Perhaps Picasso’s most famous influencial piece of art is the mural-sized Guernica. It is the showpiece exhibit at Madrid’s Museo Reina Sofia. The painting is believed to be a response to the bombing of Guernica, a Basque Country village in northern Spain by German and Italian warplanes at the request of the Spanish Nationalists. Upon completion, Guernica was displayed around the world in a brief tour, becoming famous and widely acclaimed, and believed to have helped bring worldwide attention to the Spanish Civil War. No pictures were allowed; this one is from Google. Stunning to see this 11’ by 25’ canvas and the Spaniard’s reaction to it.
An hour north of Madrid is El Escorial. A brief history here: El Escorial was built at the beginning of the Reformation. Spain was the “superpower” at the time. The very Catholic King Philip II was to have nothing to do with these reformers so he started the Inquisition to rid the land of all Protestants. To embody the wonders of Catholicism he built this monstrous palace. 650 long, 500 feet wide, 2,600 windows, 1,200 doors, and over 100 miles of passageways. King Philip was in a hurry, it was completed in 22 years. Where, you ask, did he get the gold and wealth to build this incredible palace? Ask the Incas and the Mayans…….
The docents were especially concerned about us taking photographs in the old castle (?). Those taken on the inside were sneaked. Little of the castle was accessible to tourists. The basilica was an exception. Again, spectacular. The ceiling frescoes were comparable to the Sistine Chapel I believe. The real coop was the Family pantheon, or crypt. We descended down this long dark staircase made of deep brown and grey marble, and ended up in this huge circular room with 26 caskets! Incredible. Never seen such opulence for the dead. Pictures were forbidden but the regent had left for a bit to gather a school group, so we photographed away. Score!
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