The people, places and events that have shaped our history and culture
In the centre of Spain – if we are to believe the Kilometre Zero stone slab in Puerta de Sol – Madrid sits at an elevation of 657 metres, giving it the most unique climate of any European capital. Cold winters, at times bitterly so, and scorching summers make it an unlikely location for a [...]
Delighted that my new book is published and available via high street and online retailers plus direct from the publisher. To find out more please see the video, synopsis, highlights and a link to purchase below. Thank you! https://videopress.com/v/3deU58Ll?resizeToParent=true&cover=true&preloadContent=metadata&useAverageColor=true Synopsis: From the Arab conquest to ‘la Movida Madrileña’, the culture of Madrid is shaped by [...]
Italica, nine kilometres from Seville, comprises ancient old and new towns. The former dates from 206 BCE when the all-conquering Roman general Scipio Africanus settled Italian veterans on the site giving the town its name. But old Italica is now mostly hidden under the modern town of Santiponce built in the 1600s. Fortunately new Italica, [...]
To Tarragona in Catalonia, Spain. Starting as a Roman military base, Tarraco was the capital of the Roman provinces of north and central Spain. Today, the Roman ruins form part of a UNESCO World Heritage Site. +Amphitheatre, completed around 120 CE +Roman Circus, the best-preserved Roman circus remains in Europe with an accessible underground vaulted [...]
Having invested heavily in the fleet lost at Trafalgar, due to errors by the French Admiral Villeneuve and an instruction to ‘never surrender to superior forces without reaching glory in brave resistance’, Spain was financially broke. In 1807, French forces were invited into Spain in order that Napoleon could attack Britain’s ally Portugal, Spain hoping [...]