SPAIN - MAP

 

SPAIN

50

Properties inscribed

on the World Heritage List

Cultural 

• Alhambra, Generalife and Albayzín, Granada (1984, 1994)
• Antequera Dolmens Site (2016)
• Aranjuez Cultural Landscape (2001)
• Archaeological Ensemble of Mérida (1993)
• Archaeological Ensemble of Tarraco (2000)
• Archaeological Site of Atapuerca (2000)
• Burgos Cathedral (1984)
• Caliphate City of Medina Azahara (2018)
• Catalan Romanesque Churches of the Vall de Boí (2000)
• Cathedral, Alcázar and Archivo de Indias in Seville (1987)
• Cave of Altamira and Paleolithic Cave Art of Northern Spain (1985, 2008)
• Cultural Landscape of the Serra de Tramuntana (2011)
• Heritage of Mercury. Almadén and Idrija (2012)
• Historic Centre of Cordoba (1984, 1994)
• Historic City of Toledo (1986)
• Historic Walled Town of Cuenca (1996)
• La Lonja de la Seda de Valencia (1996)
• Las Médulas (1997)
• Monastery and Site of the Escurial, Madrid (1984)
• Monuments of Oviedo and the Kingdom of the Asturias (1985, 1998)
• Mudejar Architecture of Aragon (1986, 2001)
• Old City of Salamanca (1988)
• Old Town of Ávila with its Extra-Muros Churches (1985)
• Old Town of Cáceres (1986)
• Old Town of Segovia and its Aqueduct (1985)
• Palau de la Música Catalana and Hospital de Sant Pau, Barcelona (1997)
• Palmeral of Elche (2000)
• Paseo del Prado and Buen Retiro, a landscape of Arts and Sciences (2021)
• Poblet Monastery (1991)
• Prehistoric Rock Art Sites in the Côa Valley and Siega Verde (1998, 2010)
• Prehistoric Sites of Talayotic Menorca (2023)
• Renaissance Monumental Ensembles of Úbeda and Baeza (2003)
• Risco Caido and the Sacred Mountains of Gran Canaria Cultural Landscape (2019)
• Rock Art of the Mediterranean Basin on the Iberian Peninsula (1998)
• Roman Walls of Lugo (2000)
• Routes of Santiago de Compostela: Camino Francés and Routes of Northern Spain (1993, 2015)
• Royal Monastery of Santa María de Guadalupe (1993)
• San Cristóbal de La Laguna (1999)
• San Millán Yuso and Suso Monasteries (1997)
• Santiago de Compostela (Old Town) (1985)
• Tower of Hercules (2009)
• University and Historic Precinct of Alcalá de Henares (1998)
• Vizcaya Bridge (2006)
• Works of Antoni Gaudí (1984, 2005)

Natural 

• Ancient and Primeval Beech Forests of the Carpathians and Other Regions of Europe (2007, 2011, 2017, 2021)
• Doñana National Park (1994, 2005)
• Garajonay National Park (1986)
• Teide National Park (2007)

Mixed 

• Ibiza, Biodiversity and Culture (1999)
• Pyrénées - Mont Perdu (1997, 1999)

MAP

Postcard sent by me from Benicarlo.

Sent 15/08/2015

SPAIN - Vizcaya Bridge

Postcard sent by my brother Jordan.
Sent 11/01/2019.

