For centuries, Valencia has managed to construct exceptional buildings that are a clear part of its history. Valencia is characterized by its mix of ancient and modern architecture that blends beautifully without losing its folklore. The city was really put on the map when the City of Arts and Sciences, ´Ciudad de las Artes y de las Ciencias´ was born. As such, Valencia is frequented by those who are interested and lovers of architecture. The Gothic building ´La Lonja de la Seda´, a 15th-century silk fair has even won a place on the World Heritage List. Now and in the future, Valencia will continue to pursue modern architecture. This will continue to change the image of Valencia and amaze people.

• Valencian architecture is best known for its mix of various architectural styles.
• Santiago Calatrava is an architect and engineer from Valencia. Much of his work is visible around the world. He draws inspiration from organic and human forms.
• The City of Arts and Sciences is one of Valencia's main tourist attractions.

Valencia 's architecture and growth is in constant flux. This is reflected in the wide variety of architectural styles. From the historic downtown to the hip cosmopolitan neighborhoods. Throughout the city are buildings of Modern, Romanesque, Gothic,- Renaissance, Baroque, and many other architectural styles. The city is a mix of modern and futuristic styles such as the Bioparc zoo and the Valencia street circuit; these are paragons of modern architecture. These styles blend seamlessly with the combination of classical architectural styles such as Valencia City Hall. The best way to see these designs is to explore the city on foot. This way you can easily find the hidden gems in Valencia's small streets as well.

Spanish architecture is extraordinarily rich and distinctive. Therefore, Spain is also home to a number of great and famous architects. After Gaudí, the designer of the ´Sagrada Familia, comes Valencian architect and engineer Santiago Calatrava, the creator of the city of arts and science in Valencia. Calatrava was born July 28, 1951, in Benimàmet, formerly a municipality now fully integrated as an urban part of Valencia. He began his career by studying architecture at the Technical University of Valencia. He then moved to Zurich where he studied civil engineering at the Federal Institute of Technology Zurich.

Calatrava first received international acclaim through the bridge ´Bac de Roda´ in Barcelona. This was part of the 1992 Olympic Games. His designs are visible and recognizable all over the world because of his contemporary style. A style inspired by organic and human forms whose materials are selected with extreme care.

Valencia's modern architecture is visible in all its glory in the city of arts and sciences. Here there is a gigantic cultural center for culture and science that today is one of Valencia 's most spectacular sights. It is home to six unique and eccentric buildings designed by Santiago Calatrava. Entirely dedicated to the arts and sciences, it also functions as a stimulus for visitors' minds. They can thus learn more about the various aspects associated with science in a fun way. For example, here stands the center for music and drama, better known as ´Palacio de las Artes´. A building 75 meters high and 40,000 square meters wide that houses four different spaces for opera, music, ballet, and theater performances. It was built in the year 2005. This striking building is characterized by the different staggered heights of the floors, which are reunited by an enclosure of two symmetrical concrete shells. In addition to the center for music and drama, it houses a science museum, the largest oceanographic park in Europe and much more. Today the City of Arts and Sciences is one of the most famous places in Valencia and is largely the sight of innovation in architecture in Valencia.

It is named after a Spanish place and it is huge. Picasso' s "Guernica" painting is considered a very impressive painting. There is a story behind it, as well as in it. The painting holds you and makes you feel what the painter is trying to convey. 'Guernica' is different.

• Picasso's painting makes a lot of sense to you. It not only tells the story behind it, but makes you feel it. 'Guernica' by Picasso has traveled a lot but now hangs in the 'Museo Reina Sofia' in Madrid.
• The story behind it is about a bombing during the Spanish Civil War. It was the first terror bombing in Europe where the fascists wanted to break the resistance of the Republicans in this way.
• The painting is not realistic and has many underlying thoughts. Picasso mainly wanted to express different feelings with this.
• Picasso's real name is Pablo Ruiz Picasso, but he became famous only by the name Picasso. He lived to be 91 years old.

Pablo Picasso created "Guernica" in 1937. The painting is a whopping 3.49 meters high and 7.76 wide and is made of oil paint, which Picasso used to create most of his paintings. 'Guernica' is considered the most controversial and impressive work of all Picasso's paintings. It is named after the Spanish town of Guernica in the Basque country (Basque: Gernika), where a bombing took place. This was the trigger and story for the painting.

