The culture and traditions of Spain differ significantly from the cultural heritage, customs and spiritual values of other European countries. Numerous tourists are attracted by the colorful atmosphere, temperament, friendliness and friendliness of the local population.
What are the features of the culture of Spain
Due to the special geographical position of the country, Spanish culture is endowed with unique originality, richness and beauty. The territorial location on the border between Africa and Europe, the shores washed by the warm Mediterranean Sea and the soft Atlantic Ocean - all this is reflected in the traditions and customs of hospitable Spain.
Many years of layering of cultural layers occurred due to the influence of various peoples and religions. The culture of Spain is a unique combination of historical monuments and the folklore heritage of the ancient Romans, Greeks, and Arabs. The Spanish Mudejar style is a symbiosis of architecture, painting, music, arts and crafts, expressed through international cultural characteristics.
Spanish architecture
Historical buildings are diverse, dictated by the fashion trends of different periods. The culture of Spain is widely represented in monumental buildings: Gothic cathedrals, medieval castles, luxurious palaces. In terms of the number of world-famous monuments, Spain is in second place, behind Italy.
Inquisitive tourists should definitely see the Arc de Triomphe and Casa Lleo Morera's house in Barcelona. Heading to Valencia, you can not miss the fortress gate Torres de Serrano, built in the XIV century. The step pyramids of Guimar, located on the island of Tenerife, amaze the imagination with their scale and remain an age-old mystery to mankind. Arab minaret Giralda with the Golden Tower is a symbol of Seville. The Cathedral of Santiago de Compostella houses the ancient relics of St. James, after whom the historic building is named.
Features of Spanish culture are reflected in modern buildings. The Agbar Tower, Frank Gehry's fish-shaped building, "Bin Laden's house" - this is a small list of world-famous works of architectural art that worthily represent their country.
Spanish fine arts
The art of Spain has left a wide mark in the world history of culture. The works of the Golden Age brought the worldwide fame of painting. These include masterpieces of the religious genre created by the artist El Greco. Not less famous are such creators asFrancisco Rib alta, Diego Velazquez, Bartolomeo Murillo, Jusepe Ribera. Artistic traditions were subsequently continued by the brilliant work of Francisco Goya. Salvador Dali, Juan Miro, Pablo Picasso and Juan Gris made an invaluable contribution to the contemporary art of painting.
Spanish literature
During the Golden Age, the culture of Spain is enriched by outstanding works of the literary genre. Glory to his homeland brought the author of the famous "Don Quixote" Miguel de Cervantes. No less famous are the literary heroes of Felix Lope de Vega, Pedro Calderon de la Barca and Miguel de Unamuno. Playwright and poet Federico García Lorca, Juan Goytisolo, Miguel Delibes and Camilo José Sela, who won the Nobel Prize, supported modern literary fame. On the theatrical stage, the art of dramaturgy was glorified mainly thanks to Ramón del Valle-Inclan.
The culture of Spain is marked by the success of domestic cinema. Director Luis Bunuel, the author of the masterpiece Andalusian Dog, has created a whole gallery of world-famous works over the forty years of his film career. The fame of the master was strengthened by such authors as Pedro Almodovar and Carlos Saura.
Spanish music
Spain is one of the oldest musical countries in Europe. The amazing originality of song genres, instrumental music, dance art is due to the historical features of this land. In the initial period of its development, musical cultureSpain included various directions peculiar to certain provinces. Over time, diverse cultures became more and more intertwined, forming a special Spanish style, noticeably different from all others.
Already from the beginning of the 13th century, the music of Spain was known for the art of playing the guitar. Today, the traditional musical instrument is represented by two types: flamenco and acoustic guitar. Contemporary music contains at its core the origins of folklore, which distinguish Spanish works with originality and recognizability.
Classical works were developed in the sixteenth century, taking church melodies as a basis. At the beginning of the 20th century, composers Enrique Granados, Isaac Albeniz, Manuel de Falla brought pan-European fame to Spanish music. Modern classical singing art is represented by the brilliant voices of Montserrat Caballe, Placido Domingo and José Carreras.
Flamenco
Temperamental and incendiary style of flamenco is the traditional music of Spain, born in Andalusia. It is presented in three directions: songs, dances and playing the guitar. The style was based on ancient gypsy ritual dances, which were inherited, preserving their traditions and enriched with new musical colors.
Today, flamenco dances are presented in the form of musical performances filled with semantic content, expressing special sensuality and passion. The indispensable attributes of dance numbers (long dresses, colorful shawls, fans) help to better express feelings andemphasize the folk origin of the style. Often, flamenco dances are accompanied by rhythmic sounds of castanets, clapping (palmas), expressive playing on the cajon drum.
The flamenco dance culture combines several different musical patterns under one name. A characteristic feature of the Spanish style is an indispensable element of improvisation, which allows you to create completely unique works of dance art.
Festivals and holidays in Spain
The ancient origin and richness of cultural manifestations determine the bright beauty and originality of national holidays. The musical country annually holds a variety of festivals, carnivals and processions.
In February, a nationwide carnival is held, especially vividly presented on the island of Tenerife. The eve of the Easter holiday is not complete without many religious processions and religious processions, decorated with colorful and colorful paraphernalia.
The most famous festivals are held in summer and autumn: music, theater, dance. Tomatina can be attributed to the category of original events - a holiday of tomatoes, on which a grandiose tomato massacre is held.
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The cultural heritage of Spain, of course, should include the famous bullfight - a fight with bulls. The spectacular event is presented by a spectacular performance that includes centuries-old art traditions based on respect for sacred animals, excitement and mortal risk.
BIn ancient times, bullfighting was an obligatory element of national holidays. Today it is a whole art that embodies the Spanish spirit and national identity. The beauty of a bullfight is akin to a ballet dance, where the bullfighter shows his skill, courage and talent.
Beautiful people who have glorified the history of their country for many centuries have created and continue to support the national heritage, whose name is the culture of Spain. Having briefly considered the creative directions of human activity, one cannot help but feel deep respect for the Spanish people, who carefully preserve and increase the cultural traditions of their homeland.
