El Alcazar

Not a new post, just an edited version!

For the second Friday in Spain my only class started at 4:30. We go on a “walking tour” each week to see some of Segovia’s main attractions. This first week we went to the Alcazar.

The Alcazar is famous for several reasons. Some people claim its architectural style inspired Walt Disney’s castle. What I can say for sure is that several famous Spaniards have lived in the castle. Queen Isabella’s favorite place to live was Segovia, or so we were told. Her grandmother, Katherine of Lancaster, also loved to live in the Alcazar. She decorated the castle in the mudejar style. Essentially, we were told, this style imitates Arabic style on a Christian-held building. So, there are no people or animals depicted and words written on the walls are Bible verses or prayers in Latin.

The Alcazar has also served as an artillery school as well. When the citizens of Segovia supported Isabella of Castile for the crown and she won, Segovia retained prominence. However, under Isabella and Fernando’s grandson Carlos I (Holy Roman Emperor Carlos V) Segovia lost favor. (They didn’t support Carlos’ bid for the Castilian throne.) Nevertheless, the Alcazar has been around since 1120(ish).

This photo is of the throne room. Tanto Monta was the motto (if you will) of Fernando y Isabel. Their symbols also are included: fletched arrows;  a yoke (used for field animals); and their initials F and Y.

This painting is not an origial.

As I mentioned earlier, Segovia supported Isabel's bid for the crown of Castile. When she won, she was crowned in Segovia.

The Alcazar has also served as an artillery school as well. There were several rooms full of armor and artillery. All of the knights were different sizes. The woman in the following photo is my art professor.

The Alcazar's chapel was gorgeous. The retablo (altarscreen) has Santa Barbara in the center because the chapel is dedicated to her; she's the patroness of soldiers or warriors.

Also in the chapel were several other paintings. Saint James the Moorslayer (Santiago el matamoro) is the man with a sword riding on a white horse. His cross also has a sword in it and on his helmet is a seashell, the symbol of his pilgrimage (El Camino de Santiago).

San Sebastian was shot with arrows in the upper left-hand corner. And Santa Agueda (St. Agatha) cut off her breasts. Her feast day is celebrated in early February in Segovia and nearby towns by honoring all women. Apparently this also recalls times when matriarchal clans lived in the area.

This painting IS an original, but my lousy photography skills cut off the signature.

The building we walked around in is not the original; fire gutted the castle in 1862. Still, the replication is very good (I assume).

Funny story. The bedroom was not located where it currently is (people would have had to walk through it to get between the throne room and chapel). But last week, a woman disregarded the velvet ropes surrounding the bed and decided to take a nap in it. Someone found her there when they were closing up the building.

After touring the lower levels, we paid the extra price to go up the stairs of death to look out from the top of the Alcazar. We got lucky and the weather was perfect for pictures. I kid you not though, those stairs were a death trap. Single file twisting steps with deep impressions from the many visitors who preceeded us up to the top. While no one counted, we agreed that the stairs seemed never ending. When you can't see more than the back of the person in front of you, there's no option but to go with the flow. Some people pushed a bit harder than others...

On the way back down, some other tourists were heading up. It was a bit of a squeeze but we managed. Thankfully no one took a tumble.

Ultimately though, the views were worth the treacherous stair climb.

This last photo is of the actual tower we climbed. Hopefully the photos give you a better sense of the beauty of the (recreated) Alcazar Segovia boasts.

¡Eso es!

Las Clases

As I mentioned previously, I'm taking four classes this semester. Each class is 90 minutes long! I've never had block classes before so paying attention for the whole time is difficult for me when we're just taking notes from a lecture. Thankfully, our professors usually break up the classes with a presentation, discussion, or video. On Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays I have only one class. Mondays and Wednesdays I have Myths and Legends (Mitos y leyendos). On Fridays our whole class meets to have mini-excusions, usually within Segovia. Friday classes are led by our director or our Arte profesora, Pilar.

Tuesdays and Thursdays are very busy for me. I start at 11 with Grammar and stay until 2 for our Study Abroad Seminar. Brian, our director, teaches the Study Abroad Seminar. We're learning about the Reformation and Catholic Reformation as they relate to Spain. Luckily for me, I took a semester on the Reformation in English a few semesters ago. Still, it will be interesting to read Martin Luther and Erasmus in Spanish. After our seminar I go home for comida. I have to say that I've quickly adjusted to the idea of coming home to eat lunch and rest before returning to class.

After comida I go back to class for Arte y Cultura. Right now we're studying the prehistoric cultures who inhabited Spain. Today we talked about groups who inhabited the peninsula before the Romans.

This weekend we're going to Madrid. We'll be taking the bus from Segovia on Saturday morning and returning Sunday evening. While we're in Madrid we're going to go to the Prado and the Reina Sofia. I'm so excited to see the Reina Sofia because we missed it a few years ago and I really want to see some of Picasso's works. (Dali's just a bonus).

I'll try to post again in a few days but for now, eso es.

Segovia

Today was my first full day with my host family in Segovia. I've been in Spain since Epiphany. Classes are going well; everything is in Spanish, but our professors work with us and will repeat or explain confusing words and phrases. "Repite por favor con mas despacio" is my most used phrase I think. I'm taking four classes here: Advanced Grammar; Myths and Legends in Times of Globalization; Art and Civilization of Spain; and a study abroad seminar the Catholic Reformation in Spain. Tengo buena suerte porque mis especializaciones: historia y espanol son los enfoques de todas de mis clases. There are twenty-nine students in the program and along with our director and his family we are a group of thirty-one.

I have to go read to my little sister now, so the blog post will have to wait.