Plaça Redona

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Plaça Redona (Plaza Redonda, Round Square)
Calles Pescaderia
Valencia, September 2022

“Constructed by Salvador Escrig Melchor in 1840, the Plaza Redonda is one of Valencia’s most unique tourist attractions due to its peculiar design. Restored in 2012, this space has become one of the city’s most enchanting spots. Surrounded by traditional craft shops and tapas bars at street level, you can also browse the small stalls that sell lace, embroidery, fabrics and Valencian souvenirs, among other things. You can reach the square on foot via four streets that converge together to form an area which is welcoming and full of light. If you stand by the fountain in the centre, you can take in a new and beautiful view of the Late Baroque bell tower of Santa Catalina, which stands over the three stories of the round building. On the ground, there is a quote by the Valencian writer Vicente Blasco Ibáñez who mentions this place in his novel Arroz y Tartana.” (Round Square, Visit Valencia)

Sagrado Corazón de Jesús

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Monumento al Sagrado Corazón de Jesús (Monument to the Sacred Heart of Jesus) by Juan García Ramírez, 1931
Plaza del Sagrado Corazón
Avenida de Carlos III
Toledo, September 2022

CaixaForum Madrid

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CaixaForum Madrid
Paseo del Prado
Madrid, September 2022

“CaixaForum Madrid is a cultural center in Madrid, Spain. Located in Paseo del Prado in a former power station, it is owned by the not-for-profit banking foundation ‘la Caixa’. The art center opened its doors in 2008 and it hosts temporary art exhibitions and cultural events. It was designed by the Swiss architects Herzog & de Meuron and built by Ferrovial between 2001 and 2007. It was an old power station called Central Del Mediodía, from the 1900s. The Vertical Garden by Patrick Blanc at the square is also well-known.” (CaixaForum Madrid, Wikipedia)

Alminar de San Juan

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Alminar de San Juan (Minaret of San Juan)
San Juan de los Caballeros Plaza de San Juan
Córdoba, September 2022

“In the middle of the Jewish quarter of Cordoba we can find one of the most emblematic spots and one of the most striking towers of the Jewish quarter: the Minaret of San Juan. This construction was built at the end of the 9th century and it was one of the many medieval mosques in Cordoba at that time. From this minaret the faithful were called to prayer. After the Christian conquest, this building became part of the order of St John of the Knights who transformed the mosque into the Church of the same name. Thus converting the minaret into a bell tower. In 2018 it underwent a profound reform, where the minaret’s value was notably increased as it is part of the only examples of emirate architecture in Spain. These relics have been declared an Asset of General Interest. As you can see, the building is square in shape and is less than eleven meters high. Its body is made up of stone blocks arranged in rope and laid in headers with twin horseshoe arches on marble columns with Visigoth shafts. Its arches are made up of two-colored red brick keystones alternated with bio-calcarenite stone.” (The Minaret of San Juan, OWAY Tours)

Alameda de Hércules

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Roman columns with statues of Hercules and Julius Caesar
Alameda de Hércules
Seville, September 2022

“The Alameda de Hércules (Hercules mall), or simply La Alameda, is a garden square or mall in Seville, southern Spain. Built in 1574, it was originally a promenaded public garden, named after the eight rows of white poplar trees (álamos in Spanish) that fill its central part. Located in the northern half of the city's casco antiguo (historic center), between the Guadalquivir River and the Macarena neighbourhood, it was the oldest public garden in Spain and Europe.” (Alameda de Hércules, Wikipedia)

El Miguelete

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El Miguelete
Plaza de la Reina
Valencia, September 2022

“This is the Valencian Gothic-style bell tower of Valncia Cathedral. It is 50.85 metres high and was built between 1381 and 1424 by Andrés Juliá and others. Access to the tower is from inside the Cathedral by means of a spiral staircase with 207 steps. An 18th century steeple crowns the Miguelete belfry.” (El Miguelete, Visit Valencia)

Puente de San Martín

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Puente de San Martín (San Martin's Bridge)
Bajada San Martín
Toledo, September 2022

“The Puente de San Martín (English: St Martin's Bridge) is a medieval bridge across the river Tagus in Toledo, Spain. The Puente de San Martín features five arches, with the largest in the middle having a span of 40 meters. Only very few bridges in the world were that long at the time of its construction. The bridge was constructed in the late 14th century by archbishop Pedro Tenorio to provide access to the old town from the west, complementing the older Puente de Alcántara linking to the east. Both sides of the bridge were heavily fortified with towers, the more recent dating from the 16th century.” (Puente de San Martín, Wikipedia)

Centro de Arte Reina Sofía

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Museo Nacional Centro de Arte Reina Sofía
Calle de Santa Isabel
Madrid, September 2022

