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Andalucia on Monday Night Travel this week - related book

Posted by (northern CA) on

I like RS Europe a lot, clearly, and Concepcion Delgado in Sevilla has been of great help to me in planning elements of my trips to Spain, so I was looking forward to this week's Monday Night Travel zoom show - well, even allowing for it being very late for Concepcion and that by the second show Rick had imbibed a good quantity of vermouth, it was surprising to me how they undersold the appeals of southern Spain. We know the main target audience is new and first-time travelers, but even so...

I came across this recent book for those here who want to get a deeper feel for the charms of Andalucia:
The Feeling of History: Islam, Romanticism, and Andalusia
https://press.uchicago.edu/ucp/books/book/chicago/F/bo68658259.html

and for those visiting Sevilla who want to get a little beyond the obvious spots related to Jewish history there (which came up in the MNT Q&A) do make a point of having a meal at Meson Don Raimundo here:
https://www.mesondonraimundo.com
and learn about the previous uses that building has served.

Posted by
3894 posts

I saw a little bit of the recorded talk today, I agree, the invited Spanish guide perhaps was a little too low key about the whole thing, perhaps they are not so comfortable with public speaking or perhaps it was just 4:00 am lol! I was especially surprised by how she "shut down" that question about the Jewish heritage in Andalucía, perhaps unwittingly as this is not something we talk about much in Spain.

However, I would make the case that there is much Jewish history still visible throughout Andalucía, if you know where to look. Cordoba is especially noted for this, being the home town of famous Jewish philosopher Maimonides, I know just south of the city is an ancient Jewish necropolis and in Granada they have a Sephardic museum and a number of Judeo-Spanish restaurants. I'm sure there are many more sites in Sevilla too.

Posted by
5581 posts

There are a few Jewish sites in Cordoba. In the old town (Jewish Quarter), there is a very old, intact synagogue built in approx 1300. It was in excellent condition when we visited and there was additional restoration being done. It was free. Also, in the old Jewish quarter is Casa de Sefarad, an extensive museum telling the story of Sephardic Jews in Spain. There is at least one sculpture of the Jewish philosopher in the old Jewish quarter.

There also is a very old synagogue in Toledo.

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