INSCRIPTION/INSCRITO: 2006

Vizcaya Bridge straddles the mouth of the Ibaizabal estuary, west of Bilbao. It was designed by the Basque architect Alberto de Palacio and completed in 1893. The 45-m-high bridge with its span of 160 m, merges 19th-century ironworking traditions with the then new lightweight technology of twisted steel ropes. It was the first bridge in the world to carry people and traffic on a high suspended gondola and was used as a model for many similar bridges in Europe, Africa and the America only a few of which survive. With its innovative use of lightweight twisted steel cables, it is regarded as one of the outstanding architectural iron constructions of the Industrial Revolution. The Vizcaya Bridge, one of the most outstanding iron architectural constructions of the European industrial revolution, was hugely innovative due to the fact that it allowed the passage of ships on a wide estuary, with no need for ramps or for raising and lowering of the bridge. This is therefore a system which, at the time it was built, introduced a new solution to meet the requirements at hand and a new method of transport. Furthermore, as regards the materials used, it represents the ironworking methods practiced in the Basque region, starting with exploitation of the local iron ore deposits in Roman times until reaching the peak of its production in the industrial revolution. Its impact at world level was important, given that it was used as a new model for many other transporter bridges of similar characteristics in Europe, Africa and America, very few of which still stand today.

Gracies per la postal, colega!

SPAIN - Paseo del Prado and Buen Retiro, a landscape of Arts and Sciences

 Postcard sent by Puri in a Direct Swap.

Sent 10/02/2023.

INSCRIPTION/INSCRITO: 2021

Located at the urban heart of Madrid, this cultural landscape evolved since the creation of the tree-lined Paseo del Prado avenue, a prototype of the Hispanic alameda, in the 16th century. The avenue features major fountains, notably the Fuente de Apolo and the Fuente de Neptuno, and the Fuente de Cibeles, an iconic symbol of the city, surrounded by prestigious buildings. The site embodies a new idea of urban space and development from the enlightened absolutist period of the 18th century. Buildings dedicated to the arts and sciences join others in the site that are devoted to industry, healthcare and research. Collectively, they illustrate the aspiration for a utopian society during the height of the Spanish Empire, linked to the enlightened idea of democratization of knowledge, and exercised major influence in Latin America. The 120-hectare Jardines del Buen Retiro (Garden of Pleasant Retreat), a remnant of the 17th-century Buen Retiro Palace, constitutes the largest part of the property. The site also houses the terraced Royal Botanical Garden and the largely residential neighbourhood of Barrio Jerónimos with its rich variety of 19th- and 20th-century buildings that include cultural and scientific venues.

Muchas gracias por esta postal tan original, Puri! Hace años desde la última vez que visité la zona. 

Postcard 2:

Postcard sent by Ester in a official postcrossing swap

Sent 11/08/2015.

De las primeras postales que recibí!

SPAIN - Risco Caido and the Sacred Mountains of Gran Canaria Cultural Landscape

Postcard sent by Manrico in a Direct Swap.

Sent 13/04/2023.

INSCRIPTION/INSCRITO: 2019

Located in a vast mountainous area in the centre of Gran Canaria, Risco Caído comprises cliffs, ravines and volcanic formations in a landscape of rich biodiversity. The landscape includes a large number of troglodyte settlements — habitats, granaries and cisterns — whose age is proof of the presence of a pre-Hispanic culture on the island, which has evolved in isolation, from the arrival of North African Berbers, around the beginning of our era, until the first Spanish settlers in the 15th century. The troglodyte complex also includes cult cavities and two sacred temples, or almogarenes — Risco Caído and Roque Bentayga — where seasonal ceremonies were held. These temples are thought to be linked to a possible cult of the stars and Mother Earth.

Muchas gracias por la postal, Adolfo! 

SPAIN - San Cristóbal de La Laguna

 Postcard sent by Manrico in a Direct Swap.

Sent 13/04/2023.

INSCRIPTION/INSCRITO: 1999

LSan Cristóbal de La Laguna, in the Canary Islands, has two nuclei: the original, unplanned Upper Town; and the Lower Town, the first ideal 'city-territory' laid out according to philosophical principles. Its wide streets and open spaces have a number of fine churches and public and private buildings dating from the 16th to the 18th century. San Cristóbal de La Laguna is located on the Island of Tenerife, part of the Autonomous Community of the Canary Islands in Spain. It was founded in the late 15th century on an inland plateau 550 m above sea level next to an insalubrious lagoon. The property includes two original town centres each belonging to a different time of history: the so-called Upper Town is the initial founding site next to the lagoon, and has an unplanned urban structure; and the Lower Town, one kilometre to the East, which is designed on a grid. It is the first ideal territory-town, being designed according to philosophical principles and Royal regulations, organized around a founding square known as Plaza del Adelantado.

