Cultural Study of Spain

As I mentioned in my historical study of Spain, it's quite surprising that this is the first time I make a deep dive into Spanish culture. I've been fascinated with European history for quite some time and have always been aware of Spain's influential importance in that history. It was Spain after all who led the discovery, exploration, and eventual conquest of the western hemisphere. For this they can be considered a mother country, a once powerful empire, that spread it's culture all across the world (most notably in Central and South America). During the 1500s they were the undisputed largest and most powerful kingdom in the world. 

Ever since Spain has taken a back seat amongst the the influential powers of the modern world, however their culture is still relevant. The language of Spanish after all is one of the most spoken languages in the world. They are a proud nation, rooted in Catholic tradition. When I think of Spanish culture I first think of their successful soccer program. They won the world cup in 2010, and have won three Euro Cups the past twenty years. They also host two of the most famous clubs in the world in Real Madrid and Barcelona. They are also well known for their classical guitar music, flamenco dance, tapas, and the tasty seafood dish known as paella. I traveled to Barcelona in 2017 just for a day and a half, but was quite amazed by the Sagrada Familia, their iconic landmark built by the great Antoni Guadi.    

Cuisine

I happen to think seafood is one of the more popular dishes in Spain, as the majority of their border is off a seacoast, the North Atlantic and the Alboran Sea. The most famous dish in Spain is the paella, which is a mixture of rice, vegetables with variations of chicken and seafood such as mussels, shrimp, and calamari. Spain is also famous for the chilled tomato soup known as gazpacho and the strong pork sausage known as chorizo. Olive oil, tomatoes, octopus, garlic, and anchovies are also common ingredients found in many Spanish dishes. Andres and I ordered a very tasty plate of paella with red win our first night in Barcelona.

One of the Spanish culinary customs is their innovation of tapas or pinchos, a form of mini appetizer. This usually consists of a small serving of meat, with cheese or tomato, on top of a piece of bread or cracker. Andres and I had some very tasty tapas for lunch in Barcelona. Some of their famous desserts include the churros, Catalan cream, and turrons which are very popular during Christmas time. I remember my mom's friends always sending us these tasty sweets filled with nuts, almost like candy bars. Their most popular drink is the Sangria mixture of red wine, juice, and garnished with various fruits)

Religion

The core of Spanish culture and history is embedded in it's proud Catholic tradition. Following the Reconquista of Arabian occupation during the 1400s-1500s Spain rooted out all Jewish and Muslim religions to make Catholicism it's primary religion. Throughout world history, Spain was probably the strongest military vessel of the Roman Catholic Church. They waged wars and conquered lands in the name of spreading this Catholic faith. Whilst they were able to establish a Catholic presence all throughout Latin America, their efforts were strongly resisted by the European Protestants. It was arguably this proud desire to convert the world to Catholicism, that became their greatest downfall.

During the 1930s new waves of Catholic extremism returned to Spain's forefront in the practice of Falangism. This political ideology sought to establish the Catholic Church as the primary form of government. Meanwhile in opposition to this ultra conservative branch were new waves of atheism that emerged in the 1930s seeking freedom from the church and the government. To this day the majority of Spanish religion is Catholic at about 52% (the 4th highest in Europe behind Poland, Italy, and Portugal). It is also made up of Muslims, Buddhists, and other forms of Christianity. 14% are considered agnostic while 17% are considered atheist.  

Literature

Following the medieval days of Spanish prose, tales, and poetry, proper Spanish literature was established in the late 1400s. The first major work of Spanish literature was published in 1499, La Celestina, written by Fernando de Rojas. During the reign of Ferdinand and Isabella this was a popular story throughout the royal courts, as scandalous depiction of a love affair. 

However it was Miguel de Cervantes who has become the true father of Spanish literature, after he wrote Don Quixote in 1605. The story depicts a chivalrous tale of a foolish knight and a squire seeking glory. This book is considered the first novel ever written and regarded as a masterpiece. It is among the most-translated and highest selling books of all time. 

