The Spanish flag

The Spanish flag is probably one of the most distinctive flags of European countries. The Spanish flag has caused the colors yellow and red to be seen as the national colors of Spain.

The current Spanish flag went into use on Dec. 19, 1981. The flag consists of two red strips and one yellow strip. The yellow strip is the same height as the two red strips together. The colors red and yellow have been used on the flag of Spain since 1785 and were chosen because, according to King Charles III, these colors would stand out.

The coat of arms of Spain

The left half of the yellow strip depicts the coat of arms of Spain. This coat of arms has undergone many changes in recent centuries. In fact, until 1981, the coat of arms was adorned by an eagle. The coat of arms of Spain consists of 8 different parts. At the top left of the coat of arms is a yellow tower symbolizing the region of Castile. On the upper right is a crowned lion symbolizing the region of León. The four red stripes in the lower left symbolize Aragon. The gold chain with the emerald in the lower right represents Navarre. The pomegranate in the bottom center represents Granada. The three lilies in the center of the coat of arms symbolize Bourbon, home to the royal house. Finally, the coat of arms is crowned with a crown, reflecting the royal crown.

The pillars on the side of the shield are also called the "Pillars of Hercules," the former name of the Strait of Gibraltar. The red ribbon wrapped around the pillars says "plus ultra" which means, "beyond. With this, the coat of arms of Spain includes the former Spanish territories in the Americas.

The Spanish flag without the coat of arms is also commonly used by Spanish citizens and is also called the civil flag. The flag should not officially be hung out between sunset and sunrise, however, Spanish embassies are an exception to this.

Around the 17th century, an influential period for prosperity, trade science and culture took place in Spain. The Spanish Golden Age is also known as El Siglo de Oro.

Spanish culture 

In the 16th century, Spain conquered the New World and this brought the country great prestige and wealth. This marked the beginning of the Spanish Golden Age, El Siglo de Oro. At that time, Seville was the richest city in the country, partly because Seville was the port for all trade to the Americas. During the Golden Age, Spain was ruled by the Habsburgs and until 1645 by King Philip II, Philip III and Philip IV, among others. Under the rule of the Habsburgs, all peoples had to learn the Spanish language. However, when Philip III came to power, the Habsburg Empire began to show its cracks and the Netherlands and England, among others, showed their dislike. Nevertheless, Spain was still one of the most powerful countries in the world during this period.

Spanish culture, on the other hand, underwent a great heyday in the 16th and 17th centuries. Spaniards produced so many great works of art and literature that this period is known as the Golden Age. This was also the time of Baroque literature. It was a dark period where pessimism prevailed and it was believed that only death could deliver you from this period. Velázquez, among others, painted masterpieces during the Spanish Golden Age.

Drama began to gain popularity during the Golden Age. Well-known playwrights of this era include Félix Lope de Vega and Pedro Calderón de la Barca. Félix wrote 2000 plays that were mainly about honor and love. After his death, Pedro became one of the most famous playwrights. His works are known for his religious drama about Catholic beliefs.
The death of Pedro Calderón de la Barca in 1681 is often seen as the end of the Spanish Golden Age. The Spanish Golden Age was also a successful period for the famous Spanish writer Miguel de Cervantes. Among other things, he wrote the modern novel "Don Quixote," one of the most famous novels in Spanish history. In addition to novels, Cervantes also wrote several plays. Miguel Cervantes played a major role in Spanish history and this can still be seen today on the Spanish 10, 20 and 50 cent euro coins.

When the Republicans won the elections in 1931 with a small majority, the Spanish monarchy came to an end. This caused some conflicts in Spain and strong antagonisms arose between the left (republicans) and the right (nationalists).

After the elections in 1931, major antagonisms arose between the left and the right. In the end, the small left majority provided a very leftist constitution to the annoyance of the nationalists. In 1932, the nationalists tried to carry out a coup, but failed. New elections took place in November 1933 and the right-wing parties won. This went well until October 1934. Then a very right-wing party joined the government and this caused uprisings from the left. The leftist leader called for a revolution and during this uprising Catalonia declared independence.