During a major conflict in Spain (Spanish Civil War July 17, 1936 - April 1, 1939) between the Fascists and the Republicans, the Fascists sought to break their enemy's resistance through a series of bombings of the Basque town of Guernica. On April 26, 1937, one bomb was dropped by the German Luftwaffe close to the town's weekly market. People fled and took cover in shelters. When after a while everything was calm again, everyone came out to help the wounded and at that moment the entire squadron arrived to bomb Guernica. There was complete chaos and panic. Those who tried to flee through the fields were shot at by single-seater planes, shelters were not sheltered from the 250-kilogram bombs, and the bombing took no less than two and a half hours. All the panic and chaos of that day is reflected in Picasso's painting. And that is exactly what he wanted to achieve.

Pablo Picasso wanted to convey the feeling of the bombing, rather than just the image. The key words of the painting, as well as the bombing, are: panic, fear, death, sadness and, above all, chaos. It had to be felt when looking at the work. The surrealist painting consists of only black, white and gray to express the war and a background of lines and planes mixed together to emphasize the chaotic. The man with the broken sword represents a dead soldier and indicates death. The horse is the symbol of innocent casualties in war and shows how much fear there is at such a time. The mother with her dead child shows the grief for the victims of the war and the bombing, and the burning lamp at the top of the painting represents the explosions of the bombs.

Pablo Ruiz Picasso, that's the official name of the famous Picasso. So, according to the Spanish naming system, he had two surnames: Ruiz from his father and Picasso from his mother. Why he became famous only under the name Picasso is probably because at some point he started putting only this part of his name under his works. He was a painter, sculptor, graphic artist, draftsman and ceramicist. Pablo Ruiz Picasso had mistresses all his life, including alongside his wife or primary partner, and he has four children by three women. Picasso was one of Spain's best-known painters and left behind many works.

Top 10 Film Festivals in Spain

You could say that Spain is a country you’d see in movie and a country in which you’d see a movie: its scenic landscapes have not only been captured in an impressive number of famous films, but they also capture a big variety of Spanish film festivals. You can find film fests here on just about any genre imaginable, from documentary, feminist, environmental, short film, gay/lesbian, fantasy, horror, advertising, international film… Spain holds more than 80 film festivals every year. That’s almost 2 per week.

Film Festival in San Sebastian

The International Film Festival in San Sebastian, Spain is the most prestigious festival in Spain and, in addition, one of the most important festivals in Europe, because of the leading films presented there and their international impact. It is the only film festival in Spain that is considered an A category event, one of only 13 in the entire world! The festival is held in Donostia-San Sebastian, one of the most beautiful northern cities in Spain, located on the coast of the Basque Country region. During this period, the city hosts well-known movie stars such as, Robert De Niro, Richard Gere, Michael Douglas, Catherine Zeta-Jones, Mel Gibson, Demi Moore, Naomi Watts and Brad Pitt and great directors such as Roman Polansky, Francis Ford Coppola and Pedro Almodovar.

The official awards for the San Sebastian Film Festival are: Golden Shell for Best Film, Silver Shell for Best Director, Silver Shell for Best Actress, Silver Shell for Best Actor , Special Jury Prize, Jury Prize for Best Cinematography, Jury Prize for Best Screenplay.

Film festival in Málaga

The film festival in Málaga is only for Spanish cinema and thus is not internationally oriented. The official name of the event is "Festival de Málaga Cine Español (FMCE)," and it has been carrying the Spanish film industry since 1998. As most know, Málaga is the hometown of the famous, international actor Antonio Banderas; one of the reasons the city has such a strong connection to Spanish film. Official awards of this festival are: the Golden and Silver Bignagas for Best Film, Best Director, Best Actress, Best Actor, Best Music, Best Cinematography et cetera. In recent editions, the festival also admits Latin American Spanish-language films in the Territorio Latinoamericano (literally: Latin American Territory) section. The result of admitting Latin American films is a renovated boost in Spain of this lesser-known film sector as well as the sharing of ideas between the two.

Sitges Festival

Besides the famous film festivals in Málaga and of course San Sebastian, Sitges in the autonomous state of Catalonia also has a film festival: 'El Festival de Cinema Fantàstic de Sitges / Catalunya'. It is one of the most famous film festivals. The Sitges festival first took place in 1967 in, how could it be otherwise, Sitges; a tourist city on the Mediterranean Sea, 40 km away from Barcelona. Sitges is a great place for all film lovers to admire the best new and upcoming films in special screenings. In past editions, the festival received as many as 50,000 spectators! Throughout the festival, some of the most famous directors, producers and actors have shared their new work. Some of the big names that have walked the red carpet of the Sitges Film Festival are: Vin Diesel, Tony Curtis, Guillermo del Toro, Jeroen Krabbé, Eli Roth, Joanna Cassady, Julia Adams, Guy Maddin, David Cronenberg and many more! In addition, these important films, among others, proudly celebrated their debut at this festival: Brotherhood of the Wolf (2001), The Bourne Identity (2002), Kill Bill (2003), The Holy Mountain (1973), Mulholland Drive (2001), and many others. The film festivals in Spain put Spain on the map!