Muchas gracias por la postal, Adolfo! 

SPAIN - Garajonay National Park

Postcard sent by Manrico in a Direct Swap.

Sent 13/04/2023.

INSCRIPTION/INSCRITO: 1986

Laurel forest covers some 70% of this park, situated in the middle of the island of La Gomera in the Canary Islands archipelago. The presence of springs and numerous streams assures a lush vegetation resembling that of the Tertiary, which, due to climatic changes, has largely disappeared from southern Europe. Not far off the north-west coast of Africa lies the island of La Gomera, one of the seven islands that make up the Canary Islands archipelago in the Atlantic. These high, volcanic islands are the first to receive the rains arriving from the west, and have thus retained the remnants of a rich and luxuriant forest — the laurisilva or Laurel forest — on their windward peaks. Next to the Laurisilva of Madeira (Portugal), Garajonay National Park preserves an outstanding example of this unique vegetation, which remains almost permanently shrouded in clouds and mist. These forests are relict ecosystems, living remnants of the old rainforests and warm temperate forests that occupied much of Europe and North Africa during the Tertiary. Today, they are a refuge for an exceptional number of endemic species, which in many cases are also threatened.

Muchas grcias por la estupenda postal, Adolfo! Ya hace unos cuantos años que quería echarle el guante a este lugar.

SPAIN - Mont Perdu

Postcard sent by Squidwand in a Private Swap.

Sent 24/10/2017.

INSCRIPTION/INSCRITO: 1997

This outstanding mountain landscape, which spans the contemporary national borders of France and Spain, is centred around the peak of Mount Perdu, a calcareous massif that rises to 3,352 m. The site, with a total area of 30,639 ha, includes two of Europe's largest and deepest canyons on the Spanish side and three major cirque walls on the more abrupt northern slopes with France, classic presentations of these geological landforms. The site is also a pastoral landscape reflecting an agricultural way of life that was once widespread in the upland regions of Europe but now survives only in this part of the Pyrénées. Thus it provides exceptional insights into past European society through its landscape of villages, farms, fields, upland pastures and mountain roads.

Postcard sent by Squidwand in a Private Swap.

Sent 04/12/2017.

 Thank you Squidwand!

SPAIN - Rock Art of the Mediterranean Basin on the Iberian Peninsula

Postal enviada por Jordi en un Direct swap.

Envío - 08 de Noviembre del 2017.

INSCRIPTION/INSCRITO: 1998

The late prehistoric rock-art sites of the Mediterranean seaboard of the Iberian peninsula form an exceptionally large group. Here the way of life during a critical phase of human development is vividly and graphically depicted in paintings whose style and subject matter are unique.

Situados a lo largo del litoral mediterráneo de la Península Ibérica, estos sitios de arte rupestre datan del final de la Prehistoria. Constituyen un conjunto de excepcional envergadura, en el se muestra de forma vívida una etapa crucial del desarrollo del ser humano mediante pinturas que, por su estilo y temática, son únicas en su género.
http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/874

Una postal fantástica en la que podemos ver diversos ejemplos de las diversas pinturas rupestres que conforman este sitio UNESCO (En la zona de Albarracín).

Cuando me ha llegado, lo primero que se me ha pasado por la cabeza ha sido ¿Y el sello? Es tan pequeñín que a durás penas se ve! Al ritmo que suben las tarifas postales, también baja la proporción del sello jajaja. Igualmente me ha encantado genial tener un sello tan curioso (que viene por las fiestas de navidad del 2017), gracias por la postal Jordi! 

SPAIN - Santiago de Compostela (Old Town)

Postal enviada por Elisa en un Direct swap.

Envío - 20 de Octubre del 2015.

