The Compass: Spain

Boasting the third largest number of UNESCO World Heritage sites in the world, Spain is brimming with history and culture.  ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌  ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌  ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌  ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌  ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌  ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌  ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌  ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌  ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌  ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌  ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌    ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌  ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌  ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌  ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌  ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌  ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌  ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌  ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌  ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌  ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌  ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌  

 

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Your navigation into the weekend Spain

While countries around the globe wrestle with the impacts of the coronavirus, we hope that our newsletter can continue to inspire and remind everyone of the beautiful global community we share. For more information regarding the coronavirus please see our latest updates here. Boasting the third largest number of UNESCO World Heritage sites in the world, Spain is brimming with history and culture. This week we discover what life is like in caves that have been occupied for centuries, see how being bold, strategic, and steady helped Queen Isabella rise to the throne, and look at new clues about the possible origin story of the country’s Pulpí Geode. Let’s explore Spain.

CULTURE

PHOTOGRAPH BY TAMARA MERINO Thousands of people live in these ancient Spanish caves The Sacromonte and Guadix caves in Granada have been occupied for centuries. See what life there is like today. READ MORE SHARE

PHOTOGRAPH BY EDU BAYER Barcelona goes from overtourism to no tourism The coronavirus lockdown is keeping travelers away, but the Catalan spirit is fueling a surprising surge of local optimism.

PHOTOGRAPH BY LUISA DÖRR Spain's falleras bring historic opulence to life During a five-day festival in Valencia, women don heirloom jewelry and elaborate, voluminous gowns made from luxurious fabrics.

PHOTOGRAPH BY MATTHIAS OESTERLE, ALAMY These tremendous human towers defy gravity A unique expression of Catalan history and identity, castells crop up during pro-independence rallies throughout the region. READ MORE SHARE

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PHOTOGRAPH BY DANIEL OCHOA DE OLZA Spring blooms to life in this elaborate Spanish ritual Each spring, a few girls typically between the ages of seven and 11 sit in elaborate altars decorated with fresh flowers to mark the new season. READ MORE SHARE

PHOTOGRAPHS BY AITOR LARA African migrants in Europe trade one hardship for another Nearly a million Africans now call Spain home, sending stories of hope back to family. But they hide a difficult reality. READ MORE SHARE

HISTORY

PHOTOGRAPH BY ORONOZ/ALBUM To seize power in Spain, Queen Isabella had to play it smart Bold, strategic, and steady, Isabella of Castile navigated an unlikely rise to the throne and ushered in a golden age for Spain. READ MORE SHARE

PHOTOGRAPH BY MALTE JAEGER, LAIF/REDUX Spain’s lesser known UNESCO World Heritage sites Honored for their “cultural and natural heritage of outstanding value to humanity,” Spain boasts a whopping 45 UNESCO sites—the third most after Italy and China. READ MORE PHOTOGRAPH BY DAVID RAMOS, GETTY Why Spain’s wealthiest region wants independence Catalonia has its own cultural identity and a robust separatist movement, despite crackdowns from Madrid. READ MORE

SCIENCE

PHOTOGRAPH BY JORGE GUERRERO, AFP, GETTY IMAGES These human-size crystals formed in especially strange ways New clues into ancient climate shifts reveal the possible origin story of Spain's Pulpí Geode, one of the world's largest. READ MORE PHOTOGRAPH BY JULIO MANUEL VIDAL ENCINAS Surprising DNA found in ancient people from southern Europe A study of 8,000 years of genetics from Spain and Portugal yields a surprisingly complex picture of the inhabitants' ancestry. READ MORE

PHOTOGRAPHY See photos of Spain in this photo gallery from National Geographic. VIEW THE SLIDESHOW

WHERE WILL WE JOURNEY TO NEXT? Be sure to check your inbox next week to find out.

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