mediterranean climate; a climate
dominated by the Atlantic Ocean; and (in the inner areas) a rather
extreme climate with hotter summers and colder winters than nearer
the coasts. The generally warm and relatively dry summers have led
to a culture in which a lot of life is lived outdoors, whether on a
patio in the courtyard of a building or on a public plaza. In
Madrid, many of the most popular nightclubs move for several months
in the summer to an outdoor terraza much farther from the city
centre than their indoor winter location, continuing in a way the
older tradition of the verbena (fair). In the Mediterranean areas
(and in the Canary Islands), outdoor meals can be a nearly
year-round phenomenon.
Contemporary culture
As recently as the mid-20th-century, much of Spain (especially
outside of the major cities) remained quite distinct from the rest
of Europe. In 1954, V.S. Pritchett could still write of small
Spanish towns, "The inn, if there is one, will not be a hotel, nor
even a fonda — the Arab word — but perhaps a posada: a place one can
ride into with a mule or a donkey, where one can stable an animal
and lie down oneself on a sack of straw, the other side of the
stall." [Pritchett, 1954 p. 46-47] The idea of Spain as romantically
backward, a country of landed aristocrats, illiterate peasants,
colourful gypsies and bullfighters, and intense medieval-style
religiosity, in great contrast to surrounding modern,
industrialised, urbanised European countries was summed up in the
saying "Africa begins in the Pyrenees", i.e. Spain was seen as more
like North Africa than modern Europe. However, especially since the
1975 death of Francisco Franco, Spain has become increasingly
modern, prosperous and European; Pritchett's rustic posada would be
unimaginable today.
Franco's death ended a decades-long regime of censorship, leading to
an explosive growth in a wide range of cultural areas. The
subsequent recognition of strong cultural autonomy for the various
Autonomous Communities reinvigorated many aspects of local culture
that had been almost entirely repressed since the Spanish Civil War.
Spain joined the European Union in 1986.
Spanish pop culture
* La movida: late 1970s and early 1980s youth subculture (with
affinities to punk and new wave) with a focal point in Madrid.
* El botellón. The young people gather in the thousands in public
parks for the sake of having fun, meeting people, doing social life
and drinking alcohol.
Dress Style
Historically, various regions of Spain had quite distinct regional
dress. Today, most people in Spain dress in a manner comparable to
most other contemporary Europeans, although some regional variations
persist. Dress in Extremadura and in the smaller cities of Castile
remains relatively austere, even on festive occasions, while Andaluz
dress on festive occasions is elaborate and ostentatious. Barcelona
is one of the most stylish cities in Europe, though more restrained
and with a more determinedly timeless style than Paris or Milan.
Customs
The siesta—an hour-long mid-afternoon break from work—is generally
in decline and the typical rhythm of the day in Spain is now similar
to the European norm. Many shops and some museums (though relatively
few other businesses) still split their hours into two distinct
periods of opening with a two or three hour break in the middle; a
paseo (stroll) in the early evening remains a common custom in many
smaller cities and to some extent even in the larger ones.
Dinner here starts the latest in Europe, typically about 9 p.m. (in
the east) or 10 p.m. (in the west); consequently night-life starts
later, with many dance clubs (even in relatively small cities)
opening at midnight and staying open until dawn; during summer in
Madrid, there is nothing unusual about a live musical performance
being scheduled for one or two o'clock in the morning. This rhythm
has developed in accordance with the hours of the sun which rises
and sets one or two hours later than in the rest of Europe. The
routine perhaps lessens outdoor human activity in the period of the
day when temperatures are hottest.
Spanish architecture
Because many of its historical buildings have remained intact today,
several architectural structures in Spain, and even portions of
cities, have been designated World Heritage sites. These are listed
at List of World Heritage Sites in Europe: Spain.
Spain was part of the Roman Empire and many areas of Spain retain
significant Roman architectural remnants. The Roman aqueduct at
Segovia is still in use as of 2004; Mérida, now the Extremaduran
capital but once the capital of the Roman province of Lusitania,
retains over 5 miles of its Roman aqueduct, Roman bridge over the
River Guadiana, an arch of Trajan, and significant remnants of a
Roman forum, amphitheatre, and a temple popularly accounted to have
been dedicated to Diana (goddess). Another Roman bridge crosses the
Tagus River at Alcántara. Lesser Roman ruins can be found in the
heart of Barcelona.
