What Are YOU Looking At? Quiz | Europe

Quiz Answer Key and Fun Facts

1. You are looking at a statue and plaque for Alexander Fleming. Outside of which well-known Madrid structure are you standing?

Answer: Main Bullring at Ventas

Alexander Fleming discovered penicillin. As a result of this discovery, many bullfighters survived after being gored by bulls in the ring. In the past, they would have died from the same injuries. The city of Madrid erected a statue in gratitude to Alexander Fleming.

2. You are looking at the stadium where David Beckham once played home matches (while he was signed to a Spanish football team). What is it called?

Answer: Santiago Bernabeu

Santiago Bernabeu is the home of Real Madrid, a team for which David Beckham played for several seasons. Camp Nou is the home of Barcelona, Real Madrid's great rivals. Metropolitano is the home of Atletico Madrid, the other major team in the Spanish capital. Ramon Sanchez Pizjuan is the home of FC Seville, one of the best teams in the south of Spain.

3. You are looking at a building that was opened by Pope John Paul II, and there is a statue for him on the grounds. What building?

Answer: The Cathedral

Pope John Paul II consecrated the cathedral on his visit to Spain in 1993, shortly after its completion. The site on which Almudena Cathedral stands was originally occupied by Madrid's first mosque; and then by a church dedicated to one of Madrid's patron saints, Santa Mar�a de la Almudena. It is directly opposite the Royal Palace, with only a sidewalk area in between.

4. You are looking at a large boating lake, with a monument that covers most of one side. On the opposite side, there is a wide promenade. In which Madrid park are you?

Answer: Retiro

The Retiro Park is an oasis of green and shade in bustling Madrid, especially in the summer. There are over 15,000 trees and a lot of grassy areas for picnics, as well as the boating lake and a rose garden. Red squirrels can be seen here--they are more abundant in Spain than in Britain.

Casa de Campo is a large park on the west side of the city. Within its confines you will find Madrid Zoo and an amusement park.

Parque Juan Carlos I is a large park on the northeast side of the city. It is a modern park, so the trees are not as well established (and there is not so much shade) as in the Retiro. There is a large conference centre within the park, which is used for national and international exhibitions.

Jardin Botanico is the botanical garden, and is located near the Prado Museum and art gallery.

5. You are looking at a building which was formerly a royal residence, but later came to be used by the Spanish royal family on ceremonial occasions only. Which building in central Madrid is this?

Answer: El palacio real

El Palacio Real (The Royal Palace) is directly opposite the cathedral. Before Franco's time, it was used as a residence for the Spanish royal family, but it later became a museum.

I remember watching the wedding of Crown Prince Felipe and Princess Letitia on TV in 2004. It poured with rain all morning and the royal family and other guests had to walk along the red carpet from the palace to the cathedral under umbrellas. After some delay, it was obviously decided that it was just too wet for the bride and her father to walk to the cathedral, so they were transported to the door in a Rolls Royce. As the car crossed the red carpet, several inches of spray sprang up from it.

La Zarzuela is the official residence of the Spanish royal family, some miles outside Madrid. It is not open to the public. A friend and I once saw signs to the palace whilst out on a drive, so we decided to follow them to see whether we could get a glimpse of the residence. However, we were stopped by security guards long before we got anywhere near it.

El Escorial is a monastery a few miles outside Madrid, which was built by Philip II (of Spanish Armada fame). It has become a museum and the basement is a huge mausoleum, which contains the tombs of many Spanish royals.

El Pardo is another palace on the outskirts of Madrid. Its principal claim to fame is that it was the main residence of Franco, when he was Spain's dictator.

6. You are looking at a Madrid building that was only restored to its former glory in 1997, having been allowed to fall into ruin for over 70 years. Which building?

Answer: Teatro Royal

The Teatro Royal is Madrid's opera house. Before its reopening in 1997, there had not been an opera performance there for 72 years. Franco thought opera was decadent, so he turned it into a concert hall in the 1960s. It was only after Franco's death in 1975 that it was fully restored to its former glory and reopened as the opera house.

7. You are looking at a huge aqueduct that was built by the Romans and is still largely intact. Its maximum height is just over 100 feet (28 metres). In which Spanish city are you?

Answer: Segovia

This impressive structure was built by the Romans at the end of the 1st century AD/beginning of the 2nd century AD.

Another interesting building in Segovia is the Alcazar castle-palace. It looks just like the fairy-tale castle you see at the start of Disney films.

8. You are looking at a huge Moorish palace in the last city to be re-conquered from the Moors. Which city?

Answer: Granada

The palace is, of course, the Alhambra. The Moors occupied Spain for about 700 years. Interestingly, Spain was finally re-conquered by the Spanish in 1492, the same year that Columbus sailed for America.

9. You are looking at Antoni Gaudi's best-known unfinished masterpiece, a cathedral. In which city is this cathedral?

Answer: Barcelona

The Cathedral of the Sagrada Familia (Holy Family) in Barcelona is a well known landmark. The cathedral has been under construction since 1882 and is slated for completion in 2026. The year 2026 is the centennial of Gaudi's death in 1926.

10. You are looking at the house of one of Spain's most famous authors, which is now a museum. His best known book was about a knight who tilted at windmills. In which city are you?

Answer: Alcala de Henares

Alcala de Henares is about 30 km from Madrid. It has one of the oldest universities in Europe. It is also home to one of Spain's most famous sons: Miguel de Cervantes, who wrote "Don Quixote". Cervantes was a soldier before he became an author.

Source: Author cal562301

This quiz was reviewed by FunTrivia editor Pagiedamon before going online.
Any errors found in FunTrivia content are routinely corrected through our feedback system.

What Are YOU Looking At? Trivia Quiz

In this quiz, I will describe various landmarks and buildings in Spain. It is your job to work out from the clues what YOU are looking at.

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