The civil war had begun

In February 1936, new elections took place between the republicans and the nationalists. With a small majority, the republicans won again. In April that year, there were attacks claimed by right-wing groups. The civil war had begun. When the murder of José Calvo Sotelo took place in July 1936, it prompted the army of Spanish Morocco, led by Francisco Franco, to advance into the Spanish peninsula. Soon Cadiz, Zaragoza, Seville and Burgos joined the nationalists led by Franco.

The nationalists received voluntary support from Germany and Italy. The republicans received support from Russia. The nationalists had an army with a large military background. Consequently, this ensured that by 1936 50% of the Spanish peninsula was already in the hands of the nationalists. Especially the Basque Country and Catalonia were difficult to overcome. In 1937 Bilbao was conquered and in 1938 the Nationalists were most successful, gaining control of Catalonia. Only the major cities of Barcelona, Valencia and Madrid were not yet in Nationalist hands. When at the end of 1938 the Russians withdrew, it was only a matter of time before the republicans were overcome. Barcelona was conquered in January 1939 and Valencia and Madrid followed in April that year.

Guernica

During the Civil War, a major bombardment took place in Guernica. This bombing took place under the leadership of Francisco Franco and killed 1,500 people and wounded 800. This bombing shook all of Western Europe. Pablo Picasso created a giant painting of the city of Guernica. Picasso did not depict what the city looked like during the war. Picasso wanted to convey the feeling people had during this bombing.

Spain's oldest university can be found in Salamanca. Salamanca is located in the province of the same name, about 200 kilometers northwest of Madrid. The University of Salamanca is not only the oldest university in Spain, but also the second oldest in Europe after the University of Bologna.

• The University of Salamanca was founded in 1218 by King Alfons IX of Leon. Christopher Columbus, among others, was a professor at this university.
• In addition to a Spanish course, there are numerous other options for studying in Salamanca.
• There is a frog in the facade of the university's main building; legend has it that students who find it will have a prosperous time studying.

Now what makes Salamanca such a great student city is that, among other things, it speaks the purest Spanish, it is a modern city with beautiful architecture but still has the charm of a village. This is because everything is within walking distance and because you do come into contact with international and national students everywhere. The beautiful architecture of the city has made the old center of Salamanca, including the university and the old and new cathedral, a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1988.

The number of students at the university increased until 1580. At that time there were 6,500 students studying at the university. In the seventeenth century, the number of students decreased. Today, more than 30,000 students study in Salamanca every year. This therefore makes Salamanca the student city of Spain.

The Spanish language

In addition to studying Spanish language, writing and culture, there are numerous other options for studying in Salamanca. In the past, students could choose to study medicine, law, technology, art-philosophy, mathematics, music, humanities and, of course, linguistics, among others. Today, there are still numerous options. For example, there are several opportunities to study the Spanish language. But there are also still opportunities to study medicine, psychology, mathematics, history, literature, philosophy, law science at the University of Salamanca. Studying in Salamanca for an entire academic year, a semester or just during the summer are some examples of the many options at the university.

The facade of the university's main building has caused the frog to become Salamanca's city symbol. Something of this city symbol can be found in every souvenir shop. Now it is not that the frog is a special animal for the Salamantinos (inhabitants of Salamanca) but because a frog can be found on the beautifully decorated facade of the university. Not only on the facade of the university but also at the richly decorated door on the west side of the new cathedral, the frog can be found. Legend has it that students who find the frog face a prosperous student life. For non-students, the frog ensures good luck in love. So while visiting Salamanca, it is well worth trying to find the frog.

El Clásico

El Clásico: the soccer match between the 2 biggest Spanish soccer clubs. The match is considered the great soccer classic of Spain and perhaps even of the entire world. There has been a rivalry between Real Madrid and FC Barcelona for years.
The rivalry goes way back in history. After General Franco won his victory during the Spanish Civil War (1936-1939), the Catalan culture and identity was suppressed for years by the Madrid authority. Real Madrid is considered a symbol of the central Spanish government, this is partly due to the club's royal designation (Real). Many Catalans feel no connection to Spain; they also speak a different kind of Spanish. FC Barcelona is seen as a symbol of Catalonia's nationalism because Barcelona is the capital of the province. During this period, it seemed that the referees favored Real Madrid with possible influence from higher-ups.