Art

Spain has also made great contributions in the category of the visual arts most notably during their Golden Age of the 1500s and modernist age of the 1920s. During this Spanish Renaissance, Spain established an individual identity of post-Byzantine, post-Baroque and a new form of Expressionism. They were led by El Greco who although was born in Greece, spent most of his artistic life in Spain at the height of their golden years. Some of his most famous works include the Burial of the Count of Orgaz (1586). He was later surpassed by Diego Velazquez of Seville, who created a new style of illumination in his works, best seen in his masterpiece known as Las Meninas (1656).

In the mid-1700s court painter Francisco Goya began the transition from the classical age to the modern age. He became a leader in the school of romanticism while depicting the violence and horrors of war with great national pride such as the Third of May (1808). He even had quite the dark side with various depictions of lunacy and satanic worship. The school of Costumbrismo took over during the 1800s depicting Spanish culture with elements of Romanticism and realism. In the early 1900s a new wave of modernism emerged led by Pablo Picasso the father of cubism. Best regarded for his masterpiece Les Demoiselle d'Avignon (1907) and Guernica (1937) depicting the horrors of the Spanish Civil War. Also in the 1920-1930s Salvador Dali began a new school of surrealism art, best known for the Persistence of Memory (1931).        

Music and Dance

Spain are the inventors of the baroque and classical guitar and hence have some of the most famous and distinctive quality of classical guitar music. Spanish classical guitar music is usually quite relaxing, stimulating, and thought provoking. Flamenco music and dance are the embodiment of this classical guitar style, and is a very folkloric representation of Spanish culture. It is believed that the Flamenco music style originated as a fusion of Spanish, Romani Gypsy, and Arabian cultures. This music is normally more up-tempo then classical Spanish guitar accompanied by various forms of percussion such as drums, castanets, and tambourines. The flamenco dance is a very expressive movement, usually that incorporates taping the feet with stiff arm movement. The women often wear ruffled red-and-black dresses to really cast a hypnotic visual of flames.  

Aside from it's iconic classical and flamenco style, Spain also has various modern forms of jazz, rock, and pop music. The popular genre of Ye-Ye was established during the 1960s as a response to the British counterculture era. Leading artists such as Concha Velasco, Massiel, Rocio Durcal defined this age of Spanish popular music. This tradition was later continued by great singers such as Monica Naranjo, Rosalia, and one of the most best selling Spanish artist of all time Julio Iglesias. Julio became a global success with his powerful crooning voice. His son Enrique also had a successful run of popular hits during the 1990s-2000s, which I enjoyed. 

Architecture

Many Roman structures still stand throughout Spain to this day such as their famous aqueducts in Segovia and their theater the Emerita Augusta. During the Muslim occupation, their were also significant works of architecture such as the Great Mosque of Cordoba, the Giralda Towder of the Seville Cathedral, the Alcazar of Seville, and the iconic palace known as the Alhambra built in the mountains of Granda in 1238. Their were also many works of European Gothic Architecture completed during the middle ages, such as the Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela (1075-1211),  Burgos Cathedral (1221-1260), Santa Maria de Leon Cathedral (1205-1302), and the Primatial Cathedral of Saint Mary of Toledo (1227-1493). 

In its modern age Spain also underwent a wave of new expressive forms of architecture. The Metropolis Building of Madrid was completed in 1911 as a definitive admin building in the heart of the capital city. However it was the works of Antoni Gaudi that established a new identity of Spanish architecture known as Catalan Modernism. Based mostly out of Barcelona during the 1880s-1920s, he created various buildings, parks, and cathedrals with an innovative style of modernist-art nouveau. Seven of his buildings have been selected as World Heritage Sites including his colorful mosaic works of the Parque Guell, the Palacio Guell, the Cripto Guell, his twisty home known as the Casa Mila, his oriental house known as the Casa Vicens, the Casa Batllo (one of my favorites with it's dragon-scaled roof and colorful façade), and then the undisputed most breathtaking of his works the Sagrada Familia. This work began in 1882 and is still ongoing. It is in my opinion one of the most breathtaking cathedrals in the world and the penultimate landmark of Spanish architecture.      

