Andalucía [antikvár]

,1 ' f ' , I ; , Í , i ! ¦ . ' < ¦ , ij I my'.'; / r ii.is'^' Í ( ¦ I "M' Í ¦ t' "'H; ! /'^' .^'iii' ¦/¦I/ Introduction Andalucía - the south of Spain, barely a stone's throw from Africa - has fascinated foreign travellers since the early 19th century when Romantic voyagers and writers were captivated by its people's love of colour, music and /lesta; by its state of picturesque decay from an exotic, often splendid past; by the dramatic mountains and the southern heat; and by the unique flamenco music and dance of the Gypsies. Much of what gripped those early travellers lives on in Andalucía today. Though the region has known some very hard times within living memory, its poverty is now greatly diminished, many of its superb monuments have been rescued from decay and modem life has arrived with a bump. Yet Andalucians remain gregarious, relaxed and in love with life, and time is a much more flexible concept than in most Western cultures. Andalucia's multitudinous fiestas are always full-blooded affairs, full of colour, noise and spectacle - whether it's the relatively solemn processions of Semana Santa (Holy Week) or the unadulterated hedonism of night-long music, dancing and drinking at summer ferias. The Islamic civilisation that swept the Iberian Peninsula in the 8th century flourished longest (until 1492) in this area and Andalucía is perhaps the least European part of western Europe. The Muslim era has left behind magnificent and famous buildings such as the Alhambra palace in Granada and the great Mezquita in Córdoba. It has also left a deep imprint on the landscape, the townscapes, the people and even the food of modern Andalucía. Flamenco, the music which says 'Spain' to the outside world but which is Andalucia's own, has clear Islamic roots, too, though it was only developed later as flamenco per se by the Gypsies. The guitar, another Andalucian invention, also has its origin in Islamic times. The more recent Christian centuries have given Andalucía a great deal of its fascinat-