The 1943 locker room incident

The first incident to occur during the postwar, or "posguerra," period was the "locker room incident. Spanish militiamen allegedly walked into Barca's dressing room before the match began and told the players to calm down. Real Madrid then won 11-1, scoring 7 goals in 14 minutes against a club just as strong on paper....

Bottle finale

In 1968, tension was further heightened between the two clubs by the president of Real Madrid; Santiago Bernabéu Yeste. When FC Barcelona won the final of the Copa del Generalísimo 0-1, Real's ultras began throwing bottles at the players of the Catalan club. Then, of course, when Santiago Bernabéu Yeste made some "nice" controversial statements such as "'Catalonia is beautiful, just a pity that the Catalans live there'" the bomb had completely burst.

Then FC Barcelona had a heyday and then Real Madrid. FC Barcelona went into decline until our own Johan Cruijff joined the club and ensured the first national title in 14 years. As a result, he earned the nickname "El Salvador," which means "the savior.

Over the years, other incidents have occurred that have only made the rivalry between the world's two biggest clubs worse. Nowadays, the tension is at a low ebb.

The 2 clubs have now played more than 225 matches against each other and are among the biggest clubs in the world! They have fans all over the world. But who is the best club that you will have to see for yourself.

Clara Campoamor was born in 1888 and would become the most important advocate for women’s rights in Spain. Due to the early death of her father she had to quit school and start working to support her family at a very young age. Despite difficult conditions, she managed to complete a law degree. After her graduation, Campoamor devoted herself entirely to the fight for women’s rights in society.

• At the age of thirteen Campoamor had to leave school and work to increase the family’s income.
• One of her first jobs as secretary for the liberal political journal “La Tribuna” influenced Campoamor’s political views.
• As one of the only female members of the parliament, Clara Campoamor vehemently demanded woman’s suffrage.
• Time of her life she stood up for the rights of women. Even in exile in Switzerland, she wrote further critical political texts.

Clara Campoamor was born in the district Maravillas, todays Malasaña in Madrid on the 12^th of February 1888. Her father, Manuel Martínez Campoamor worked for a newspaper and ensured the family’s main income, while her mother earned some extra money from tailoring.

At the age of thirteen, Clara was buffeted by fate: The early death of her father forced Clara to quit school and help her mother as a seamstress. In the following years she worked for several public companies, such as the post office in San Sebastian.

In 1914 she got hired as a teacher for adults, however, as she did not have any academic qualification, she was only allowed to teach typewriting. Additionally she worked for the liberal political newspaper “La Tribune”, which coined her politically. After passing the entrance exam at the University of Madrid, Campoamor started studying law. During this time she more and more noticed how discriminated women were in society and she started to get involved in politics.

At the age of 36 she graduated and was the first female lawyer at the Spanish Supreme Court.

One day she was asked in a newspaper interview if she preferred Spain to be a monarchy or a republic and she answered with her famous words: “Republic! Always republic!” 1931 was the first year in which women were allowed to stand as candidates for the national parliament, however women were still excluded from suffrage. Campoamor was one of the first females elected into parliament and fought for equal voting rights, but had to face resistance not only in her own party but also from one of the few other female members of parliament, Victoria Kent. Due to this conflict she left her party and became a party-independent member in parliament. She saw the representation of women's concerns as her most important task, and managed to help female activists who demanded the right to vote for women.

In 1936 General Franco managed a coup against the Spanish Republic and Campoamor had to go into exile, because her life was in danger in Spain. She could have only returned to the country under the Franco regime if she had withdrawn some of her political statements and revealed names of political enemies of the Franco regime. However Campoamor stood by her principles and remained in exile in Switzerland for the rest of her life, where she continued to publish political and feminine texts. 1972 Clara Campoamor passed away in Switzerland. Today she is considered as the toughest and most important advocate for the right to vote for women in Spanish history.

