Squeezed between more powerful France and Spain, Catalonia has
endured a violent history. Its medieval empire that conquered
Naples, Sicily and Athens was crushed by Spain. Its geography, with
the Pyrenees falling sharply to the rugged Costa Brava, is
tormented, too. Michael Eaude traces this history and its
monuments: Roman Tarragona, celebrated by the poet Martial; Greek
Empuries, lost for centuries beneath the sands; medieval Romanesque
architecture in the Vall de Boi churches (a World Heritage Site)
and Poblet and Santes Creus monasteries. He tells the stories of
several of Catalonia's great figures: Abbot Oliva, who brought
Moorish learning to Europe, the ruthless mercenary, Roger de Flor,
and Verdaguer, handsome poet-priest. Catalonia is famous today for
its twentieth-century art. This book focuses on the revolutionary
Art Nouveau buildings (including the Sagrada Familia) of Antoni
Gaudi. It also explores the region's artistic legacy: the young
Picasso painting Barcelona's vibrant slums; Salvador Dali, inspired
by the twisted rocks of Cap de Creus to paint his landscapes of the
human mind; and Joan Miro, discovering the colours of the red earth
at Montroig. This book talks about: mountains and mediterranean:
Pyrenean peaks with calm lakes, birds of prey and deep valleys;
Montserrat, where Himmler searched for the Holy Grail; the Costa
Brava, its virgin beauty still visible alongside the resorts of the
package-holiday boom; the rice fields and bird life of the wild
Ebro Delta. It also talks about revolution and war, looking at
anarchism, revolution and Civil War (covered by both Orwell and
Hemingway), then forty years of Franco's dictatorship. It
illuminates the self-confidence of modern Catalonia: linguistic
revival, Barcelona Football Club, popular music, the cuisine of
Ferran Adria; and, cava sparkling wine.
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