Bienvenidos a este espacio dedicado a Senegal, un pais con miles de colores, olores y paisajes que despiertan todos los sentidos mas profumdos del viajero que lo visita.
Nuestra propuesta es ofrecer un espacio de informacion,sugerencia,encuentro y intercambio entre todos los que aman o quieren visitar este pais por cualquier motivo.
Nuestro principal deseo es que podais aprovechar y disfrutar de ellos de la mejor manera posible y sobre todo desde el respecto de todos.
L’Espagne est un pays riche en contraste culturel
et naturel. L’Espagne possède un littoral avec de belles plages de
sable fin, de nombreuses criques, des montagnes qui dépassent les 3000
mètres notamment dans la Sierra Nevada. L’Espagne est bordée par
l’océan Atlantique avec comme région le Pays Basque, la Cantabrie et les Asturies. La Galice,
région isolée qui ressemble à la Bretagne avec ses falaises et son
paysage découpé. C’est la première région de pêche d’Espagne. Les
régions méditerranéennes avec la Catalogne, la Costa Brava entre Barcelone et la France, la région du Levant qui comprend la région de Valence et celle de la Costa Blanca, l’archipel des Baléares qui comprend l’île de Majorque, l’île de Minorque, celle d’Ibiza et de Formentera. La région d’Andalousie plus
au sud avec de nombreuses variétés de paysages comme la Sierra Morena
ou plus connue la Sierra Nevada, puis les îles Canaries pour terminer la
partie méditerranéenne. Une autre région d’Espagne
est la région des Pyrénées qui comprend le haut Aragon et la Navarre.
Enfin, la région de La Meseta qui représente la plus grande partie du
territoire espagnol.
Idée week-end à Barcelone ou Madrid ou Séville
Barcelone
Une location de vacances à Barcelone pour un week-end prolongé. Ville cosmopolite située à 190 kilomètres de Perpignan en
France. C’est une ville animée, qui a su conserver ses traditions et
rentrer dans le 21ème siècle. De jolis quartiers à découvrir comme celui
du Barri Gòtic, quartier qui a préservé ses monuments gothiques, le
vieux quartier des pêcheurs, La Ribera, le quartier Gràcia où de
nombreuses fêtes populaires ont lieu toute l’année, la vieille ville
mérite un détour. Barcelone c’est bien sûr La Sagrada
Familia, la fameuse cathédrale de Gaudi, le Passeig de Gràcia qui est
une grande artère luxueuse, le Park Güell où vous avez l’impression de
rentrer dans un monde imaginaire. Promenez-vous sur l’artère la plus
célèbre de Barcelone, La Rambla, allez jusqu’au Musée d’Art Contemporain
de Barcelone (MACBA). Ce ne sont que quelques suggestions, la visite de Barcelone mérite plusieurs jours. N'hésitez pas à consulter les offres des propriétaires de locations saisonnières à Barcelone.
Madrid
Une location de vacances à Madrid
pour découvrir un ensemble de monuments baroques et classiques. C’est
une ville riche qui ravira tous les amateurs de peintures artistiques.
Ville animée, qu’il faut parcourir à pieds avec ses nombreuses places et
grandes artères. Visitez le musée du Prado, qui est l'une des
pinacothèques classiques les plus réputées au monde. Ne pas manquer le
musée Thyssen-Bornemisza. Nous vous conseillons de déambuler dans le
vieux Madrid autour de la place Mayor, de vous rendre au quartier des
Bourbons, quartier résidentiel de Madrid. Pour faire une bonne
dégustation de tapas, allez dans le quartier Barrio de los Austrias avec
ses petites rues et ses nombreux bars à tapas. Alors bon séjour à
Madrid ! Vous trouverez facilement une location saisonnière à Madrid ou dans les environs.
Séville
Une location de vacances à Séville, capitale de l’Andalousie,
pour découvrir l’origine du Flamenco. Ville située dans la plaine du
Guadalquivir, qui bouge énormément, avec ses petites ruelles, ses parcs
et un patrimoine architectural de tout premier ordre. Dégustez les
tapas, assistez aux nombreux spectacles de Flamenco. Pour les amateurs
de corrida, Séville est faite pour vous. Ne pas manquer la visite des deux monuments de Séville :
la cathédrale et l’Alcazar. Rendez-vous au musée des beaux-arts qui
renferme une superbe collection de toiles espagnoles des 17 ème et 18
ème siècles. A voir absolument, la place de l’Espagne,
allez visiter le quartier de Santa Cruz (ancien quartier juif), quartier
avec de superbes ruelles et patios fleuris. Lors de votre prochain
séjour en Andalousie, prévoyez plusieurs jours pour vous imprégner de cette ville aux mille couleurs. Réservez dès aujourd'hui votre location saisonnière à Séville ou dans la région.
Les propositions de séjour dans les 19 communautés autonomes d’Espagne
Pour votre prochain séjour en Espagne, sur le
littoral méditerranéen ou atlantique, à l’intérieur des terres en pleine
campagne ou à la montagne, vous serez enchanté par la multitude de
paysages variés, la diversité des traditions et cultures que vous
rencontrerez lors de vos périples. Voici un récapitulatif des 17
communautés autonomes (+2 villes autonomes) d’Espagne pour vous
permettre de choisir votre prochaine destination en Espagne. Nous vous
conseillons de rechercher des locations de vacances entre particuliers en Espagne et de profiter des belles locations saisonnières dans toute l’Espagne.
L’Andalousie
Une location de vacances en Andalousie
pour profiter des richesses architecturales. La région andalouse riche
sur le plan architectural vous émerveillera par la diversité de ses
monuments ses villages aux maisons blanches, sa chaîne de montagne la
Sierra Nevada, et ses villes internationalement connues que sont Cordoue, Grenade et Séville. L’Andalousie
est la capitale du Flamenco et le haut lieu de la corrida. Il y a des
ferias dans presque tous les villages de la région. D’un point de vue
économique, l’Andalousie est la première région productrice d’olives en
Europe.
La région d’Aragon
Une location de vacances en Aragon
pour découvrir des joyaux de l’architecture tout en profitant de sites
naturels grandioses. La région d’Aragon possède 5 parcs naturels pour
faire de belles randonnées pédestres, avec le plus connu celui du Parc
Naturel d’Ordessa. La capitale d’Aragon est la ville de Saragosse avec comme monument incontournable la basilique de la Virgen del Pilar. La région d’Aragon est riche en monuments médiévaux.
La région des Asturies
Une location de vacances dans les Asturies
pour ses espaces naturels, ses parcs régionaux et sa côte Cantabrique.
Cette communauté autonome se situe au Nord-ouest de l’Espagne entre la Galice, la Cantabrie et la Castille-et-Léon. Région connue pour avoir une belle chaîne montagneuse.
La région de Galice
Une location en vacances en Galice. Cette communauté autonome se trouve au Nord-Ouest de l’Espagne entre le Portugal,la région des Asturies et celle de Castille-et-Léon. La Galice est réputée pour le fameux pèlerinage de Saint-Jacques-de-Compostelle et qui est la capitale de cette région.
Les îles Baléares
Une location de vacances dans les îles Baléares pour profiter des belles plages, des nombreuses activités nautiques. Les îles Baléares sont situées en Méditerranée et sont au nombre de 5.
Les îles Canaries
Une location de vacances dans les îles Canaries.
Cet archipel comprend 7 îles qui sont situées sur l’Océan Atlantique.
C’est un lieu de tourisme de premier ordre avec plus de 1500 kilomètres
de côtes et 500 plages. Le soleil est au rendez-vous toute l’année.
La région de Cantabrie
Une location de vacances en Cantabrie. Cette région est entourée par le Pays Basque, par la Castille-et-Léon, les Asturies et
enfin la mer Cantabrique. Cette région est diversifiée entre mer et
montagne. C’est une région avec de nombreuses fêtes traditionnelles.
Pour les amateurs de sports nautiques cette région est pour vous.
