E315 Spain

Spain was under Roman rule from 200’s BC to early 400’s AD, followed by the Visigoth rule until the 700’s AD. It was conquered by the Muslims in 711, who controlled part of the peninsula until the 15th century.

Spanish art, architecture, cuisine, and music have been shaped by successive waves of foreign invaders, as well as by the country’s Mediterranean climate and geography.

Due to its historical and geographical diversity, Spanish architecture has drawn from a host of influences. Fine examples of Islamic architecture were built in the Middle Ages in places such as Córdoba, Seville, or Granada.

An influential style centered in Barcelona, known as modernism, produced a number of important architects, of which Gaudí is one.

Spanish music is often considered abroad to be synonymous with Flamenco, a West Andalusian musical genre. The most popular traditional musical instrument, the guitar, originated in Spain.

Spanish cuisine is heavily influenced by seafood available from the waters that surround the country, one of its best known dish is the paella, a rice dish originally from the Valencia region. It consists of rice, green beans, pork, chicken, sausages, cooked in olive oil and chicken broth.

The famous Don Quixote (Don Quijote de La Mancha) by Miguel de Cervantes was written in the 17th century. It is a founding work of Western literature, it is often labelled as the first modern novel, and one of the greatest works ever written.

There are many important Spanish painters belonging to the modernism art movement, including Pablo Picasso, Salvador Dalí, Juan Gris and Joan Miró.

Source: Wikipedia