As we all know, Spain is a country with a rich culture.... And the fact that Spaniards are proud of it is also evident! Many world heritage sites can be found and Spanish history has many literary writers and artists. The Spanish culture is not only noticeable in Spain, due to colonization much of South America has also been heavily influenced by Spanish culture!

By Spanish culture we mean the language, religion and history of Spain. But of course this also includes customs such as the many holidays and fiestas, siesta keeping and high regard for the family. Spanish food certainly cannot be missing from this list either! The wide variety of sausages such as chorizo, jamón ibérico or jamón serrano are typical of Spanish culture, as are paella, gazpacho and tortilla de patatas. A characteristic of the Spanish is that they have a ´tranquila mentality´, take it easy!

Spanish history shows how the Spanish passed on their culture to other countries. When Spain established colonies in many countries in South America between 1492 and 1898, Spanish culture was also transferred. In total, the Spanish empire consisted of parts in the Americas, Europe, Asia, Oceania, and Africa. Spain also left its mark in the Netherlands, just think of the national anthem: ´´...den koning van Hispanje heb ik altijd geëerd...´´.

Famous artists from Spanish history include Gaudí, Diego Velázquez, Pablo Picasso, El Greco and Francisco de Goya. The works of these artists can be viewed in Barcelona and Madrid, among others (highly recommended in this city is the Prado museum). But there is also much to see in Seville, where Diego Velázquez was born. As is the Picasso museum in Málaga. But, not only in Spain can Spanish art be admired. Spanish art is world famous and therefore can be found everywhere.

Of course, it is not only painters who have made Spanish culture so strong. Famous writers of Spanish literature include Luis de Gongora, Antonio Machado, Fernanado de Rojas, Pablo Neruda and Miguel de Cervantes, creator of the famous story of Don Quijote. Each of them played an important role in Spanish literature.

World Heritage sites in Spain can be found in many places. Typical are the old centers, universities and cathedrals. For example, you can visit the old town of Salamanca, the historic center of Cordoba or in Madrid the monastery and site of the Escorial. Also worth visiting are the Alhambra, Genralife and Albaicín in Granada.

The Spanish Inquisition lasted from 1478 to 1834. The definition of Inquisition is as follows: "A court of the Roman Catholic Church, charged with the detection, investigation and punishment of heretics."

Yet the definition of Spanish Inquisition is slightly different and reads as follows: "The Spanish Inquisition was established in 1478 for the purpose of upholding Catholic orthodoxy. It was not abolished until 1834 during the reign of the Spanish Catholic monarch Isabella II. The Inquisition was used to impose religious unity on the people, thus the Inquisition became a political tool of power."

Christianity was the most well-known faith in the earlier centuries that had many followers around the world. Many Catholic rulers wanted to preserve Christianity and wanted to convince anyone who believed something else to Christianity, if the person did not want this he/she was persecuted.

Capture

After someone was imprisoned, the case was investigated by "calificadores." These were responsible for whether someone was found guilty of heresy or not during the Spanish Inquisition. If this was the case then the person was imprisoned. Sometimes the "calificadores" would take people into preventive detention. This period could last for two years in some cases. Also, the prisoner was not told what the charges were, in most cases they did not know for years what they were accused of. The prisoners could not leave their cells during their imprisonment; everything was isolated. In 1483, stricter inquisitors were appointed and from then on faith courts were established in all the main towns, the prisons were named holy houses (casas santas).

Trial

The trial itself consisted of a few hearings with both the accuser and the accused both allowed to tell their own stories to the inquisitors. The accused was assigned someone from the tribunal to advise the accused to tell the truth. Also present was an official who kept notules. The accused had two opportunities to defend himself during the Spanish Inquisition; first, finding a witness in his favor (abonos), or second, proving implausibility of the accuser (tachas).

The Spanish Inquisition was never really interested in witch hunting. There were two reasons for this, first, because the Catholic Church already had enough scapegoats in Jews and Muslims, and second, because Christianity had more enemies outside Christianity than inside Christianity (as heretics and later witches).

The end of the Inquisition

The end of the Spanish Inquisition was in 1843, but actually it had not been active since 1700. When the Catholic prince el Borbón came on the Spanish trome, the Spanish Inquisition had already come to an end.

