Southern Spain (Companion Guides) - Hardcover

Lowe, Alfonso

9780002111386: Southern Spain (Companion Guides)

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0002111381 ISBN 13: 9780002111386

Publisher: HarperCollins Distribution Services, 1973

I value the traditional virtues of the Companion Guides... actually written by an individual rather than packaged by production teams... straightforward intelligent guides to cultural sites. BOOKSELLER Andalucia in its heyday, after the invasion of the Moors in 711, was famous for its wealth and fertility, and the province's Moorish character remains distinct; even before the Moors, the Phoenicians, the Romans and the Vandals had all been drawn to this beautiful land. The Moors cultivated science and the arts, and their influence was felt throughout western Europe - in the songs of the troubadours, the poems of Dante and the discoveries of Copernicus; their merchants enriched the province; their courtiers and architects set new standards of luxurious living. This glory finally ended in 1492, when the Christian armies of the Reconquista entered Granada, but much remains in the three Moorish towns of Cordoba, Seville and Granada, and the country round about, to recall the great times. Alfonso Lowe is an admirable guide, from the intricacies of the distinction between Mozarabic and Mudejar Moorish styles to the characteristic dishes to be found in restaurants and bars - and to the adjacent territories of Murcia and the greater part of Alicante.

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Review:

I value the traditional virtues of the Companion Guides...actually written by an individual rather than packaged by production teams...straightforward intelligent guides to cultural sites.

From the Publisher:

11 colour illustrations, 20 maps.

This is a much-needed guide to one of the most exciting regions of Europe - that bounded by the Portuguese frontier to the west, the Sierra Morena to the north, Alicante and the Cabo de la Nao to the east, and to the south the famous coastlines of the Costa Blanca, the Costa del Sol, and the Gulf of Cadiz. Here lie the provinces of Andalucia and Murcia, a region of fertile plains and stony uplands, a langorous southern climate and cities of a unique interest and beauty, often more African than European in their architecture and their attitudes. The author covers both the well-known sites, such as Granada, Cordoba and Seville, and lesser-known, more remote places of interest.

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