Showing posts with label Mónica. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Mónica. Show all posts

Madrid Through the Almodovar´s Prism

Pedro Almodovar on Gran Via, Madrid
PEDRO ALMODÓVAR was born in 1949, in a little town in the middle of Castile-La Mancha, Don Quixote’s land. At the age of 8, he moved to a religious boarding school in Cáceres. That was his first contact with the cinema. Later, he said: "Cinema became my real education, much more than the one I received from the priest". He was influenced by Buñuel, Bergman, Fellini and many others.

He moved to Madrid in 1967, with the intention of studying at the School of Cinema, but it had closed recently, so he got a job, and in his free time had to be completely self-taught.
In the early seventies, Almodóvar collaborated with a vanguard theatrical group where he met Carmen Maura. He also wrote articles, stories and comics for some fanzines. He shot his first short film when he was 22, with his first camera, a Super-8.


KEEP READING HERE




PICTURES:
http://todopedroalmodovar.blogspot.com.es
http://homepage.ntlworld.com/ibercine/almobio.htm
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pepi,_Luci,_Bom


San José Homeopathic Hospital, Healing Architecture

José Nuñez Pernía,
Primer Marqués de Nuñez.
Fundador del
Instituto Homeopático
y Hospital de San José
photo:
hospitalhomeopatico.es
It is not a very well-known place even for the native inhabitants of Madrid… This hospital was founded in 1874 by a group of doctors and supporters by Samuel Hahnemann, the inventor of homeopathy. They did not agree with conventional medicine of their time, usually including painful and useless treatments. They also wanted to offer their services to anyone, regardless of the economic situation. And finally, they needed their own independent hospital and also a center, some sort of school to teach their therapeutical methods to other professionals. 

The founder of the hospital was Dr. José Núñez (1805-1879). He had been the personal physician for Queen Isabel II and other members of the royal family.

The hospital had capacity for 50 patients and 500 people were attended to annually.
The project was commissioned by architect José Segundo de Lema, who also worked for the Queen. He designed a U-shaped building around a central courtyard.

Statute representing St. Joseph and Baby Jesus in the courteyard
It was essential to have a garden: patients could be in touch with nature and breathe fresh air, so, apart from the courtyard, there was a garden behind.

The main façade has a wooden gallery with glasses all over. They considered light has a strong healing power, so patients could lie comfortably on couches and receive the rays of sunlight filtering through the windows. With fine weather, windows could be opened and the hall became a sundeck.

 Adequate and healthy food was another important part of therapy!

Dr. Núñez was buried, under a headstone
behind this statute, more than 100 years ago
Some years later they added an annex building, for the hospital director and his family. It is a very interesting example of neomudéjar style.

During the Civil War, the hospital was used to donate blood. After the war, most of the doctors went into exile and the hospital was abandoned for many years. It became a mysterious and even creepy place in the middle of the city. Later it was a nursing home. Finally, in 1997, it was declared as Heritage of Cultural Interest and it was restored.

Currently, it works again as a hospital for homeo and other alternative therapies. It still maintains the residence, where you can visit the old chapel and the Museum of Homeopathy. Guided visits are also available!

Have a look at the museum of the hospital
Or see video about San Jóse Homepatic Hospital in Chamberi, Madrid

Author: Mónica F. Arranz
MadSnail Travel Guide
Madrid Theme Tours and Escorial Tours


A Door To Hell Hidden Behind The One Of The Monastery Of El Escorial

The Monastery of El Escorial
Did you know that Philip II built the Monastery of El Escorial to fight the devil?

He was looking for a good place in the mountains close to Madrid to commemorate the victory in the battle of Saint Quentin (that happened in France in 1557, August 10th, feast day of Saint Lawrence). At the same time the place could include an elegant burial place for his father, the Emperor Charles I, (died in 1558), his mother, his first wife, and many other members of the Habsburg family, as well as for him in future. He was planning a huge building, with the pantheon, a big basilica (so they could have masses in the memory of the deceased), a monastery for 100 monks, an impressive library and a palace where he could live sometimes. And it would be devoted to Saint Lawrence, so to commemorate the battle of Saint Quentin.

