The Peña Miel cave in Nieva de Cameros (La Rioja, Spain) is once again the focus of archaeological research thanks to a new project by the Institute of Research in Heritage and Humanities and the Institute of Environmental Sciences Research at the University of Zaragoza. A team led by professors Carlos Mazo and Rafael Domingo […]
Spain
Posted inModern Era
Lapulapu, the Filipino chief turned national hero who killed Magellan
On August 10, 1519 began the expedition that circumnavigated the globe for the first time. We all know the names of several of its protagonists: Magellan, Elcano, Pigafetta, Charles I… Today we are going to see the story of another whose casual participation in this adventure had a decisive impact: Lapulapu, the chief of the […]
Posted inModern Era
Bartolomeu Português, the lusitanian buccaneer who created the code of piracy
In its different variants, a black flag with a skull and crossbones is today synonymous with adventure, almost always linked to literature or cinema. In reality, this is only the romantic image that was given of piracy in the 19th century to exalt the free spirit of those who were not willing to submit to […]
Posted inModern Era
Gonzalo Guerrero, the Spanish castaway who became a Mayan and fought against the conquistadors
When we talk about miscegenation in reference to the ethnic and cultural fusion that the conquest of America by the Spanish meant, there is a character that embodies it almost emblematically. He is Gonzalo Guerrero, a shipwrecked man who, after years of living with a Mayan tribe, became naturalized, formed a family and even fought […]
Posted inMiddle Ages
Gutisko Razda, the language spoken by the Visigoths
Visigoths were a branch of the Goths, who in turn belonged to the East Germanic tribes that between 600 and 300 BC migrated from Scandinavia to the region between the Oder and Vistula rivers. Some researchers believe that the Visigoths are the same people as the Thervingi, as the sixth century AD historian Jordanes says […]
Posted inCulture, Middle Ages
The Missal of Silos, the oldest European book made of paper
Egyptians wrote on papyrus, a material made from the plant of the same name (Cyperus papyrus) that grows on the banks of the Nile, before the 30th century BC. Later, during the Greco-Roman antiquity, the use of parchment became popular, made from sheep or goat skins tanned and polished to allow the fixing of the […]
Posted inHistory, Modern Era
Thurn und Taxis, the family that controlled Europe’s postal mail until the 18th century
When we call a taxi we are not only asking for a transport service; implicitly, we evoke the surname of an illustrious aristocratic family of German origin that received the privilege of exploiting in monopoly the postal services of the Holy Roman Empire at the end of 1489. At least that is what the popular […]
Posted inTravel
4 Best Water Experiences to Have in Tarifa
People might know Spain mostly due to Antoni Gaudí’s designed stunning landmarks in Barcelona and its artistic capital, Madrid. But little do people know that this European hub of culture and art also has Tarifa – a small pack with an abundance of nature’s colors and beautiful landscapes. Tarifa, a small town located on the southernmost […]
Posted inModern Era
The sinking of the San Diego, the Spanish galleon that carried Japanese mercenaries to stop a Dutch invasion
Maybe you’ve heard of Franck Goddio. He is a submarine archaeologist, born in Morocco but of French nationality, who a couple of decades ago discovered the location of the Egyptian city of Heracleion under sea and has also directed some important excavations around Alexandria. But, above all, he has become famous for his work on […]
Posted inArt, Modern Era
How Galileo Galilei made calculations for the Statue of Philip IV in Madrid
Does a sculptor have to resort to mathematics to make a statue? Moreover, would he need a wise man like Galileo Galilei? Well, as incredible as it may seem, that happened in Madrid in the middle of the 17th century. Between 1634 and 1640 the Italian artist Pietro Tacca had to ask the famous sage […]