Young Spanish Musicians

Music is the backbone of this conglomeration of traditions, languages, geographies, and cultures that we call Spain. Spanish heritage is surprisingly rich and diverse, and the music here, in its most “classic” form, provides a special source of inspiration for many Spaniards. Spain has 45 symphonic and/or philharmonic orchestras, but we’ll be taking a quick peek at Spanish youth orchestras.

Limited space for text has obliged us to focus our list on 10 of these groups. We certainly have no intention of undervaluing those that don’t appear here. 

One of the most famous Spanish paintings

Las Meninas was created by Spanish painter Diego Velázquez. One of the most famous Spanish painters of the golden age, he created many portraits of the Spanish royal family. The Dutch name for Las Meninas is De Hofdames.

Velazquez

Born in Seville, Diego Velázquez began painting at a very young age. At 12, Velázquez was an apprentice painter with Francisco Pacheco. When he moved to Madrid in 1622, he attracted the attention of Spain's King Philip IV.

In 1629, Velázquez left for Italy for a year and a half to study his classical predecessors. All at the expense of Spanish King Philip IV. Upon his return, Velázquez became the court painter of the Spanish royal house. In 1649, he went to Italy again, but this time to procure art for King Philip IV.

Las Meninas is one of the first modern Spanish paintings. A modern painting makes you think about everything on the canvas.

At the center of the painting is the Spanish princess, she was the apple of the family's eye, and at the time the only living child of King Philip IV. It is unusual for a princess to be the center of a painting. At the time the painting was made, princesses were often married to cousins or uncles in the family, to ensure that there was a male heir to the throne.

Everything on the life-size canvas makes the viewer think. For example, the painter has depicted himself, at work, on the canvas. It looks like he is painting Las Meninas. This is not the only thing that makes the viewer think. For example, all the persons in the painting, are looking outside the painting. There is also a mirror painted on the canvas. In this mirror the faces of the royal couple can be seen. The viewer is like the royal couple, we look out over the artist's studio, and the viewer is portrayed.

The main question all this raises is, am I looking at the painting or is the painting looking at me? Find out the answer for yourself during a visit at the Prado Museum in Madrid.

Spanish Art: Broadening your cultural horizons

Although stereotypically associated with sun, sea and sand, Spain offers much more than just a summer glow. From Velázquez to Dalí, Ribera to Miró and El Greco to Picasso, Spain has produced some of history’s most influential, revolutionary and highly-esteemed artists. So why not mix things up this year during your holiday to Spain and replace a day of soaking up the rays with a day of cultural enrichment!? In alphabetical rather than preferential order, the featured Top Ten Spanish Museums below will simply give you a taster of a country proud to exhibit and celebrate the enduring talents of its internationally-acclaimed artists.

Spanish actors

Many internationally known actors and actresses are of Spanish descent. For example, Penelope Cruz, Javier Bardem and Fernando Rey, among others, are from Spain. Antonio Banderas is also one of many well-known Spanish actors. In addition to being an actor, Antonio Banderas is also a reggisseur, producer and singer.

José Antonio Dominguez Banderas was born on August 10, 1960 in Benalmádena, Malaga. In his younger years, Antonio always wanted to become a professional soccer player. However, this dream fell apart when Banderas broke his foot at the age of 14. At that time, he went to see the theater show "Hair" with his parents and thus his interest in theater was awakened. Soon after, Antonio started taking drama classes. He then joined a theater group and toured the whole country with this group. In this theater group, he caught the attention of some big names in the Spanish theater industry. As a result, he managed to secure a place in the National Theater of Spain. From the theater, he rolled into the film industry and frequently starred in Spanish films.

Fame with "The mask of Zorro"

His breakthrough came in 1990 with his role in the film "Tie me up! Tie me down!", a Spanish romantic comedy. Until 1992, Antonio Banderas barely spoke English but still managed to attract the attention of the film industry in America. In 1993, he broke through in America with his role in the film "Philadelphia. This was followed by many roles in well-known films including Desperado, Evita, The Mask of Zorro, Spy Kids and Once Upon a Time in Mexico. The 1990s in particular were good years for Banderas; his roles in Evita in 1996 and "The Mask of Zorro" in 1998 brought him great fame. And even led him to take on the role of Zorro again in 'The Legend of Zorro' in 2005.