Spain is home to several fine examples of medieval architecture;
outside of the areas that were under Muslim control, these are
primarily in the Romanesque and Gothic styles. Spain is also home to
several examples of Cathedral architecture. The Drassanes in
Barcelona, originally a facility for building ships and now a
maritime museum, is the largest and most complete medieval secular
structure in the world.
The architecture in southern Spain reflects its Moorish history. The
Alhambra is probably the most famous example, showing a mixture of
Islamic architecture and European influences. Significant Moorish
buildings survive as far north as Zaragoza. Throughout Spain, many
former mosque and synagogue buildings survive as Christian churches
or, occasionally, converted to other uses. Good examples of this are
the Church of Corpus Christi in Segovia and the Church of Santa
María la Blanca in Toledo, both former synagogues, and the Mezquita
(Spanish for "mosque"), a 10th century mosque in Córdoba,
reconsecrated in 1236 as a Christian Church. The influence of
Moorish architecture did not end with the reconquista: there were
many prominent mudéjar architects, Muslims living and working in
Christian Spain.
When the city of Barcelona was allowed to expand beyond its historic
limits in the late 19th century (a suspicious Spanish government had
long kept a ring of undeveloped land around the city to make it easy
for the military to deploy against any unrest), the resulting
Eixample ("extension"), larger than the old city, became the site of
a burst of architectural energy. Most famous among the architects
represented there is Antoni Gaudí, whose works in Barcelona and
elsewhere in Catalonia, mixing traditional architectural styles with
the new, were a precursor to modern architecture. Perhaps the most
famous example of his work is the (as of 2004) still-unfinished La
Sagrada Família, the largest building in the Eixample.
Other notable Catalan architects of that period include Lluís
Domènech i Montaner and Josep Puig i Cadafalch. One block on the
Passeig de Gràcia contains buildings by each of the three; the
clashing styles led to the nickname "manzana de la discordia",
literally the "block of discord", but also a pun: "manzana" can also
mean "apple", hence "apple of discord".
Alejandro de la Sota was one of the early proponents of modern
architecture in Spain; the first steel framed building in Madrid is
his 1961 Maravillas College Gymnasium.
Santiago Calatrava began to make his name from the 1980s and works
internationally. His work is typified by a great understanding of
engineering as well as nature. A notable building of his is the City
of Arts & Sciences in Valencia. Enric Miralles possessed a highly
esoteric style which has been compared to fellow Catalan Gaudí, and
was beginning to be successful internationally, but died in 2000, at
only 45 years old. His largest work, the Scottish Parliament
Building was completed posthumously. The Guggenheim Museum Bilbao
may be the most famous example of contemporary architecture in
Spain, although the architect, Frank Gehry, is a citizen of United
States and of Canadian descent.
The dry weather of Spain resulted in the importance of water
fountains in Spanish urban design. In addition, ceramics figure
prominently in architecture throughout Spain, especially in the tile
roofs (though slate was traditional near the Atlantic coast) and the
use of decorative tiles known as azulejos.
Dance
* Contradanza
* Flamenco
* Pasodoble
* Sardana
* Jota
Festivals
Many of the traditional festivals in Spain revolve around Catholic
saints and historical events.
* Fallas
* Bonfires of Saint John
* El Rocío
* Carnival
* Carnival of Cádiz
* San Fermín
* Mystery Play of Elx
* Romeria
* Tomatina
* Moros y Cristianos
* Hogueras
* Semana Santa
Spanish cuisine
Spanish cuisine is made of very different kinds of dishes due to the
differences in geography, culture and climate. It is heavily
influenced by the variety of seafood available from the waters that
surround the country. Some foods typically associated with Spain
include arroz con leche, (rice with milk), which is served as a
dessert, and paella, which is made with yellow rice typically
garnished with a variety of meats or seafood.
As Spain has had a history with many different cultural influences,
the richness and variety of its cuisine is overwhelming, but all
these ingredients have made up a unique cuisine with thousands of
recipes and flavours. Much influence on Spanish cuisine has come
from the Jewish and Moorish traditions. The Moors were a strong
influence in Spain for many centuries and their food is still eaten
in Spain today. As a counterpoint, public consumption of pork
(forbidden for Jews and Muslims) was a religious affirmation of
being an Old Christian and pork is still enjoyed by many Spaniards.
* Chorizo, a paprika pork sausage.
* Cocido, a stew with beans and meat.
* Cuisine of Cantabria
* Fabada Asturiana, beans with chorizo and lard.