La région de Castille-La- Manche
Une location de vacances en Castille-la-Manche pour découvrir une région aux multiples paysages et traditions. Cette région est située entre l’Andalousie, la communauté de Madrid, la communauté d’Aragon, celle de Murcie et de Valence, l’Estrémadure et enfin la communauté de Castille-et-Léon. La communauté de Castille-la-Manche vous permettra de découvrir les villages traversés par Don Quichotte.
La région de Castille-et-Léon
Une location de vacances dans la région de Castille-et-Léon. Cette communauté est entourée du Portugal, de la Galice, les Asturies, la Cantabrie, la Rioja, l’Aragon, la communauté de Madrid, l’Estrémadure, la Castille-la-Manche et enfin le Pays Basque. Région très riche en monuments dont certains sont au Patrimoine mondial de l’Unesco. La Castille-et-Léon propose de nombreux itinéraires à thèmes : vin, randonnées pédestres, culture… A découvrir absolument.
La région de Catalogne
Une location de vacances en Catalogne pour visiter la capitale Barcelone.
Région a forte personnalité avec de nombreuses traditions. Vous pouvez
profiter des 600 kilomètres de côtes méditerranéennes mais également des
Pyrénées catalanes avec des sommets à plus de 3000 mètres. Venez
déguster la cuisine Catalane pour vos prochaines vacances à Barcelone ou dans les environs. Vous pourrez également vous loger dans une location vacances Costa Brava ou consulter notre guide vacances sur la Costa Brava pour définir votre prochaine destination.
La communauté de Valence
Une location de vacances dans la communauté Valencienne sur les côtes méditerranéennes au sud de la Catalogne. Grande tradition culinaire pour cette région et une multitude d’activités nautiques sur la Costa Blanca.
L’Estrémadure
Une location de vacances en Estrémadure située entre le Portugal, la Castille-la-Manche et l’Andalousie.
C’est une région avec de nombreux vestiges architecturaux de premier
ordre qui remontent depuis l’histoire lointaine. Des traces de vie
remontent depuis la préhistoire. Ne pas manquer la ville de Cacérès.
La région de Murcie
Une location de vacances dans la région de Murcie. Petite région entre l’Andalousie, la communauté de Valence et Castille-la-Manche.
Région pour les amateurs de plages et de sable avec des kilomètres de
sable fin ! Région aux multiples activités sur la côte ou dans les
terres avec des itinéraires de découverte aux différents thèmes.
La région de Madrid
Une location de vacances dans la région de Madrid et ses richesses culturelles. Elle est située au centre de l’Espagne. Climat chaud l’été et froid l’hiver. Idéal pour un séjour pour visiter Madrid et les nombreux villages dans les environs.
La région de Navarre
Une location de vacances dans la communauté de Navarre.
Elle est située au Nord de l’Espagne entre les Pyrénées, le Pays
Basque, la Rioja et celle d’Aragon. C’est une région montagneuse avec de
nombreuses vallées pyrénéennes. Mais elle compte également une région
plus sèche nommée la Ribera. C’est une région idéale pour associer
activités sportives et culturelles avec par exemple un itinéraire sur
les traces d’Ernest Hemingway.
Le Pays Basque
Une location de vacances dans le Pays Basque
pour un dépaysement garanti. Découvrez la côte basque pour les
amateurs de surf, des villages côtiers magnifiques, des plages
idylliques. Visiter Bilbao, San Sébastian, villes culturelles, parcourez
les nombreux espaces naturels comme le parc naturel d’Aralar,
d’Urkiola, d’Izki ou d’Aiako Harria.
La Rioja
Une location de vacances dans la Rioja.
Petite région entre la Castille-et-Léon, la Navarre et le Pays Basque.
Le chemin de Saint Jacques de Compostelle traverse la Rioja. Région
réputée pour sa tradition viticole et ses monuments de toute beauté dont
de nombreux monastères.
DECOUVRIRE ESTREMADUR:
L’Estrémadure (Extremadura en espagnol) est l’une des 17 communautés autonomes d’Espagne. Située au Sud-Ouest du pays, l’Estrémadure partage ses frontières avec le Portugal, Castille et León, Castille-La Manche et l’Andalousie.
Tourisme en Estrémadure
L’Estrémadure conserve des restes monumentaux et
artistiques qui montrent la grande variété de gens et cultures qui ont
habité ces terres du centre-ouest de l’Espagne depuis des temps
préhistoriques.
Mérida, l’antique Emerita Augusta, conserve plusieurs vestiges
architecturaux de l’époque romaine, quand la ville fut capitale de la
Lusitanie. Depuis 1986, elle possède le Musée national d’Art romain,
construit par l’architecte espagnol Rafael Moneo. Parmi ces restes se
distinguent le Théâtre et l’Amphithéâtre romains, ainsi que le pont sur
le Guadiana et l’Aqueduc des Miracles. Mérida est en outre la capitale
de la Communauté autonome d’Estrémadure et tous les bâtiments du Gouvernement régional y sont situés.
La ville de Cacérès
a été déclarée en 1986 Patrimoine de l’Humanité par l’UNESCO, parce
qu’elle réunit la conjonction urbaine du Moyen-Âge et de la Renaissance
la plus complète du monde. La cathédrale Sainte-Marie, le palace des
Girouettes (Musée archéologique), des palaces de la famille Golfín, la
Maison du Soleil et la Tour de Bujaco et l’Arche de l’Étolie, en sont
les plus beaux et impressionnants monuments. De plus, elle se met en
valeur en étant le siège d’un des deux campus que compte l’Université d’Estrémadure et par le dynamisme de sa vie culturelle au sein de la Communauté autonome.
La situation de Badajoz
à la frontière avec le Portugal fait que son importance commerciale est
grande. La ville, siège d’un archevêché, a une cathédrale du treizième
siècle. Les autres monuments remarquables sont le Palace Duc du Roc, le
pont sur la rivière Guadiana, du seizième siècle, le Musée archéologique
et la Porte de Paumes. Le MEIAC (Musée estrémadurien et ibéro-américain
d’Art contemporain), qui expose les œuvres d’art de peintres d’Estrémadure et d’Amérique latine, est aussi à Badajoz.
Les autres sites d’intérêt d’Estrémadure sont : la vieille ville de Trujillo,
le monastère de Guadeloupe, la ville de Plaisance, la vallée de la
rivière Jerte et les régions de Sierra du Chatte et les Hurdes dans le
province de Cacérès ; la ville de Zafra, Jérez des Caballeros, la
Campagne Sud, le Terre de Barros et la Raya dans le province de Badajoz.
Géographie de l’Estrémadure
L’Estrémadure est composée de deux provinces :
province de Caceres au nord qui correspond à la Haute Estrémadure (Alta Extremadura)
province de Badajoz au sud qui correspond à la Basse Estrémadure (Baja Extremadura)
La capitale de la communauté, Mérida, est située dans la province de Badajoz.
L’Estrémadure compte 383 villes. Badajoz, avec 135 000 habitants, est la ville la plus peuplée d’Estrémadure, suivie par Caceres avec 82 000 habitants et Mérida avec 51 000 habitants.
Vidéo d'Estrémadure
Plan de l’Estrémadure
Estrémenios célèbres
De nombreux conquistadors naquirent en Estrémadure :
Francisco Pizarro, Hernando Pizarro, Francisco de Orellana, Hernán
Cortés, Hernando de Soto, Pedro de Valdivia, Diego de Almagro, Pedro de
Alvarado, Vasco Núñez de Balboa…
Histoire de l’Estrémadure
Les Tartessiens, les Celtes et Lusitaniens étaient présents en Estrémadure avant l’arrivée des Carthaginois.
Les Romains fondèrent de nombreuses villes : Emérita Augusta (Mérida), Norba Caesarina (Cáceres), Pax Augusta (Badajoz), etc. Mérida fut fondée par Auguste en -25. C’est ensuite une terre d’al-Andalus.
