Andalusia

History

The history of Andalusia, and therefore their culture is the result of a complex fusion of different peoples and cultures. Different cultures influencing it include Iberian, Celtic, Phoenician, Carthaginian, Roman or Muslim.

Andalusia's strategic position between the Atlantic and the Mediterranean Sea, as the last point in southern Europe, as well as its mineral and agricultural riches are the factors that made Andalucia an attraction for other civilizations since prehistoric times.

The first cultures of Andalusia (Los Millares, The Argar and Tartessos) were established in the Andalusian coast. People in search of minerals left the first marks of civilization. Later came the Greeks and the Phoenicians and then the Roman province of Andalusia, which had great economic and political importance in the Empire. Then came the invasions of Germanic Vandals and Visigoths.

In 711 came the Muslim invasion of the Iberian Peninsula and the Andalusian region was the main political center of Al-Andalus, with Córdoba as its capital, one of the main cultural and economic centers of the world.

In the Sixteenth Century Andalucía centralized trade with the New World. From the eighteenth-century onwards, Andalusia went from being one of the richest regions of Spain to one of the poorest.

Events
 
Among the most famous are the April Fair in Seville, Jerez Horse Fair, August Fair in Malaga, the Corpus Christi in Granada. Religious festivals have a deep tradition in Andalusia. Other major events are the Carnival tradition of Cadiz, the May Crosses in Granada and Cordoba.

Food

The Andalusian cuisine is varied and although there are differences between the food of the coast and inland areas both are of a Mediterranean style.
Fried fish and shellfish are the most typical and widespread in the coastal area. Typical fish eaten include red tuna, prawns and the shrimps of Huelva and Malaga.
Ham is typical of mountain areas, such as Sierra Morena, Sierra Nevada, Sierra de Huelva, Los Pedroches (Iberian pig) and Trevélez (white pig). From these high mountain areas comes also, alpujarreño plate, which is "fried potatoes, fried egg, fried peppers and usually some type of sausage, like chorizo.

Baking is also very important, and the use of almonds and honey is popular. Vegetables are essential in preparing dishes like pipirrana alboronía and also in the "soup" or hot and cold beverages such as gazpacho or Antequera ( a hot garlic soup).
Typically most wines are sweet. The area is also an important producer of Brandy.

Worth a visit

The coast is a major tourist attraction in Spain. An alternative to beach tourism are the major parks of Doñana and the ski resort of Sierra Nevada. Andalusia also has monuments like the Mosque of Cordoba, the Alhambra and the Giralda, cathedrals, castles and fortresses, monasteries and historic monuments in cities such as Ubeda and Baeza, have been declared World Heritage sites.
Moreover, there is a wide range of museums scattered throughout the geography of the region. These include the Museo Casa de Murillo.