INSCRIPTION/INSCRITO: 1985

This famous pilgrimage site in north-west Spain became a symbol in the Spanish Christians' struggle against Islam. Destroyed by the Muslims at the end of the 10th century, it was completely rebuilt in the following century. With its Romanesque, Gothic and Baroque buildings, the Old Town of Santiago is one of the world's most beautiful urban areas. The oldest monuments are grouped around the tomb of St James and the cathedral, which contains the remarkable Pórtico de la Gloria.

Sede de uno de los más célebres lugares de peregrinación de la cristiandad y símbolo de la lucha de los cristianos españoles contra el Islam, esta ciudad del noroeste de España fue arrasada por los musulmanes a finales del siglo X. Totalmente reconstruida en el siglo siguiente, Santiago de Compostela es una de las zonas urbanas de mayor belleza del mundo, realzada por sus monumentos románicos, góticos y barrocos. Los más antiguos se concentran en torno a la catedral, tumba del apóstol San Santiago, a la que se accede por el magnífico Pórtico de la Gloria.
http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/347

Otro buen recuerdo me trae esta postal. El final de mi mes caminando haciendo el camino y los 4 dias que pasamos en la ciudad visitandola en profundidad.

Gracias por esta postal tan bonita Elisa, me encanta!

SPAIN - Routes of Santiago de Compostela: Camino Francés and Routes of Northern Spain

Postal enviada por Sonia en un Direct swap.

Envío - 24 de Julio del 2015.

INSCRIPTION/INSCRITO: 1993
EXTENSION: 2015

A network of four Christian pilgrimage routes in northern Spain, the site is an extension of the Route of Santiago de Compostela, a serial site inscribed on the World Heritage List in 1993. The extension represents a network of almost 1,500 km: coastal, interior of the Basque Country–La Rioja, Liébana and primitive routes. It includes a built heritage of historical importance created to meet the needs of pilgrims, including cathedrals, churches, hospitals, hostels and even bridges. The extension encompasses some of the earliest pilgrimage routes to Santiago de Compostela, following the discovery in the 9thcentury of a tomb believed to be that of St. James the Greater.

Se trata de una extensión del bien cultural en serie denominado “Camino de Santiago de Compostela”, que se inscribió en la Lista del Patrimonio Mundial en 1993. Esta extensión comprende una red de cuatro itinerarios de peregrinación cristiana –el Camino costero, el Camino interior del País Vasco y La Rioja, el Camino de Liébana y el Camino primitivo– que suman unos 1.500 kilómetros y atraviesan el norte de la Península Ibérica. El bien cultural ampliado posee un rico patrimonio arquitectónico de gran importancia histórica, compuesto por edificios destinados a satisfacer las necesidades materiales y espirituales de los peregrinos: puentes, albergues, hospitales, iglesias y catedrales. También cuenta con algunas de las rutas primigenias de peregrinación a Santiago de Compostela, creadas después de que en el siglo IX se descubriera en el territorio de esta localidad un sepulcro que, según se cree, encierra los restos mortales del apóstol Santiago el Mayor.
http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/669

Que recuerdos me trae esta postal de cuando hice el camino de Santiago. Una de las mejores experiencias que he tenido en mi vida y que me permitió descubrir un poco mejor este pedacito de tierra que es mi país. La postal es fantástica y tiene muy detallado el camino francés con todas sus etapas y ciudades principales (la ruta que seguimos Andrea y yo). Muchas gracias Sonia!

Postcard 2:

Postal enviada por Sibila en un Direct swap.

Envío - 04 de Julio del 2018.

Gracias por esta postal tan estupenda, Sibila!

SPAIN - Old Town of Segovia and its Aqueduct

Postal enviada por Irene en un Direct swap.

Envío - 08 de Octubre del 2015.

INSCRIPTION/INSCRITO: 1985
EXTENSION: 2015

The Roman aqueduct of Segovia, probably built c. A.D. 50, is remarkably well preserved. This impressive construction, with its two tiers of arches, forms part of the setting of the magnificent historic city of Segovia. Other important monuments include the Alcázar, begun around the 11th century, and the 16th-century Gothic cathedral.