Alphonse VIII de Castille s’empara de Plasencia en 1180, et Alphonse
IX de Cáceres en 1229; de Mérida et de Badajoz en 1230. Ferdinand III
prit Medellín (Espagne) quelques années plus tard.
L’Estrémadure fut divisée en deux parties en 1833. Le 26 février 1983, l’Estrémadure obtint son statut
Spain is the
ideal place for a holiday with all the family. Come and discover a warm,
welcoming country with the best infrastructure for families, where the
little ones will be looked after like nowhere else. The notion of family
has a deep-rooted importance in the Spanish way of life, and you will
feel right at home from the moment you arrive.
Whether
in major cities or rural villages, Spain’s social traditions reserve a
special place and special attention for children. This excellent
treatment also extends to the rest of the family. You will find yourself
well attended whether at the water park, museum, hotel or restaurant.
City leisure
Spanish cities
are an oasis of leisure and fun for the whole family. They have so much
to offer for your holidays. Zoos like the one in Córdoba, aquaria like the one in Barcelona, or theme parks that are an endless source of fun, light and colour, perfect to spend an unforgettable day as a family.
Nowadays, and more than ever before,
there are a range of museums on offer that cater to all tastes, with a
host of fun exhibitions. Workshops, painting and interactive areas where
you can touch, discover and experience, make museums like the Guggenheim Bilao Museum, the Arts and Sciences Museum in Valencia, and the Science Park Museum in Granada, into dynamic, fun places to discover culture in the most appealing way.
Parks also offer a pleasant,
attractive environment where children can relax in the open air, play on
the slides, ride their bikes and even go rowing, as is the case in the Buen Retiro Park in Madrid.
When the little ones are tired of
walking, there are also original ways to discover cities, such as the
calesas, typical horse-drawn carriages, which, in Seville let you discover the Giralda andthe Golden Tower, in the most enjoyable way.
There are almost endless ways to enjoy the Spanish coast.
Spanish beaches are some of the best in terms of cleanliness, safety
and infrastructure. They are also some of the world’s most popular
holiday destinations. Swimming in warm, calm, clear waters, diving down
to bright seabeds, teaming with life, building ditches and sandcastles,
or exploring the coastline on a boat are unforgettable experiences for
the whole family.
Learning with nature
We
have yet to mention the Spanish interior. Inland you will find a huge
area, home to lakes, mountain ranges, rivers, valleys and plateaus.
Hiking, skiing, sailing on calm, natural reservoirs, fishing, biking and
horse riding… These activities are suitable for all ages, can be
practised in groups, and are the perfect opportunity for adventurous fun
in a safe environment.
Nature Reserves and National Parks such as Doñana, Garajonay and Ordesa and Monte Perdido,
have environmental workshops that teach children about the mountains,
wetlands, and the flora and fauna of the different ecosystems. Here you
can enjoy watching eagles in flight and mountain goats’ fearless jumps.
Unforgettable experiences for parents and children alike.
Cities,
coast and interior, they all offer an endless source of entertainment,
culture and fun for visitors. Spain is an ideal location for a unique
holiday. Come and enjoy a country that abounds in ideas and adventures
for the whole family.
Discovering spanish famous beach places
VACATIONS SPAIN - COSTA DE LA LUZ
Ideal for "get away
from it all" Spanish holidays since it is not terribly developed, the
Costa de la Luz is situated in the southerly region of Andalucia on
Spain´s west coast, just below Portugal.
This extensive area of
sandy beaches, pine trees and small fishing villages is bathed by the
Atlantic Ocean and can be divided into two main areas: the western Costa
de la Luz, which is in the Province of Huelva; and the eastern Costa de
la Luz, in the Province of Cádiz.
The
beaches found on the west side tend to be long and wide with fine,
golden sand. It is home to several small seaside towns, many backed by
sand dunes and pine trees, where you get the chance to discover the
"real Spain".Main resorts include Isla Cristina, La Antilla, El Rompido, Punta Umbria and Matalascañas,
the latter being an ideal base for a trip to Doñana Park - one of
Spain´s largest national parks which serves as a stop-over for birds
migrating between Europe and Africa.
Beaches to the east tend also
to be long with fine, golden sand but with huge sand dunes. The
coastline is dotted with small fishing villages and it is great for
surfing and windsurfing.
Main tourist centers on this side include Conil de la Frontera, Caños de Meca, Zahara de las Atunes, Bolonia and Valdevaqueros, Tarifa.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
VACATIONS SPAIN - COSTA DEL SOL
Moving
away from the Costa de la Luz, round to the south-east of Spain, we
have the bustling Costa del Sol - a long-time favorite for vacations
Spain!
What can we say about it that has not already been said?!
It is the best-known and most highly-developed costa of Andalucia,
situated in the Province of Málaga, facing the Mediterranean Sea.
Its
Mediterranean waters are warm and safe, its climate mild and the coast
well-sheltered from northerly winds by a mountain chain.
With its
lengthy promenades, long stretches of beaches, swaying palm trees and
brilliant bougainvillaea, it is no wonder that most of the resorts along
the Costa del Sol - in particular Marbella, Torremolinos and Fuengirola - are packed out in the summer.
They
offer plenty to do and see: jet skis, marinas, bars, restaurants and
night-life ... you name it, they´ve got it! If you want to
"live-it-up", play with the jet set and party all night long, well ...
this is certainly the place to be!
Having said that, you do not
have to wonder very far away from these main resorts to find the
peaceful ambience of country villages and ... of course, the golf
courses!
Main beaches on the west side of the Costa del Sol include Playa el Cristo - Estepona, San Pedro, Playa Nueva Andalucia; Puerto Banus - Marbella and La Carihuela; Torremolinos.
Beaches on the east side include Calahonda and Calas Occidentales - Nerja and El Maro.
This space is reserved to spanish famous authors of the world of art and culture.
Our first publcation is dadicated to :
Miguel de Cervantes.
We know little about the birth of Miguel de Cervantes Saavedra. The
exact date cannot be found in any registry. Perhaps he was born the 29th
of September, the day of San Miguel, for which he was named. We do know
that he was born in Alcalá de Henares, a small university town near
Madrid, where he was baptised in the church of Santa María on October 9,
1547. Cervantes was the fourth of the seven children born to Doña
Leonor de Cortinas and Don Rodrigo de Cervantes, an itinerant surgeon
who struggled to maintain his practice and his family by travelling
throughout Spain.
Little more is known about the first twenty years of Cervantes’ life.
He is thought to have gone to school in Valladolid and Sevilla. We
don’t know any dates except that in 1567-68, he was registered in the
school of the Spanish humanist, Juan Lopez de Hoyos, in Madrid. In
1569 Cervantes travelled to Italy to serve in the household of an
Italian nobleman and, a year later, he joined the Spanish military. On
September 7, 1571, he fought bravely against the Turks at the Battle of
Lepanto where he was seriously wounded and lost the use of his left
hand. After a lengthy period of recovery, he decided to return to the
soldier’s life. In April 1572, he joined the company of Manuel Ponce de
León, where we believe his brother Rodrigo was also enrolled. Together
they participated in a number of battles.
The brothers Cervantes departed Italy for Spain in 1575. They were
captured during the return journey by pirates and taken to Algiers,
where they were imprisoned and where they bravely jeopardised their
lives trying to escape. After five years of captivity, Cervantes was
liberated, thanks to the negotiations of the Trinitarian fathers. (His
brother had already been released.) On the 27th of October, he arrived
in Valencia, poor (his father had to sell all his possessions for the
ransom) and humiliated. The experience was a turning point in his life,
and numerous references to the themes of freedom and captivity appear in
his work.
Cervantes came back from Algiers deeply in debt because of the ransom
paid to release him. To earn money, he decided to reenlist in the army.
He went to Portugal and took part in the battle of “Las Azores” in
1582. One year later, he returned to Spain with the manuscript of a
romance, La Galatea and possibly the first part of Persiles y Segismunda.