Precise figures on the number of trials and results during the Spanish Inquisition have never been fully ascertained, as many documents have been lost. In the most gruesome years of the Spanish Inquisition, there were about 44,000 trials. According to documents, 1.6% ended with a death sentence (700 people).

Many people died during the years of the Spanish Inquisition. Today there are still groups active that want to continue the Inquisition ideology. Fortunately, we can also respect each other today, but the topic of faith will always be sensitive in politics and beyond.

The Bank of Spain also called Banco de España is the central bank of Spain. This Savings Bank is part of the European System of Central Banks. The main building of Banco de España is in Madrid. The nearby metro station in Madrid is named after the bank and is also called Banco de España.

The bank was founded by French-Spanish banker Francisco Cabarrús and King Carlos III in 1782 under the name Banco Nacional de San Carlos. After the French Revolution and Napoleonic Wars, the Spanish state had accumulated a debt of more than 300 million Real. To pay this debt, in 1829 the finance minister established a fund of about 40 million Real that allowed the bank to issue its own banknotes within Madrid. Along with this new asset, again the name changed, this time to Banco Español de San Fernando.

A few months after the outbreak of the Spanish Civil War, almost most of the gold reserves were taken to Moscow to pay for weapons (Moskougoud). This totaled about 510 tons of gold taken away from the bank.

In 1844, another bank called Banco de Isabel II established itself. After three years, the Banco Español de San Fernando merged with Banco de Isabel II, in the process retaining its name. In 1856, the name was changed to the current name of the Spanish savings bank, Banco de España. Almost 20 years later, the Banco de España was given the sole right to issue Spanish banknotes. In 1962, the Banco de España was officially nationalized by General Franco. The Spanish central bank also has another large art collection with paintings by Picasso and Goya, among others.

Outside the central bank of Spain you also have regional banks, the two largest being Santander Central Hispano and the BBVA. Outside these regional banks, you will find about 30 other banks that only operate nationwide.

Since the bank is no longer responsible for Spain's monetary policy, today it provides economic and monetary advice to the Spanish government. Beyond this, the Bank of Spain also issues euro bills and coins. The Bank of Spain oversees the Spanish banking system and manages its own valuation and precious metal reserves. Monetary policy is in the hands of the European Central Bank along with the EMU (Economic and Monetary Union). Since 2006, the bank's governor has been Miguel Ángel Fernández Ordóñez. Miguel is an economist and politician appointed to this position by the Spanish government.

The Spanish monarchy, like the Netherlands, has a royal family. Spain's current King Juan Carlos was born in exile because there was a civil war going on from 1936-1939. Spain experienced a period of dictatorship under General Francisco Franco after the civil war from 1939-1975. After Francisco Franco, Juan Carlos came to power, and to this day he is the king of Spain.

The King of Spain Juan Carlos lives with Queen Sofia in their palace, Palacio de la Zarzuela, in northern Madrid. Juan Carlos never wanted a dictatorship like Franco, which is why he restored democracy to Spain. In 1981, Juan Carlos gained much respect by preventing a military coup. Since then, all Spaniards have been proud of their king.

The Spanish royal family of King Juan Carlos and Queen Sofia consists of three children (Infanta Elena (1963), Infanta Cristina (1965) and Crown Prince Felipe (1968)) and eight grandchildren. Felipe is crown prince because a man has priority over a woman for the throne. However, this will change in the future since the crown prince, together with Letizia Ortiz Rocasolano, already has two daughters (Infanta Leonor and Infanta Sofia).

Spain's Crown Prince Felipe had a few bad relationships before he was engaged to television journalist Letizia. However, this is the first time in Spain that a commoner girl has married a future Spanish king and she will become Queen of Spain. Princess Letizia is also known for her fashion-conscious clothing style and her always unusual shoes. Inside the Royal Family, Infanta Elena has been divorced for several years, but has two children (Felipe Juan and Victoria Federica) with her ex-husband. Infanta Cristina is married to Iñaki Urdangarin Liebaeert, together they have four children (Valentin, Pablo Nicolas, Miguel and Irene).