In 2003, Antonio Banderas returned to the theater with his role in the musical "Nine. Banderas has also voiced many voices for various animated films. His best-known voice role can be found in "Shrek 2," "Shrek the Third" and "Shrek Forever After. In these films, he voiced the role of the Puss in Boots. This cat became so popular that the Puss in Boots was even given its own movie for which Antonio Banderas once again contributed the voice.

His input in various films has also earned Antiono Banderas several awards. In 2005, for example, he received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. In 2006, Antonio Banderas won the "Gabi Lifetime Achievement Award" at the Los Angeles International Film festival. He was also nominated for 3 Golden Globe Awards and presented the 69th version of the Golden Globe Awards ceremony with Salma Hayek in 2012.

Spain is home to many internationally known museums. These include the Picasso Museum in Barcelona, the Guggenheim Museum and the Dalí Theatre Museum in Figueras. However, the most famous museums in Spain can be found in Madrid, including the Prado Museum.

The Prado Museum in Madrid

The Prado Museum is one of the world's most famous museums. Together with the Museum Thyssen - Bornemisza and the Museum Nacional Centro de Arte Reina Sofia, the Prado Museum is part of Madrid's Golden Triangle.

The building of the Prado Museum was designed in 1785 and the museum was open to the public in November 1819. In 2007, the museum was remodeled and expanded by 50%. The renovation added the former Jeronimos Monastery to the museum. The new section includes a restaurant, a restoration studio and the temporary exhibitions are located here.

The museum contains works dating from the 14th to 19th centuries. The collection includes 5,000 drawings, 2,000 applied art objects, 2,000 prints and 700 sculptures. Besides the masterpieces, don't miss the fine art with Greek works and the beautiful Roman murals.

In the 16th century, the Netherlands fell under Spanish rule, causing the works of a number of Dutch and Flemish artists to be exhibited at the Prado Museum. This collection includes works by Bosch, Pieter Brughel and Rubens, among others.

To visit the museum, it is recommended to take at least one day. For those who only have a few hours or half a day, the Prado Museum has outlined 3 routes to visit the museum's masterpieces. The shortest route takes about 1 hour and takes you past 15 works of art. To see 30 works, it is recommended to take the 2-hour route. Should you have 3 hours, it is also possible to follow the longest route that takes you past 50 works. Among others, "The Annunciation" by Fra Angelico, "The Garden of Earthly Delights" by Hieronymus Bosch and "The Three Graces" by Rubens are visited during these routes. In addition to international works, Spanish works are also incorporated into the routes. For example, one passes Velázquez's "Las Meninas" and Ribera's "Jacob's Dream.

Watching television is not as popular in Spain as it is in the Netherlands. Spaniards, thanks to the climate, mostly live outside and if the television is on at all, it is usually during dinner. Spaniards do not slouch on the couch in front of the television.

Until 1975, Franco's regime imposed strict censorship on the Spanish media. This caused few good films to come from Spain until then. In 1956, the television channel TVE came into being. TVE is similar to the Dutch NOS. Mostly documentaries, news lectures and sports were broadcast. Until 1974, all programs in Spain were in black and white. In 1977, all TV channels were in color.

The Spanish way of watching television is very different from the Dutch way. Where the Dutch often watch television on the couch after dinner, Spaniards mainly watch television during dinner. This is why most televisions in Spanish households can be found in the dining room or kitchen.

Spanish films

Spanish films are a reflection of Spanish culture, diverse, raw and passionate. Abre los ojos is considered the most successful Spanish film. Made in 1997, this film is about the beautiful man, Cesar who lives in Madrid. Because of his outward appearance, he gets enough attention from women, much to the jealousy of his girlfriend. This jealousy has caused his girlfriend to cause a car accident in which Cesar gets disfigured in his face. This accident changes his whole life and this film is about Cesar's search for a new love.

Penélope Cruz

One of the leading roles in Abre los ojos is played by Penélope Cruz. She also played the same role in the American film adaptation Vanilla Sky. She is one of Spain's most famous actresses of all time. Before studying theater in New York, Penélope Cruz studied ballet in Madrid. To this day, Penélope Cruz is one of Hollywood's most famous actresses and, among other things, has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. Penélope is married to Javier Bardem, also a celebrated Spanish actor. Among other awards, he received an oscar for his role in No country for old men, in which he plays a cold-blooded hitman.

Antonio Banderas

Finally, we must not forget Antonio Banderas! Who doesn't know him? He has sidns 2005 star on the Hollywood walk of Fame and he is known, among other things, for his role in Spy Kids, but really broke through in America with his role in Philadelphia in 1993. After his breakthrough in America, he played in many films. His most famous role he played in the movie The Mask of Zorro in which he plays Zorro. This puts him, along with Penélope Cruz and Javier Bardem, at the top of the Spanish film industry!