He also brought some notes for his biography. During this year, a child
named Isabel de Saavedra was born to Cervantes and a lady of Lisbon’s
aristocracy.
On December 12, 1584, 37 year old Miguel de Cervantes Saavedra
married Doña Catalina de Palacios Salazara, a woman almost twenty years
younger. The marriage obliged Cervantes to look for a job and in 1588 he
secured a position as a government official in the south of Spain,
requisitioning wheat and olive oil for the campaign of the Invincible
Armada.
His new position gave him the opportunity to learn the customs and habits of Sevilla, traditions he described in Don Quixote.
He was arrested twice in Sevilla for taking possession of merchandise
belonging to the deacon of Sevilla’s Cathedral. These experiences
justify the legend that the first part of Don Quixote was written in jail.
His stay in Sevilla was a period of calamities for Cervantes. His
luck was not better in literature. In 1595, he won first prize (three
silver spoons) in a poem competition and, three years later, his song El entierro del Rey Felipe II en Sevilla received some attention, although the rest of his poems were to remain unpublished. La gitanilla, Rinconete y Cortadillo, La Galatea, and Persiles y Segismunda are among his lasting works, but without a doubt his most famous creation is don Quixote, El Ingenioso Hidalgo de la Mancha,
considered the first modern novel. The first part was published in
1605, when Cervantes was 57. This is why we can say that this work is
the experience of his entire life. A few weeks after its publication,
three falsified editions appeared in Lisbon. Although Cervantes became
an overnight success, his economic problems didn’t disappear. That same
year, he was accused of participating in a fight, and he and his family
were arrested and held in jail for more than a week. It is rumoured that
he spent the following three years in hiding.
From 1609 to 1616, Cervantes lived again in Madrid. In 1609, he was
invited to become a member of the new fraternity “Los Esclavos del Santo
Sacramento” and his wife entered the convent of the order of San
Francisco. In 1612, the author became a member of a new literary club:
“Academia Salvaje”.
During his Madrid years, Cervantes was a very prolific writer. He wrote his Novelas Ejemplares (1613), the burlesque poem Viaje del Parnaso and a prose version of the poem (included in El Parnaso, 1614). In 1614, another author, Alonso Fernández de Tordesillas, published a second part of Don Quixote, before Cervantes had done so. This convinced Cervantes to continue his work (1615). Cervantes’ second part of Don Quixote
was published in Brussels (1615), in Valencia (1616) and in Lisbon
(1617). The first translation was made in 1618, to French. Since 1617,
the novel’s two sections have been published as one volume.
Close to the end of his life, Cervantes became a member of the order
of San Francisco. The Franciscans buried don Miguel de Cervantes, by
then called “the prince of the ingenious”, in Madrid, April 23, 1616,
the same day another literary giant, William Shakespeare, was put to
rest in England. The Franciscans buried Don Cervantes in a Trinitarian
monastery in Madrid.
Macaco is a musical band from Barcelona, Spain formed in 1997 by Dani Carbonell, who was also one of the original lead singers of the new flamenco group Ojos de Brujo. Carbonell left Ojos de Brujo after the debut album, Vengue in 2001, but has continued to make guest appearances on the group's later albums.
Prior to his singing career, Carbonell had dubbed over Sean Astin's character Mikey Walsh in the 1985 film Goonies.
The members, from different countries such as Brazil, Cameroon, Sweden, Venezuela and Spain, give to its music a mixed color, with electro accents of Latin music and rumba.
Carbonell sings in Spanish and Catalan, but also in Portuguese, French, English and Italian. Their song "Hacen Falta Dos" appears in the EA Sports Game FIFA 10 and "Moving" appeared in Fifa 09, their most recent song to be played in a FIFA game is "Una Sola Voz", that is part of the FIFA 12 soundtrack.
Flores was born in Jerez de la Frontera, Cadiz (Andalusia, Spain). Although not a Gypsy herself, she is strongly identified with the Spanish gypsy culture.[1]
She became a famous dancer and singer of Andalusian folklore at a very
young age, performing flamenco, copla or chotis and featuring in films
from 1939 to 1987. Her greatest success was in folklore shows with Manolo Caracol, who was her artistic partner until 1951.
Personal life
In 1958 she married Antonio Gonzálezel Pescaílla, a guitarist from Cataluña Spain who was gypsy. She had three children: Dolores (singer and actress Lolita Flores); rock musician, singer and actor Antonio Flores; and singer and actress Rosario Flores.
Lola Flores died of breast cancer in 1995, aged 72, and was buried in the Cementerio de la Almudena
in Madrid. Shortly after her death, her distraught 33-year-old son,
Antonio Flores, committed suicide by overdosing with barbiturate and was
buried near her.
In 2007, the biography Lola, la película was made. The movie describes her early life, starting in 1931 until 1958.
Sources: Wikipedia
Pablo Ruiz Picasso
Picasso was baptized Pablo Diego José Francisco de Paula Juan Nepomuceno María de los Remedios Crispiniano de la Santísima Trinidad, a series of names honoring various saints and relatives.[8] Added to these were Ruiz and Picasso, for his father and mother, respectively, as per Spanish law. Born in the city of Málaga in the Andalusian region of Spain, he was the first child of Don José Ruiz y Blasco (1838–1913) and María Picasso y López.[9]
Picasso’s family was middle-class. His father was a painter who
specialized in naturalistic depictions of birds and other game. For most
of his life Ruiz was a professor of art at the School of Crafts and a curator of a local museum. Ruiz’s ancestors were minor aristocrats.
Picasso showed a passion and a skill for drawing from an early age.
According to his mother, his first words were "piz, piz", a shortening
of lápiz, the Spanish word for "pencil".[10]
From the age of seven, Picasso received formal artistic training from
his father in figure drawing and oil painting. Ruiz was a traditional,
academic artist and instructor who believed that proper training
required disciplined copying of the masters, and drawing the human body
from plaster casts and live models. His son became preoccupied with art
to the detriment of his classwork.
The family moved to A Coruña
in 1891, where his father became a professor at the School of Fine
Arts. They stayed almost four years. On one occasion, the father found
his son painting over his unfinished sketch of a pigeon. Observing the
precision of his son’s technique, an apocryphal story relates, Ruiz felt that the thirteen-year-old Picasso had surpassed him, and vowed to give up painting,[11] though paintings by him exist from later years.
In 1895, Picasso was traumatized when his seven-year-old sister, Conchita, died of diphtheria.[12] After her death, the family moved to Barcelona,
where Ruiz took a position at its School of Fine Arts. Picasso thrived
in the city, regarding it in times of sadness or nostalgia as his true
home.[13]
Ruiz persuaded the officials at the academy to allow his son to take an
entrance exam for the advanced class. This process often took students a
month, but Picasso completed it in a week, and the impressed jury
admitted him, at just 13. The student lacked discipline but made
friendships that would affect him in later life. His father rented him a
small room close to home so he could work alone, yet he checked up on
him numerous times a day, judging his drawings. The two argued
frequently.
Picasso’s father and uncle decided to send the young artist to Madrid’s Royal Academy of San Fernando, the country's foremost art school.[13]
At age 16, Picasso set off for the first time on his own, but he
disliked formal instruction and quit attending classes soon after
enrollment. Madrid, however, held many other attractions. The Prado housed paintings by Diego Velázquez, Francisco Goya, and Francisco Zurbarán. Picasso especially admired the works of El Greco; elements like the elongated limbs, arresting colors, and mystical visages are echoed in his later work.
Picasso made his first trip to Paris in 1900, then the art capital of
Europe. There, he met his first Parisian friend, the journalist and
poet Max Jacob,
who helped Picasso learn the language and its literature. Soon they
shared an apartment; Max slept at night while Picasso slept during the
day and worked at night. These were times of severe poverty, cold, and
desperation. Much of his work was burned to keep the small room warm.
