Miguel de Cervantes(Madrid) The penman behind
Don Quixotewas born in Alcalá de Henares, a city in
the autonomous region of Madrid.
Francisco de Zurbarán(Extremadura) Sometimes
called the ‘Spanish Caravaggio’, Zurbarán was known
for the brilliant foreground light of his godly 17th
century paintings.
Pedro Almodóvar(Castile-La Mancha) The most
celebrated director of contemporary Spanish cinema
recently referenced his rural childhood inVolver(2006).
Juan Gris(Madrid) Born in Madrid, painter and
sculpture Gris joined the vanguard of Cubism in Paris.
Carolina Coronado(Extremadura) Romantic novelist
and poet Coronado apparently suffered from the
temporarily paralysing effects of catalepsy.
Five cultural icons from central Spain
27
- 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