Edificado probablemente hacia el año 50 d.C., el acueducto romano de Segovia se conserva excepcionalmente intacto. Esta imponente construcción de doble arcada se inserta en el marco magnífico de la ciudad histórica, donde se pueden admirar otros soberbios monumentos como el Alcázar, cuya construcción se inició en el siglo XI, y la catedral gótica del siglo XVI.
http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/311

El acueducto es precioso ciertamente. Gracias por enviarme esta gran postal Irene!

SPAIN - Historic Walled Town of Cuenca

Postal enviada por mi desde casa.

Envío - 27 de Octubre del 2016.

INSCRIPTION/INSCRITO: 1996

Built by the Moors in a defensive position at the heart of the Caliphate of Cordoba, Cuenca is an unusually well-preserved medieval fortified city. Conquered by the Castilians in the 12th century, it became a royal town and bishopric endowed with important buildings, such as Spain's first Gothic cathedral, and the famous casas colgadas (hanging houses), suspended from sheer cliffs overlooking the Huécar river. Taking full advantage of its location, the city towers above the magnificent countryside.

Construida con fines defensivos por los moros en el territorio del Califato de Córdoba, Cuenca es una ciudad medieval fortificada en excelente estado de conservación. Una vez conquistada por los castellanos en el siglo XIII, se convirtió en ciudad real y sede episcopal, multiplicándose entonces la construcción de edificios de gran valor, como la primera catedral gótica de España y las famosas casas colgantes, suspendidas en lo alto de la hoz del río Huécar. Excelentemente situada, esta ciudad-fortaleza es el punto culminante del magnífico paisaje rural y natural que la rodea.
http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/781

SPAIN - Historic City of Toledo

Postal enviada por Edit en un Direct swap.

Envío - 27 de Agosto del 2015.

INSCRIPTION/INSCRITO: 1986

Successively a Roman municipium, the capital of the Visigothic Kingdom, a fortress of the Emirate of Cordoba, an outpost of the Christian kingdoms fighting the Moors and, in the 16th century, the temporary seat of supreme power under Charles V, Toledo is the repository of more than 2,000 years of history. Its masterpieces are the product of heterogeneous civilizations in an environment where the existence of three major religions – Judaism, Christianity and Islam – was a major factor.

Depositaria de más de dos milenios de historia, Toledo fue sucesivamente municipio romano, capital del reino visigodo, plaza fuerte del emirato de Córdoba y puesto de mando avanzado de los reinos cristianos en su lucha contra los moros. En el siglo XVI fue la sede temporal del poder supremo, bajo el reinado del emperador Carlos V. Sus monumentos son obras maestras de distintas civilizaciones, creadas en un contexto en el que la presencia de tres grandes religiones –judaísmo, cristianismo e islamismo– constituyó un factor esencial.
http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/379

Muchas gracias por esta postal tan bonita Edit! ¡Gracias!

SPAIN - Historic Centre of Cordoba

Postal enviada  en un Direct swap.

Envío - 15 de Setiembre del 2015.

INSCRIPTION/INSCRITO: 1984
EXTENSION: 1994

Cordoba's period of greatest glory began in the 8th century after the Moorish conquest, when some 300 mosques and innumerable palaces and public buildings were built to rival the splendours of Constantinople, Damascus and Baghdad. In the 13th century, under Ferdinand III, the Saint, Cordoba's Great Mosque was turned into a cathedral and new defensive structures, particularly the Alcázar de los Reyes Cristianos and the Torre Fortaleza de la Calahorra, were erected.

El período de gloria de Córdoba comenzó en el siglo VIII, después de su conquista por los moros, cuando se construyeron unas 300 mezquitas e innumerables palacios y edificios públicos. El esplendor de la ciudad llegó entonces a rivalizar con el Constantinopla, Damasco y Bagdad. En el siglo XIII, en tiempos de Fernando III el Santo, se transformó la gran mezquita en catedral cristiana y se construyeron nuevos edificios defensivos como la Torre Fortaleza de la Calahorra y el Alcázar de los Reyes Cristianos.
http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/313

Postcard 2:

Uno de nuestros monumentos más bellos!