During the first five months of 1901, Picasso lived in Madrid, where he
and his anarchist friend Francisco de Asís Soler founded the magazine Arte Joven (Young Art),
which published five issues. Soler solicited articles and Picasso
illustrated the journal, mostly contributing grim cartoons depicting and
sympathizing with the state of the poor. The first issue was published
on 31 March 1901, by which time the artist had started to sign his work
simply Picasso, while before he had signed Pablo Ruiz y Picasso.[15]
By 1905, Picasso became a favorite of the American art collectors Leo and Gertrude Stein.
Their older brother Michael Stein and his wife Sarah also became
collectors of his work. Picasso painted portraits of both Gertrude Stein
and her nephew Allan Stein.[16] Gertrude Stein became Picasso's principal patron, acquiring his drawings and paintings and exhibiting them in her informal Salon at her home in Paris.[17] At one of her gatherings in 1905, he met Henri Matisse, who was to become a lifelong friend and rival. The Steins introduced him to Claribel Cone
and her sister Etta who were American art collectors; they also began
to acquire Picasso and Matisse's paintings. Eventually Leo Stein moved
to Italy, and Michael and Sarah Stein became patrons of Matisse; while
Gertrude Stein continued to collect Picasso.[18]
In 1907 Picasso joined an art gallery that had recently been opened in Paris by Daniel-Henry Kahnweiler.
Kahnweiler was a German art historian, art collector who became one of
the premier French art dealers of the 20th century. He was among the
first champions of Pablo Picasso, Georges Braque and the Cubism that they jointly developed. Kahnweiler promoted burgeoning artists such as André Derain, Kees Van Dongen, Fernand Léger, Juan Gris, Maurice de Vlaminck and several others who had come from all over the globe to live and work in Montparnasse at the time.[19]
In Paris, Picasso entertained a distinguished coterie of friends in the Montmartre and Montparnasse quarters, including André Breton, poet Guillaume Apollinaire, writer Alfred Jarry, and Gertrude Stein. Apollinaire was arrested on suspicion of stealing the Mona Lisa from the Louvre in 1911. Apollinaire pointed to his friend Picasso, who was also brought in for questioning, but both were later exonerated.[20]
Personal life
In the early 20th century, Picasso divided his time between Barcelona and Paris. In 1904, in the middle of a storm, he met Fernande Olivier, a bohemian artist who became his mistress.[12]
Olivier appears in many of his Rose period paintings. After acquiring
some fame and fortune, Picasso left Olivier for Marcelle Humbert, whom
he called Eva Gouel. Picasso included declarations of his love for Eva
in many Cubist works. Picasso was devastated by her premature death from
illness at the age of 30 in 1915.[21]
After World War I, Picasso made a number of important relationships with figures associated with Serge Diaghilev's Ballets Russes. Among his friends during this period were Jean Cocteau, Jean Hugo, Juan Gris and others. In the summer of 1918, Picasso married Olga Khokhlova, a ballerina with Sergei Diaghilev’s troupe, for whom Picasso was designing a ballet, Parade, in Rome; and they spent their honeymoon in the villa near Biarritz of the glamorous Chilean art patron Eugenia Errázuriz.
Khokhlova introduced Picasso to high society, formal dinner parties,
and all the social niceties attendant on the life of the rich in 1920s
Paris. The two had a son, Paulo,[22]
who would grow up to be a dissolute motorcycle racer and chauffeur to
his father. Khokhlova’s insistence on social propriety clashed with
Picasso’s bohemian
tendencies and the two lived in a state of constant conflict. During
the same period that Picasso collaborated with Diaghilev’s troup, he and
Igor Stravinsky collaborated on Pulcinella in 1920. Picasso took the opportunity to make several drawings of the composer.
In 1927 Picasso met 17-year-old Marie-Thérèse Walter
and began a secret affair with her. Picasso’s marriage to Khokhlova
soon ended in separation rather than divorce, as French law required an
even division of property in the case of divorce, and Picasso did not
want Khokhlova to have half his wealth. The two remained legally married
until Khokhlova’s death in 1955. Picasso carried on a long-standing
affair with Marie-Thérèse Walter and fathered a daughter with her, named
Maya. Marie-Thérèse lived in the vain hope that Picasso would one day
marry her, and hanged herself four years after Picasso’s death.
Throughout his life Picasso maintained a number of mistresses in
addition to his wife or primary partner. Picasso was married twice and
had four children by three women.
The photographer and painter Dora Maar
was also a constant companion and lover of Picasso. The two were
closest in the late 1930s and early 1940s, and it was Maar who
documented the painting of Guernica.
War years and beyond
During the Second World War, Picasso remained in Paris while the
Germans occupied the city. Picasso’s artistic style did not fit the Nazi
ideal of art, so he did not exhibit during this time. Retreating to his
studio, he continued to paint, producing works such as the Still Life with Guitar (1942) and The Charnel House (1944–48).[23] Although the Germans outlawed bronze casting in Paris, Picasso continued regardless, using bronze smuggled to him by the French Resistance.[24]
Around this time, Picasso took up writing as an alternative outlet.
Between 1935 and 1959 he wrote over 300 poems. Largely untitled except
for a date and sometimes the location of where it was written (for
example "Paris 16 May 1936"), these works were gustatory, erotic and at
times scatological, as were his two full-length plays Desire Caught by the Tail (1941) and The Four Little Girls (1949).[25]
In 1944, after the liberation of Paris, Picasso, then 63 years old,
began a romantic relationship with a young art student named Françoise Gilot. She was 40 years younger than he was. Picasso grew tired of his mistress Dora Maar; Picasso and Gilot began to live together. Eventually they had two children: Claude, born in 1947 and Paloma, born in 1949. In her 1964 book Life with Picasso,[26] Gilot describes his abusive treatment and myriad infidelities which led her to leave him, taking the children with her. This was a severe blow to Picasso.
Picasso had affairs with women of an even greater age disparity than
his and Gilot's. While still involved with Gilot, in 1951 Picasso had a
six-week affair with Geneviève Laporte,
who was four years younger than Gilot. Eventually, as evident in his
work, Picasso began to come to terms with his advancing age and his
waning attraction to young women.[citation needed]
By his 70s, many paintings, ink drawings and prints have as their theme
an old, grotesque dwarf as the doting lover of a beautiful young model.
Jacqueline Roque (1927–1986) worked at the Madoura Pottery in Vallauris on the French Riviera,
where Picasso made and painted ceramics. She became his lover, and then
his second wife in 1961. The two were together for the remainder of
Picasso’s life.
His marriage to Roque was also a means of revenge against Gilot; with
Picasso’s encouragement, Gilot had divorced her then husband, Luc
Simon, with the plan to finally actually marry Picasso to secure the
rights of her children as Picasso's legitimate heirs. However, Picasso
had already secretly married Roque, after Gilot had filed for divorce.
This strained his relationship with Claude and Paloma.
By this time, Picasso had constructed a huge Gothic home, and could afford large villas in the south of France, such as Mas Notre-Dame-de-Vie on the outskirts of Mougins, and in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur. He was an international celebrity, with often as much interest in his personal life as his art.
In addition to his artistic accomplishments, Picasso made a few film appearances, always as himself, including a cameo in Jean Cocteau’s Testament of Orpheus. In 1955 he helped make the film Le Mystère Picasso(The Mystery of Picasso) directed by Henri-Georges Clouzot.
