SURREAL BEAUTY OF BLACK BLUE AND GREY OVER FINCA AL-MANZIL

SEMANA SANTA IN CACERES 2016

CASTILLO DE LUNA AT ALBURQUERQUE, BADAJOZ

Castillo de Luna ....Castle of the moon, named after the Luna family and in particular an illegitimate son Don Álvaro de Luna y Jarana who was endowed with the castle by the Order of Santiago in 1445. How did an illegitimate boy from the minor nobility of Aragon become so successful?

He was an ambitious cultured rogue who took full advantage of his childhood association with Juan II de Castilla to gain power, prestige and riches.

 He was introduced to the court as a page by his uncle Pedro de Luna, archbishop of Toledo, in 1410, Pedro de Luna later became antipope as Benedict XIII.

 Álvaro was charming and ambitious, he soon secured a commanding influence over the young Juan II. However, during the regency of King John's uncle Ferdinand, which ended in 1412, he was not allowed to be more than a servant but  when  Ferdinand was elected king of Aragon, and the regency was assumed by the king's mother, Catherine of Lancaster,  Álvaro became a very important person, the  "contino" or old friend of the King.

He became Álvaro de Luna, Maestre de la Orden de Santiago y Condestable de Castilla  and took over the castle in 1445 as part of his unscrupulous  machinations to climb to ever more elevated positions of power due to his privileged position as the king’s confidante.  

 He instigated the impressive building we see today within the old walls including the Torre del Homenaje and its neighbouring tower , the space between spanned by a massive arched bridge with drawbridge for times of danger.

He stamped the moon of his family name throughout the castle and on surrounding monuments including the stone fuente just outside the castle walls. 

He was confident in founding a powerful dynasty but his ambition was thwarted  when  the second wife of Juan II , Isabella of Portugal,  became increasingly offended by the immense influence of Alvaro,  finally the king succumbed to Isabella’s demands,  Alvaro was arrested, tried and condemned to death.  He was executed by beheading at Valladolid in 1453, King Juan II died the following year in 1453. The Lunas were disgraced but the castle remained as a witness.

Before being know as Castillo de Luna, the castle was a simple fortress built by the Moors in an important strategic position, close to the Portuguese border and equidistant between Valencia de Alcantara  and Badajoz. During the re-conquest the castle passed into Christian hands under Fernando II in 1166, was taken again by the Moors in 1184 and finally was re-conquered in 1217 when it was given to the powerful Order of Santiago who appointed various keepers linked to the kings of Castilla and Aragon. 

It was during this period that the church of Santa María del Castillo was built within the walls during the XIII century in the late Romanesque and Gothic  style.

After the downfall of Álvaro de Luna the castle passed into the hands of Don Beltran de la Cueva  from 1465-1472. Several buildings were added including the pentagonal tower.  

The castle fell into considerable dilapidation and abandonment over the next centuries.

During the war of succession between 1700 -1714 Alburquerque was invaded by an Anglo-Portuguese army.  The Portuguese added a massive defense system of walls designed in the style of Vauban similar to the defense systems of Elvas and Estremoz in Portugal. Also they  added  some more congenial conditions in the Torre del  Homenaje, fireplaces, tiled floors and larger windows with deep window seats overlooking the vast views.

In 1716 the Alburquerque was again in Spanish hands and again fell into a slow decline.

Despite the deterioration caused by the passage of time and lack of maintenance there are still many impressive features, especially the three complete defense walls, the gates and the massive keep built by Álvaro de Luna.

The small town of Alburqerque still thrives around the castle walls. There is a Medieval fiesta every year in August.

There are guided tours of the castle in Spanish : a.m. at 11.00, 12.00 and 13.00 and p.m. at 16.00 and 17.00

MEDELLIN CASTLE IN JANUARY MIST BUT WITH ALMOND TREE IN FULL BLOOM

BIZARRE FIESTA IN ACEUCHE-BEAUTIES AND THE BEASTS

On January 20th the feast of San Sebastian is celebrated in the small rural community of Aceuche in the Caceres province. The image of the saint is carried from the church of San Sebastian and taken around the village on a float, he is rather fetchingly bound to a real orange tree loaded with fruit, his usual rather campy pose with long suffering uplifted eyes is well in evidence, strangely this image is not pierced with arrows. So far so usual............but the extraordinary elements of this fiesta are the carantoñas, wild creatures clad in goat skin with hideous masks dripping in masculine fertility symbols; horns, tusks, red hot chili peppers!  They brandish little thorny branches from the wild olive trees, aceuches. They run around chasing the girls but are rather encumbered, it takes 3 people to dress each carantoña. In other words another pagan festival disguised as a Christian saint's day. A festival to drive out the winter and welcome the spring with suitable fertility symbolism, much fun and joy.
 A really unique fiesta in Extremadura and well worth a visit to welcome the spring once again...........the storks are coming back and there is almond blossom budding.

 

MYSTERIOUS MISTY MOUNTAIN

Finca al-manzil, the sierra in early morning mist just as the sun comes over the peaks.
A stunning effect as the light bounces off the gold and green foilage among the massive rock formations.

FELIZ NAVIDAD! HAPPY CHRISTMAS !

My 2015 painting now hanging in the sitting room at the cortijo, it's a huge one. This year my winter project will be a series of smaller paintings, perhaps with more Moroccan influences, we are planning a January trip..........

Let's all hope for a great 2016 with peace, goodwill and understanding in our world.  

Our thanks and Christmas greetings to our wonderful family, friends and of course all the people who have stayed with us at Finca al-manzil over the last 10 years ............xxxxx Pippa and Manfred

WINTER MODE AT THE BARN OF FINCA AL-MANZIL

 The new  Danish stove is really fab, it has a patented control that saves 40% of  logs and lights up like a dream with constant warmth.  The bedroom upstairs is positively sybaritic.

Wood pile on the go............lots of dry holm oak.