His assistants gave him several options for locations, but he was interested in El Escorial because of a dark story he has had heard about it...

The Monastery of El Escorial 
There was an iron mine in this place, with deep tunnels and long passages. The word “escorial” comes from “escoria” (dross from the mine) as it was littered here. According to the legend, the mine was the hell’s door, and the devil came in and out through it. Obsessed as the king was with religion, he could not allow that!

Studying the location on different maps, they realized that place was at the same parallel than Rome. What a coincidence! When the king found that out, he decided it was the perfect place. (Today we know Rome is at parallel 41st and El Escorial at number 40th, but in that time, they thought there were exactly the same). Rome was the heart of the Catholic faith, and El Escorial would be a new symbol. Same position to symbolize the same moral importance. He was more Catholic than the Pope!

So, finally Philip II decided to seal the devil’s exit, purify the place and set this religious building, an evidence of the Catholic power but above all, his power. It is full of meaning and hidden symbols and we welcome you to discover more curiosities and legends about the fascinating Monastery of El Escorial!
Author: Mónica F. Arranz
MadSnail Travel Guide
Madrid Theme Tours and Escorial Tours


Secrets of El Capricho Park in Madrid

Best kept secret: El Capricho Park of Madrid
During the late 1700s, many important gardens in England had a hermit living in them. They lived in fake caves or rustic huts and received salary from the owner. That was their job: pretending they were real hermits living in nature. If the owner’s budget was not enough to afford a real hermit from flesh and blood, they had wax figures or automata. In Madrid, in El Capricho Park, lived a hermit for a long time.

 The Duchess of Osuna was one of the most important women in her time. In 1783 she bought a piece of land in order to build a residence away from Madrid, where she was living. She commissioned Jean -Baptiste Mulot, a French architect, to design the gardens. He had been working at Le Petit Trianon in Versailles, and here he followed the same line:  a tribute to nature and rural world, and at the same time, a place for the Duchess’ social life: parties, balls, and dinners.

 Most of the park is designed in English style (also called romantic garden). It is inspired by nature, is full of contrasts, and displays an apparent disorder, where everything looks casual and natural, but despite this appearance every detail of the park was carefully planned to create a warm and touching place where we can feel different moods and sensations.

 To give a sense of authentic landscape is essential to recreate a natural surface: hills, valleys, meadows and woods... Water elements are essential as well: rivers, little waterfalls and ponds. The edges of the garden should be hidden. Paths should not be straight, as straight lines do not exist in nature. Trees and plants suggest a wild scenario and the species are carefully chosen. Different details are considered: the color of the leaves in autumn, if they flourish at a certain time, etc. And finally, the romantic garden always includes rustic buildings and even ruins, to give a touch of realism and mystery... 
The Hermitage of the El Capricho Park in Madrid
The concept of the hermit is closely connected. Hermits are lonely characters, having a contemplative life in remote places, normally in wild nature. So, if we want to recreate a "real" nature, why not have a hermit in our garden? Real scenery that transports us to the world of sensations that suggest an evocative and legendary atmosphere.

 El Capricho Hermitage was designed by Angel Maria Tadey (decorator and stage designer), as other structures in this garden, in the late XVIII century. It is a small building painted with trompe l'oeil, both outside, mimicking old plaster and cracks in the walls, and inside with columns, arches and medallions.

 Friar Arsenio was the first hermit in El Capricho. He got board and lodging, and the contract specified he could not cut his nails or hair! When he passed away, he was buried under a pyramidal tomb. We still can see it near the porch. There was another hermit afterwards: Friar Eusebio, and finally the Duchess decide to have just an automaton.

 We will continue discovering secrets in El Capricho very soon...
Author: Mónica F. Arranz
MadSnail Travel Guide
Madrid Theme Tours and Escorial Tours

Subscribe to: Posts (Atom)