Death
Pablo Picasso died on 8 April 1973 in Mougins,
France, while he and his wife Jacqueline entertained friends for
dinner. His final words were "Drink to me, drink to my health, you know I
can't drink any more."[27] He was interred at the Chateau of Vauvenargues near Aix-en-Provence,
a property he had acquired in 1958 and occupied with Jacqueline between
1959 and 1962. Jacqueline Roque prevented his children Claude and
Paloma from attending the funeral.[28]
Devastated and lonely after the death of Picasso, Jacqueline Roque took
her own life by gunshot in 1986 when she was 59 years old.[29]
Children
Paulo (4 February 1921 – 5 June 1975) (Born Paul Joseph Picasso) — with Olga Khokhlova
Maya (5 September 1935 – ) (Born Maria de la Concepcion Picasso) — with Marie-Thérèse Walter
Claude (15 May 1947 –) (Born Claude Pierre Pablo Picasso) ) — with Françoise Gilot
Aside from the several anti-war paintings that he created, Picasso remained personally neutral during World War I, the Spanish Civil War, and World War II, refusing to join the armed forces for any side or country. At the outbreak of the Spanish Civil War
in 1937, Picasso was already in his late fifties. He was even older at
the onset of World War II, and could not be expected to take up arms in
those conflicts. As a Spanish citizen living in France, Picasso was
under no compulsion to fight against the invading Germans in either
World War. In the Spanish Civil War, service for Spaniards living abroad
was optional and would have involved a voluntary return to the country
to join either side. While Picasso expressed anger and condemnation of Francisco Franco and fascists through his art, he did not take up arms against them. He also remained aloof from the Catalan independence movement during his youth despite expressing general support and being friendly with activists within it.
In 1944 Picasso joined the French Communist Party, attended an international peace conference in Poland, and in 1950 received the Stalin Peace Prize from the Soviet government,[30] But party criticism of a portrait of Stalin
as insufficiently realistic cooled Picasso’s interest in Soviet
politics, though he remained a loyal member of the Communist Party until
his death. In a 1945 interview with Jerome Seckler, Picasso stated: "I
am a Communist and my painting is Communist painting. ... But if I were a
shoemaker, Royalist or Communist or anything else, I would not
necessarily hammer my shoes in a special way to show my politics."[31] His Communist militancy, common among continental intellectuals and artists at the time although it was officially banned in Francoist Spain, has long been the subject of some controversy; a notable source or demonstration thereof was a quote commonly attributed to Salvador Dalí (with whom Picasso had a rather strained relationship[32]):
Picasso es pintor, yo también; [...] Picasso es español, yo también; Picasso es comunista, yo tampoco.
(Picasso is a painter, so am I; [...] Picasso is a Spaniard, so am I; Picasso is a communist, neither am I.)[33][34][35][36][37][38]
In the late 1940s his old friend the surrealist poet and Trotskyist[39] and anti-Stalinist André Breton
was more blunt; refusing to shake hands with Picasso, he told him: "I
don't approve of your joining the Communist Party nor with the stand you
have taken concerning the purges of the intellectuals after the
Liberation".[40]
In 1962, he received the Lenin Peace Prize.[41] Biographer and art critic John Berger felt his talents as an artist were "wasted" by the communists.[42]
According to Jean Cocteau's
diaries, Picasso once said to him in reference to the communists: "I
have joined a family, and like all families, it's full of shit".[43]
He was against the intervention of the United Nations and the United States[44] in the Korean War and he depicted it in Massacre in Korea.
Picasso’s work is often categorized into periods. While the names of
many of his later periods are debated, the most commonly accepted
periods in his work are the Blue Period (1901–1904), the Rose Period (1905–1907), the African-influenced Period (1908–1909), Analytic Cubism (1909–1912), and Synthetic Cubism (1912–1919).
In 1939–40 the Museum of Modern Art in New York City, under its director Alfred Barr,
a Picasso enthusiast, held a major and highly successful retrospective
of his principal works up until that time. This exhibition lionized the
artist, brought into full public view in America the scope of his
artistry, and resulted in a reinterpretation of his work by contemporary
art historians and scholars.[46]
Before 1901
Picasso’s training under his father began before 1890. His progress
can be traced in the collection of early works now held by the Museu Picasso in Barcelona, which provides one of the most comprehensive records extant of any major artist’s beginnings.[47]
During 1893 the juvenile quality of his earliest work falls away, and
by 1894 his career as a painter can be said to have begun.[48] The academic realism apparent in the works of the mid-1890s is well displayed in The First Communion (1896), a large composition that depicts his sister, Lola. In the same year, at the age of 14, he painted Portrait of Aunt Pepa,
a vigorous and dramatic portrait that Juan-Eduardo Cirlot has called
"without a doubt one of the greatest in the whole history of Spanish
painting."[49]
In 1897 his realism became tinged with Symbolist
influence, in a series of landscape paintings rendered in non
naturalistic violet and green tones. What some call his Modernist period
(1899–1900) followed. His exposure to the work of Rossetti, Steinlen, Toulouse-Lautrec and Edvard Munch, combined with his admiration for favorite old masters such as El Greco, led Picasso to a personal version of modernism in his works of this period.[50]
Picasso’s Blue Period (1901–1904) consists of somber paintings
rendered in shades of blue and blue-green, only occasionally warmed by
other colors. This period’s starting point is uncertain; it may have
begun in Spain in the spring of 1901, or in Paris in the second half of
the year.[51]
Many paintings of gaunt mothers with children date from this period. In
his austere use of color and sometimes doleful subject
matter—prostitutes and beggars are frequent subjects—Picasso was
influenced by a trip through Spain and by the suicide of his friend Carlos Casagemas.
Starting in autumn of 1901 he painted several posthumous portraits of
Casagemas, culminating in the gloomy allegorical painting La Vie (1903),[52] now in the Cleveland Museum of Art.[53]
The same mood pervades the well-known etching The Frugal Repast (1904),[54]
which depicts a blind man and a sighted woman, both emaciated, seated
at a nearly bare table. Blindness is a recurrent theme in Picasso’s
works of this period, also represented in The Blindman’s Meal (1903, the Metropolitan Museum of Art) and in the portrait of Celestina (1903). Other works include Portrait of Soler and Portrait of Suzanne Bloch.
The Rose Period (1904–1906)[55] is characterized by a more cheery style with orange and pink colors, and featuring many circus people, acrobats and harlequins
known in France as saltimbanques. The harlequin, a comedic character
usually depicted in checkered patterned clothing, became a personal
symbol for Picasso. Picasso met Fernande Olivier, a model for sculptors
and artists, in Paris in 1904, and many of these paintings are
influenced by his warm relationship with her, in addition to his
increased exposure to French painting. The generally upbeat and
optimistic mood of paintings in this period is reminiscent of the
1899–1901 period (i.e. just prior to the Blue Period) and 1904 can be
considered a transition year between the two periods.
Picasso’s African-influenced Period (1907–1909) begins with the two figures on the right in his painting, Les Demoiselles d'Avignon,
which were inspired by African artifacts. Formal ideas developed during
this period lead directly into the Cubist period that follows.
Analytic cubism (1909–1912) is a style of painting Picasso developed along with Georges Braque
using monochrome brownish and neutral colors. Both artists took apart
objects and "analyzed" them in terms of their shapes. Picasso and
Braque’s paintings at this time have many similarities. Synthetic cubism
(1912–1919) was a further development of the genre, in which cut paper
fragments—often wallpaper or portions of newspaper pages—were pasted
into compositions, marking the first use of collage in fine art.
Classicism and surrealism
In the period following the upheaval of World War I, Picasso produced work in a neoclassical style. This "return to order" is evident in the work of many European artists in the 1920s, including André Derain, Giorgio de Chirico, Gino Severini, the artists of the New Objectivity movement and of the Novecento Italiano movement. Picasso’s paintings and drawings from this period frequently recall the work of Raphael and Ingres.
During the 1930s, the minotaur replaced the harlequin as a common motif in his work. His use of the minotaur came partly from his contact with the surrealists, who often used it as their symbol, and it appears in Picasso’s Guernica. The minotaur and Picasso's mistress Marie-Thérèse Walter are heavily featured in his celebrated Vollard Suite of etchings.[56]
Arguably Picasso's most famous work is his depiction of the German bombing of Guernica during the Spanish Civil War—Guernica.
This large canvas embodies for many the inhumanity, brutality and
hopelessness of war. Asked to explain its symbolism, Picasso said, "It
isn't up to the painter to define the symbols. Otherwise it would be
better if he wrote them out in so many words! The public who look at the
picture must interpret the symbols as they understand them."[57][58] Guernica was on display in New York’s Museum of Modern Art for many years. In 1981, it was returned to Spain and was on exhibit at the Casón del Buen Retiro. In 1992 the painting was put on display in Madrid’s Reina Sofía Museum when it opened.
