22- Identity: the
building blocks of
2. Literature
and philosophy
3. Art and
architecture
4. Performing
arts
5. Cinema
and fashion
6. Media and
communications
7. Food and drink 8. Living culture:
the details of
i. Castile y León
Architecture buffs no doubt guffaw at Castile y León’s
16 thcentury pratfall. Having led theReconquistaand,
as the seat of Spanish royal power, grabbed much of the
New World, the conjoined kingdoms of Castile (often
referred to as Old Castile) and León slipped into the
doldrums.The result today is a quiet land blessed with
undiluted architectural treasures. Expansive plains
veined withsierrasdominate the scenery. Villages and
towns, apparently lost in time, brave summer’s heat and
winter’s chill.The larger historic centres have a more
vibrant feel. In the centralmeseta,Valladolid is the lively
regional capital and a rare hub of industry, while walled
Segovia draws the crowds with its flawless Roman
aqueduct.To the east lies the spirited university city of
Salamanca, famed for its sandstone Renaissance
architecture, and in the north, on the road to Santiago
de Compostela, both Burgos and León have fine Gothic
cathedrals.Kings of the castle
Castile y León, as the
name suggests, has an
enviable collection of
castles. Natives of
Segovia will be quick to
tell you that their rather
sugary fairytale fortress,
rebuilt in the 19thcentury
and renowned as one of
the region’s best, inspired
Walt’s famous castle in
Disneyland.
Locals losing
their inhibitions
Castilians have
traditionally been viewed
by the rest of Spain
as rather bland and
conservative, mistaken
in their delusions of
importance. The region’s
historic role as giver of
language and home to
nobility probably hasn’t
helped. However, the
fiestasof Castile y León
would seem to contradict
accusations of stiff-
neckedness. Do dull
people jump over
newborn babies lined up
on a mattress? Ask the
good folk of Castrillo de
Murcia, where a man
dresses up as the devil on
the Sunday after Corpus
Christi and leaps over the
town’s latest arrivals to
shield them from illness.
In San Pedro Manrique
the locals are equally
daring, walking barefoot
over hot coals at the
Fiesta de San Juan
in June.