Gracias por estas postales tan geniales!

SPAIN - Cave of Altamira and Paleolithic Cave Art of Northern Spain

Postal enviada por Jordi en un Direct swap.

Envío - 14 de Octubre del 2015.

INSCRIPTION/INSCRITO: 1985
EXTENSION: 2008

Seventeen decorated caves of the Paleolithic age were inscribed as an extension to the Altamira Cave, inscribed in 1985. The property will now appear on the List as Cave of Altamira and Paleolithic Cave Art of Northern Spain. The property represents the apogee of Paleolithic cave art that developed across Europe, from the Urals to the Iberian Peninusula, from 35,000 to 11,000 BC. Because of their deep galleries, isolated from external climatic influences, these caves are particularly well preserved. The caves are inscribed as masterpieces of creative genius and as the humanity’s earliest accomplished art. They are also inscribed as exceptional testimonies to a cultural tradition and as outstanding illustrations of a significant stage in human history.

Diecisiete grutas ornamentadas de la época paleolítica se agregaron a la Lista como ampliación del sitio de la cueva de Altamira, inscrito en 2005. Este bien aparece en la Lista con el nombre de Cueva de Altamira y arte rupestre paleolítico del norte de España. El conjunto es representativo del apogeo del arte rupestre paleolítico que se desarrolló en toda Europa, desde los Montes Urales hasta la Península Ibérica, entre los años 35.000 y 11.000 a.C. El buen estado de conservación de las cuevas se debe a que sus galerías profundas las preservaron de las influencias climáticas externas. El arte rupestre de estas cuevas figura en la Lista por ser una obra maestra del genio creador del hombre y la primera de sus expresiones artísticas consumadas. Asimismo, constituye un testimonio excepcional de una cultura ancestral y una ilustración extraordinaria de una etapa importante de la historia de la humanidad.
http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/310

Gracias Jordi, me encanta la postal, es ya habitual en las tuyas jajaja!

SPAIN - Cathedral, Alcázar and Archivo de Indias in Seville

Postal enviada por Eva en un Direct swap.

Envío - 27 de Julio del 2015.

INSCRIPTION/INSCRITO: 1987
EXTENSION: 2010

Together these three buildings form a remarkable monumental complex in the heart of Seville. The cathedral and the Alcázar – dating from the Reconquest of 1248 to the 16th century and imbued with Moorish influences – are an exceptional testimony to the civilization of the Almohads as well as that of Christian Andalusia. The Giralda minaret is the masterpiece of Almohad architecture. It stands next to the cathedral with its five naves; the largest Gothic building in Europe, it houses the tomb of Christopher Columbus. The ancient Lonja, which became the Archivo de Indias, contains valuable documents from the archives of the colonies in the Americas.

Estos tres edificios forman un conjunto monumental admirable en el corazón de Sevilla. La Catedral y el Alcázar son dos testimonios excepcionales de la civilización almohade y de la Sevilla cristiana, cuyo arte estuvo muy impregnado de la influencia mora desde la reconquista de la ciudad (1248) hasta el siglo XVI. El antiguo minarete de la Giralda, obra maestra de la arquitectura almohade, se yergue al costado de la catedral. Esta iglesia de cinco naves es el edificio gótico más grande de Europa y alberga la colosal sepultura de Cristóbal Colón. En la antigua lonja, convertida en Archivo de Indias, se conservan fondos documentales inestimables de las colonias españolas en América.
http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/383

Postcard 2:

Postal enviada por Eva en un Direct swap.

Envío - 27 de Julio del 2015.

Muchas gracias Eva! Por las postales tan estupendas y la info!

Postcard 3:

Postal enviada por Raquel en un Direct swap.

Envío - 30 de Julio del 2016.