* Fideuà, a noodle paella
* Gazpacho, a cold soup or a liquid salad.
* Jamón, cured ham
* Paella, a rice dish
* Sangría, a wine cooler
* Tortilla de patatas, potato omelette.
Music of Spain
Spain's musical output includes a long history of innovation in
Western and Andalusian classical music, as well as a domestic
popular music industry, and diverse styles of folk music. Modern
Spain has a number of performers in the fields of rock and roll,
heavy metal, punk rock and hip hop, electronic music is also common
between spaniards and djs such as dj marta or alex trackone are very
well known in the spanish parties.
The best-known variety of Spanish folk music is probably flamenco, a
diverse genre created by Andalusian Roma. Flamenco has been known
since at least the 1770s, and has been through several cycles of
dwindling popularity and rebirth. The style has produced many of the
most famous Spanish musicians, including singer Camarón de la Isla
and guitarist Carlos Montoya.
Outside of flamenco, regional Spanish folk music includes the
distinct Basque trikitixa and accordion music, Galician and Asturian
gaita (bagpipe) and Aragonese jota. Though some folk traditions have
died out or are moribund, some retain great popularity and have been
modernized and adapted to new instruments, styles and formats. These
include the popular Celtic music of Galicia, the singer-songwriter
tradition of nova canço and New Flamenco.
The first distinctly modern popular music of Spain began to appear
in about 1959. Soon, Ye-Yé dominated the Spanish charts, followed by
the import of American and British rock, French singers and other
pop stars.
Spanish music today mainly consists of pop/rock/punk bands such as
El Canto Del Loco , La Oreja De Van Gogh , Edurne , and Amaral. This
new type of music has dominated the charts in Spain today, and many
believe it will continue to do so for some time.
Cinema of Spain
While mid-century Spanish directors such as Luis Buñuel worked
mainly in exile, film has prospered in Spain since the
reestablishment of constitutionalism. Among the leading late 20th-
and early 21st-century Spanish film directors are:
* Pedro Almodóvar, Double Oscar Winner; 1999 "Foreign language film"
(Todo sobre mi madre) and 2002 "Original Screenplay" (Hable con ella)
* Alejandro Amenábar, 2004 Oscar winner for "Foreign language film"
(Mar Adentro).
* Pablo Berger
* Manuel Martin Cuenca
* Mateo Gil, who works with Amenábar on most of his films.
* Álex de la Iglesia
* Julio Medem, director of Lucía y el sexo
* Ventura Pons, directs mainly in Catalan
* Carlos Saura, whose five decades as a director include numerous
films centered on dance (especially flamenco, as well as the
official film of the 1992 Olympics in Barcelona.
Spain also has some rather notable "B movie" directors, such as:
* Santiago Segura, director of the Torrente Trilogy.
Sports in Spain
Sport in Spain is dominated by Fútbol, with La Liga, the country's
professional league, drawing large attendances; Real Madrid and FC
Barcelona are traditionally the most successful teams. The national
team, however, underperforms consistently at the World Cup, although
it did win the 1964 European Football Championship. Currently Spain
is captained by Raúl González, who is very much the Golden Boy of
Spanish football – he also is the top scorer for the national team
and captain of his club, Real Madrid. Spain hosted the 1982 FIFA
World Cup.
In Tennis, Spain won the 2005 Davis Cup championship, with teenager
Rafael Nadal leading the line. Cycle racing is a major sport,
hosting the 3rd biggest stage race in UCI ProTour, the Vuelta a
España. Navarran Miguel Indurain is one of only five Spanish men to
win the famous Tour de France. Recently, F1 Champion Fernando Alonso
has spurred a rise in Formula One popularity in Spain.
Bullfighting is an icon for Spain, and despite slight recent
declines in attendance it is still alive and well across the
country, though is threatened by Animal Rights organizations.
Another traditional Spanish sport is Pelota. Jai-alai, related to
Pelota, is also a very popular sport which its first written
references can be traced to XIII century in France. Spain has also
achieved degrees of success in middle distance running, Golf,
Basketball and Handball, amongst others.
At the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens, Spain's athletes won 19
medals (3 gold, 11 silver and 5 bronze), finishing 20th in the medal
table. In the all-time Olympic Games medal count Spain is 34th with
30 gold medals and 97 total medals.
In basketball, Spain won the gold medal at the 2006 FIBA World
Championships in Japan.
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