“The Museo Nacional Centro de Arte Reina Sofía (Queen Sofía National Museum Art Centre; MNCARS) is Spain's national museum of 20th-century art. The museum was officially inaugurated on September 10, 1992, and is named for Queen Sofía. It is located in Madrid, near the Atocha train and metro stations, at the southern end of the so-called Golden Triangle of Art (located along the Paseo del Prado and also comprising the Museo del Prado and the Museo Thyssen-Bornemisza). The museum is mainly dedicated to Spanish art. Highlights of the museum include excellent collections of Spain's two greatest 20th-century masters, Pablo Picasso and Salvador Dalí. The most famous masterpiece in the museum is Picasso's 1937 painting Guernica. Along with its extensive collection, the museum offers a mixture of national and international temporary exhibitions in its many galleries, making it one of the world's largest museums for modern and contemporary art. In 2021, due to the COVID-19 pandemic restrictions, it attracted 1,643,108 visitors, up 32 percent from 2020, but well below 2019 attendance. In 2021 It ranked eighth on the list of most-visited art museums in the world.” (Museo Nacional Centro de Arte Reina Sofía, Wikipedia)

Zoco Municipal

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Zoco Municipal - Mercado de la Artesanía
Calle Judíos
Córdoba, September 2022

“El Zoco or The Souk is the Municipal Souk of Córdoba, in Spain. It is also known as Mercado de la Artesanía. It is located within the historic center of Cordoba in the Jewish Quarter, very close to the Mosque and the Synagogue. It was the first craft market that was created in Spain, and local artisans offer you for your enjoyment leather, ceramic and silver goods.” (El Zoco, Nomad's Travel Guide)

Torre Schindler

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Torre Schindler by Guillermo Vázquez Consuegra, 1992
Pabellón de la Navegación
Camino de los Descubrimientos
Isla de la Cartuja
Seville, September 2022

“Originally built as an observation tower for the 1992 Expo, the 50m-high Torre Schindler is now part of the Pabellón de la Navegación museum. Elevators take you to the top, from where you can admire sweeping views of the city.” (Torre Mirador, Lonely Planet)

Fuente del Turia

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Fuente del Turia by Manuel Silvestre Montesinos, 1976
Plaza de la Virgen
Valencia, September 2022

“The Turia Fountain is an elaborate oval fountain about 60' across by 26' wide. It was created by sculptor Silvestre Edeta and dedicated in 1976. A bronze statue of the Roman god Neptune sits on a platform is in the center with a cascade of water flowing down to a lower level from all sides. The lower level contains bronze sculptures of eight naked women. The fountain is an allegorical representation of Valencia’s Turia River. The eight statues of women have water pouring from jars representing the irrigation channels of the river.” (Turia Fountain, Waymarking)

Bancos

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Bancos (Benches)
Plaza de Zocodover
Toledo, September 2022

“The second expansion was done and dates from the beginning of the 17th century. This consisted in the demolition of a series of houses of little value that seems to be difficult the total vision of Zocodover from its top to the bottom and vice versa. Never more arches were realized and probably this fact is due to that it was not wanted to remove meters to the square. Nowadays Zocodover is one of the places of the city where many events and celebrations are held, as well as serving as a popular meeting point and enjoyment of the Toledo and above all a must for the thousands of tourists who mark the streets of the historical quarter throughout the year.” (Plaza de Zocodover, Wikipedia)

Fuente de Cibeles

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Fuente de Cibeles (Fountain of Cybele) by Ventura Rodríguez, 1782
Plaza de Cibeles
Madrid, September 2022

“The Fountain of Cybele is a neoclassical fountain in Madrid, Spain. It lies on the centre of the Plaza de Cibeles. The sculptural group in its centre represents Cybele, a Phrygian earth and fertility deity. It has become one of the icons of the city. Designed and commissioned by Ventura Rodríguez in 1780, the sculptural group—made of white marble from Montesclaros—is a work by Francisco Gutiérrez (goddess) and Roberto Michel (the lions). Crowned by a mural crown, the goddess rides a chariot pulled by two lions, representing Atalanta and Hippomenes. It was moved to its current location and orientation in 1895. It has a maximum water capacity of 278 m3. The fountain is the site where Real Madrid's supporters and players gather to celebrate the team's trophies as well as partakers of the successes of the Spain national football team. The goddess lost a hand in 1994, following a celebration of a victory of the Spanish national team. The goddess lost again one of her hands on 21 September 2002. The Fountain of Cybele has a replica, the namesake Fuente de Cibeles, located in Mexico City and inaugurated in 1980.” (Fountain of Cybele, Wikipedia)

Ave del paraíso

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Ave del paraíso (Bird of paradise)
Paseo de la Victoria, 35
Córdoba, September 2022

“Strelitzia is a genus of five species of perennial plants, native to South Africa. It belongs to the plant family Strelitziaceae. The genus is named after Queen Charlotte of the United Kingdom, who was born a princess of the house of Mecklenburg-Strelitz. A common name of the genus is bird of paradise flower/plant, because of a resemblance of its flowers to birds-of-paradise. In South Africa, it is commonly known as a crane flower and is featured on the reverse of the 50-cent coin. It is the floral emblem of the City of Los Angeles; two of the species, S. nicolai and S. reginae, are frequently grown as houseplants.” (Strelitzia, Wikipedia)