He was commissioned to make a maquette for a huge 50-foot (15 m)-high public sculpture to be built in Chicago, known usually as the Chicago Picasso.
He approached the project with a great deal of enthusiasm, designing a
sculpture which was ambiguous and somewhat controversial. What the
figure represents is not known; it could be a bird, a horse, a woman or a
totally abstract shape. The sculpture, one of the most recognizable
landmarks in downtown Chicago, was unveiled in 1967. Picasso refused to
be paid $100,000 for it, donating it to the people of the city.
Picasso’s final works were a mixture of styles, his means of
expression in constant flux until the end of his life. Devoting his full
energies to his work, Picasso became more daring, his works more
colorful and expressive, and from 1968 through 1971 he produced a
torrent of paintings and hundreds of copperplate etchings. At the time
these works were dismissed by most as pornographic fantasies of an
impotent old man or the slapdash works of an artist who was past his
prime. Only later, after Picasso’s death, when the rest of the art world
had moved on from abstract expressionism, did the critical community
come to see that Picasso had already discovered neo-expressionism and was, as so often before, ahead of his time.
Postage stamp, USSR, 1973. Picasso has been honored on stamps worldwide.
Picasso was exceptionally prolific throughout his long lifetime. The
total number of artworks he produced has been estimated at 50,000,
comprising 1,885 paintings; 1,228 sculptures; 2,880 ceramics, roughly
12,000 drawings, many thousands of prints, and numerous tapestries and
rugs.[59]
At the time of his death many of his paintings were in his possession,
as he had kept off the art market what he did not need to sell. In
addition, Picasso had a considerable collection of the work of other
famous artists, some his contemporaries, such as Henri Matisse,
with whom he had exchanged works. Since Picasso left no will, his death
duties (estate tax) to the French state were paid in the form of his
works and others from his collection. These works form the core of the
immense and representative collection of the Musée Picasso in Paris. In 2003, relatives of Picasso inaugurated a museum dedicated to him in his birthplace, Málaga, Spain, the Museo Picasso Málaga.
The Museu Picasso
in Barcelona features many of his early works, created while he was
living in Spain, including many rarely seen works which reveal his firm
grounding in classical techniques. The museum also holds many precise
and detailed figure studies done in his youth under his father’s
tutelage, as well as the extensive collection of Jaime Sabartés, his
close friend and personal secretary.
Several paintings by Picasso rank among the most expensive paintings in the world. Garçon à la pipe sold for US$104 million at Sotheby's on 4 May 2004, establishing a new price record. Dora Maar au Chat sold for US$95.2 million at Sotheby’s on 3 May 2006.[60] On 4 May 2010, Nude, Green Leaves and Bust was sold at Christie's for $106.5 million. The 1932 work, which depicts Picasso's mistress Marie-Thérèse Walter
reclining and as a bust, was in the personal collection of Los Angeles
philanthropist Frances Lasker Brody, who died in November 2009.
Christie's won the rights to auction the collection against London-based
Sotheby's.
The collection as a whole was valued at over $150 million, while the
work was originally expected to earn $80 million at auction.[61] There were more than half a dozen bidders, while the winning bid was taken via telephone.[62][63] The previous auction record ($104.3 million) was set in February 2010, by Alberto Giacometti's Walking Man I.[64]
As of 2004, Picasso remains the top ranked artist (based on sales of
his works at auctions) according to the Art Market Trends report.[65] More of his paintings have been stolen than those by any other artist;[66] the Art Loss Register has 550 of his works listed as missing.[67]
The Picasso Administration functions as his official Estate. The U.S.
copyright representative for the Picasso Administration is the Artists Rights Society.[68]
In the 1996 movie Surviving Picasso, Picasso is portrayed by actor Anthony Hopkins.
Recent major exhibitions
Picasso: Masterpieces from the Musée National Picasso, Paris,
an exhibition of 150 paintings, sculptures, drawings, prints and
photographs from the Musée National Picasso in Paris. The exhibit
touring schedule includes:
Camarón de la Isla (December 5, 1950 – July 2, 1992), was the stage name of a Spanishflamenco singer José Monje Cruz. Considered one of the all time greatest flamenco singers, he was noted for his collaborations with Paco de Lucia and Tomatito, and between them they were of major importance to the revival of flamenco in the second half of the 20th century.[1]
He was born in San Fernando, Cádiz, Spain
into a gypsy family, the second of eight children. His mother was Juana
Cruz Castro, a basket weaver ("La Canastera"), whose gift of singing
was a strong early influence. His father, Juan Luis Monje, was also a
singer as well as a blacksmith, and had a forge where Camarón worked as a
boy.[2] His uncle José nicknamed him Camarón
(Spanish for "Shrimp") because he was blonde and fair skinned. When his
father died of asthma, while still very young, the family went through
financial hardship. At the age of eight he began to sing at inns and bus
stops with Rancapino to earn money. At sixteen, he won first prize at the Festival del Cante Jondo in Mairena de Alcor.[2] Camarón then went to Madrid with Miguel de los Reyes and in 1968 became a resident artist at the Tablao Torres Bermejas where he remained for twelve years.[1]
Musical career
During his time at Tablao Torres Bermejas, he met Paco de Lucía, with whom he recorded nine albums between 1969 and 1977. The two toured extensively together during this period.[3] As Paco de Lucía became more occupied with solo concert commitments, Camarón worked with one of Paco's students, Tomatito.
In 1976, at the age of 25, Camarón married Dolores Montoya, a Romani girl from La Línea de la Concepción whom he nicknamed "La Chispa" (The Spark).[4] At the time La Chispa was only 16. The couple had four children.
Camarón de la Isla and Paco de Lucía
Many consider Camarón to be the single most popular and influential flamenco cantaor
(singer) of the modern period. Although his work was criticized by some
traditionalists, he was one of the first to feature an electric bass in
his songs. This was a turning point in the history of Flamenco music
that helped distinguish Nuevo Flamenco. In later years, his health deteriorated due to heavy smoking and drug abuse.[5][6] In 1992, José Monge Crúz died of lung cancer in Badalona, Spain.[7] It was estimated that more than 100,000 people attended his funeral.
On December 5, 2000, the Ministry of Culture of the Junta de
Andalucía posthumously awarded to Camarón the ´Llave de Oro del Cante´,
the Golden Key of Flamenco.[8] This was only the fourth key awarded since 1862.
In 2005, director Jaime Chávarri released the biopic Camarón in Spain starring Óscar Jaenada as Camarón and Verónica Sánchez - star of popular Spanish TV series Los Serrano - as La Chispa. The film, produced in consultation with Camarón's widow, was subsequently nominated for several Goya Awards.
In 2006, Isaki Lacuesta directed La Leyenda del Tiempo (The Legend of Time), in which a Japanese woman visits the place of Camarón's birth to learn to sing exactly like him.