Sports

As I mentioned above Spain has become a world power in the sport of soccer. This tradition began with the foundation of their popular clubs Real Madrid and Barcelona in the early 1900s. Beginning in the 1950s Real Madrid quickly became the most dominant team not only in Spain but all of Europe and have secured a record of 15 European titles. Barcelona has also had significant success with 5 European titles. Many of the best international players in the world have played for these monster clubs on par with the New York Yankees when it comes to star-power and trophies. 

On the international stage, the Spanish national team known as "La Furria Roja" has recently emerged as a top power beginning with winning the championship at the 2008 Euro Cup. They then went on to win the World Cup in 2010, followed by another Euro Cup in 2012, and most recently in 2024. Some of the greatest Spanish footballers include Luis Enrique, Raul, David Villa, Iniesta, Xavi, Puyol, Sergio Ramos, and Iker Casillas.     

Aside from their winning tradition in football Spain has also experienced great success in world tennis, notably with the superstar Rafael Nadal. The master of the clay court, Nadal has won an impressive 22 Grand Slams, just behind Novak Djokovic as one of the most winningest of all time. His heir apparent has become Carlos Alcaraz who has already secured 4 grand slam titles at the young age of 20. Arantxa Sanchez Vicario has been the most successful female tennis player with an impressive 14 grand slam titles in singles and doubles. Spain has also showed success in other sports such as basketball, motorsports, and cycling. In 1982 they hosted the FIFA World Cup and in 1992 the city of Barcelona hosted the Summer Olympics.    

Movies about Spain

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  For Whom the Bell Tolls (1943): It did not take long for their to be a film adaptation of Hemingway's popular novel set during the Spanish Civil War. Starring big Hollywood names of Gary Cooper and Ingrid Bergman this one went on to earn 9 Oscar nominations including Best Supporting Actress Katina Paxinou. It is currently on my watchlist. 
  

• El Cid (1961): Starring the great sword-and-sandal actor Charlton Heston alongside the beautiful Sophia Loren this is a medieval story of Spain during the Arabian age of Al-Andalus. I recently watched this film and honestly was not very impressed with the story. It did however still earn three Oscar nominations.

• Volver (2006): Directed by one of the greatest Spanish filmmakers Pedro Almodovar it stars the beautiful Penelope Cruz in a modern day story of romance, sex, comedy, and melodrama. I enjoyed the film and Penelope's performance who became the first Spanish actress to be nominated for an Oscar.

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  Pan's Labyrinth (2006): One of my all time favorite movies directed by Guillermo del Toro it is a dark fantasy in the backdrop of the Spanish Civil War. It takes place in rural Spain where the Francoist army hunts rebels in the mountains. There's actually two stories going on depicting this military conflict while the young Ofelia deals with magical fairies, fauns, monsters, and a mysterious labyrinth. Everything about this film is great, from the story, the setting, the filming, and especially the music.  It was nominated for 6 Oscars and won 3. 
  

• Goya's Ghosts (2006): Directed by the great Milos Forman, starring Javier Bardem, Natalie Portman, and Stellan Skarsgard. The story is set during the Napoleonic invasion of Spain, and comes to terms with some of Goya's wicked paintings. It is a semi-biographical account that received poor reception.     

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  Vicki Cristina Barcelona (2008): Another great film of Woody Allen where he gives homage to a beautiful city. This time it is a unique romantic sexual comedy in the backdrop of Barcelona, starring Javier Bardem, Penelope Cruz, Scarlett Johansson and Rebecca Hall. Penelope Cruz won her first ever oscar for best supporting actress. 
  

• Biutiful (2010): Directed by Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu and starring Javier Bardem as a father who struggles with cancer and visions of the dead. Set in modern day Barcelona he is a very unique character, who runs a criminal operation of human trafficking, has two children with a manic depressive ex-wife, works on the side as a spiritualist, and faces his oncoming death due to cancer. I find the ending to be very poetic where he joins his father in a snowy landscape depicting heaven.