Banderas was born in Málaga, Andalucía, Spain, in 1960, to Ana Banderas, a school teacher, and José Domínguez, a police officer in the Guardia Civil.[1] He has a younger brother, Javier. Although the family name is Domínguez, he took his mother's surname as his stage name.[2]
As a child, he wanted to become a professional football player until a
broken foot sidelined his dreams at the age of fifteen. He went on to
enroll in some drama classes, eventually joining a theatertroupe
that toured all over Spain. His work in the theater, and his
performances on the streets, eventually landed him a spot with the
National Theatre of Spain.[3]
Career
Early work, 1982–90
His acting career began at the age of 19,[citation needed] when he worked in small theatres during Spain’s post-dictatorial cultural movement known as the 'Movida'.[4] While performing with the theatre, Banderas caught the attention of Spanish director Pedro Almodóvar, who cast the young actor in his 1982 film debut, Labyrinth of Passion. Five years later he went on to appear in the director's Law of Desire, making headlines with his performance as a gay man, which required him to engage in his first male-to-male onscreen kiss. After Banderas appeared in Almodóvar's 1986 Matador, the director cast him in his internationally acclaimed 1988 film, Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown. The recognition Banderas gained for his role increased two years later when he starred in Almodóvar's controversial Tie Me Up! Tie Me Down! as a mental patient who kidnaps a porn star (Victoria Abril) and keeps her tied up until she returns his love.[3] It was his breakthrough role in Tie Me Up! Tie Me Down!, that helped spur him on to Hollywood.[5]
Banderas' having become a regular feature of Almodóvar's movies all
throughout the 1980s, Almodóvar is credited for helping launch
Banderas's international career.[6]
Breakthrough, 1991–94
In 1991 Madonna introduced Banderas to Hollywood in the documentary film Madonna: Truth or Dare. In the film, Madonna says she wants to seduce Banderas even though she knows he was married.
The following year, still speaking minimal English, he began acting in U.S. films. Despite having to learn all his lines phonetically, Banderas still managed to turn in a critically praised performance as a struggling musician in his first American drama film, The Mambo Kings (1992).
Banderas then broke through to mainstream American audiences in the film, Philadelphia (1993), as the gay lover of AIDS-afflicted lawyer Andrew Beckett (Tom Hanks). The film's success earned Banderas wide recognition, and the following year was given a role in Neil Jordan's high-profile adaptation of Anne Rice's Interview with the Vampire, which allowed him to share the screen with Tom Cruise and Brad Pitt.[3]
His voice role as Puss in Boots in Shrek 2, Shrek the Third and the last film in the Shrek franchise, Shrek Forever After, helped make the character popular on the family film circuit. In 2005, he reprised his role as Zorro in The Legend of Zorro, though this was not as successful as The Mask of Zorro. In 2006, he starred in Take the Lead, a high-set movie in which he played a ballroom dancing teacher. That year, he directed his second film El camino de los ingleses (English title: Summer Rain), and also received the L.A. Latino International Film Festival's "Gabi" Lifetime Achievement Award on 14 October.[9] He hosted the 600th episode of Saturday Night Live (during season 31).
He received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame on 6801 Hollywood Blvd. in 2005.
In 2011, the horror thriller The Skin I Live In marked the return of Banderas to Pedro Almodóvar, the Spanish director who launched his international career. The two had not worked together since 1990 (Tie Me Up! Tie Me Down!). In The Skin I Live In
he breaks out of the "Latin Lover" mold from his Hollywood work and
stars as a calculating revenge-seeking plastic surgeon following the
rape of his daughter. According to the Associated Press Banderas' performance is among his strongest in recent memory.[6] He again lent his voice to Puss in Boots, this time as the protagonist of the Shrek spin-off family film, Puss in Boots. This film reunited Banderas with Salma Hayek for the sixth time.[10]
Business activities
He has invested some of his film earnings in Andalusian products, which he promotes in Spain and the US. He owns 50% of a winery in Villalba de Duero, Burgos, Spain, called Anta Banderas, which produces red and rosé wines.[11]
He performed a voice-over for a computer-animated bee which can be seen in the United States in television commercials for Nasonex,[12] an allergy medication, and was seen in the 2007 Christmas advertising campaign for Marks & Spencer, a British retailer.[13]
He is a veteran of the perfume industry. The actor has been working with fragrance and beauty multinational company Puig
for over ten years becoming one of the brand's most successful
representatives. Banderas and Puig have successfully promoted a number
of fragrances so far – Diavolo, Diavolo for Women, Mediterraneo, Spirit, and Spirit for Women. After the success of Antonio for Men and Blue Seduction for Men in 2007, launched his latest Blue Seduction for Women the following year.[14]
Banderas divorced his first wife, Ana Leza, and on 14 May 1996, married American actress Melanie Griffith in a private, low-key ceremony in London.[4] They had met a year earlier while shooting Two Much.[15] Both Griffith and Banderas were married to other people when they first met.[4] They have a daughter, Stella Banderas, who appeared with her parents in the 1999 film Crazy in Alabama, in which Griffith starred and which Banderas directed. In 2002, the couple's dedication to philanthropy was recognized when they received the 'Stella Adler Angel Award' for their extensive charity work.[4]
In 1996, Banderas appeared among other figures of Spanish culture in a video supporting the Spanish Socialist Workers' Party lists in the general election.[16]
He is a longtime supporter of the Málaga CF.[17]
He is an officer (mayordomo de trono) of a Roman Catholic religious
brotherhood in Málaga and travels, with his wife and daughter, during Holy Week to take part in the processions,[18] although in an interview with People magazine, Banderas had once described himself as an agnostic.[19] In May 2010, Banderas received his honorary doctorate from the University of Málaga in the city where he was born.[5] Source: Wikipedia
CAMARON DE LA ISLA
He was born in San Fernando, Cádiz, Spain
into a gypsy family, the second of eight children. His mother was Juana
Cruz Castro, a basket weaver ("La Canastera"), whose gift of singing
was a strong early influence. His father, Juan Luis Monje, was also a
singer as well as a blacksmith, and had a forge where Camarón worked as a
boy.[2] His uncle José nicknamed him Camarón
(Spanish for "Shrimp") because he was blonde and fair skinned. When his
father died of asthma, while still very young, the family went through
financial hardship. At the age of eight he began to sing at inns and bus
stops with Rancapino to earn money. At sixteen, he won first prize at the Festival del Cante Jondo in Mairena de Alcor.[2] Camarón then went to Madrid with Miguel de los Reyes and in 1968 became a resident artist at the Tablao Torres Bermejas where he remained for twelve years.[1]
Musical career
During his time at Tablao Torres Bermejas, he met Paco de Lucía, with whom he recorded nine albums between 1969 and 1977. The two toured extensively together during this period.[3] As Paco de Lucía became more occupied with solo concert commitments, Camarón worked with the flamenco guitarist Tomatito.
In 1976, at the age of 25, Camarón married Dolores Montoya, a Romani girl from La Línea de la Concepción whom he nicknamed "La Chispa" (The Spark).[4] At the time La Chispa was only 16. The couple had four children.
Camarón de la Isla and Paco de Lucía
Many consider Camarón to be the single most popular and influential flamenco cantaor
(singer) of the modern period. Although his work was criticized by some
traditionalists, he was one of the first to feature an electric bass in
his songs. This was a turning point in the history of Flamenco music
that helped distinguish Nuevo Flamenco. In later years, his health deteriorated due to heavy smoking and drug abuse.[5][6] In 1992, José Monge Crúz died of lung cancer in Badalona, Spain.[7] It was estimated that more than 100,000 people attended his funeral.
On 5 December 2000 the Ministry of Culture of the Junta de Andalucía
posthumously awarded to Camarón the ´Llave de Oro del Cante´, the Golden
Key of Flamenco.[8] This was only the fourth key awarded since 1862.
In 2005, director Jaime Chávarri released the biopic Camarón in Spain starring Óscar Jaenada as Camarón and Verónica Sánchez – star of popular Spanish TV series Los Serrano – as La Chispa. The film, produced in consultation with Camarón's widow, was subsequently nominated for several Goya Awards.
In 2006, Isaki Lacuesta directed La Leyenda del Tiempo (The Legend of Time), in which a Japanese woman visits the place of Camarón's birth to learn to sing exactly like him.
d’autonomie. (Source, licence GFDL)
In
1569 Cervantes travelled to Italy to serve in the household of an
Italian nobleman and, a year later, he joined the Spanish military. On
September 7, 1571, he fought bravely against the Turks at the Battle of
Lepanto where he was seriously wounded and lost the use of his left
hand. After a lengthy period of recovery, he decided to return to the
soldier’s life. In April 1572, he joined the company of Manuel Ponce de
León, where we believe his brother Rodrigo was also enrolled. Together
they participated in a number of battles.
