The Sites of Spain Trivia Quiz

Answer: Alhambra

Construction of the Alhambra was started by the Moors in 1238 on ruins of a late 9th-century fort. Its name was taken from the reddish earth used to create its outer walls, which hid the spectacular, yet in some ways simple, beauty of the interior. The location made it extremely difficult for enemies to gain access to what was started as a military enclave. The Alhambra sits on the banks of the Darro River atop a rocky hill, the top of which is not easily reached.

The Alhambra is considered one of the most beautiful examples of Islamic art in the world. Filled with stunning rooms, courtyards and fountains, the Catholic monarchs Ferdinand and Isabella took the palace from the last of the Moors in 1492 and made it their official royal residence. The Alhambra was named a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1984.

(Question and info by goodreporter)

Answer: Sagrada Familia

According to Sagrada Familia's website, the 18 towers of the basilica each "has a special significance". The central tower stands for Jesus. The four towers immediately surrounding that stand for the four Gospels. Above the apse stands a tower, which the website refers to as being "crowned by a star", that represents the Virgin Mary. And the other twelve towers stand for Jesus's twelve disciples.

Architect Antoni Gaudí, who was deeply religious, sought to combine the elements of light and nature into the design of his buildings, most of which are in Barcelona and come from the Art Nouveau period of the late 19th and early 20th centuries. When Gaudí died in 1926, only 25 percent of the work on the basilica had been done. Other architects have taken on the project over the years, sticking with Gaudí's vision of what the building should be. And as the construction continued, masses were regularly held for the general public in the unfinished building.

(Question and info by goodreporter)

Answer: Mezquita

In the late 6th century, the Visigoths in the Iberian peninsula took over Cordoba, just a few years before they converted to Catholicism. They then built a small basilica, which was converted into a mosque in 784 by the Muslims who had recently taken over Cordoba. The mosque was expanded under successive Muslim rulers, until the city was taken back by Christian rulers in 1236. The mosque was then changed again, this time into a Roman Catholic cathedral.

The building is a stunning mixture of architecture from both its Muslim and Christian periods. In the early 2000s, Muslims started asking the Vatican to allow them to worship at the Mezquita. Both the Vatican and Spanish church leaders were against that. In 2010, there was an ugly incident in which several young Muslims knelt to pray as Christians were also praying. A fight broke out between two of the young Muslims and security guards, two of whom were seriously injured. The incident highlights the importance of Mezquita to both religions.

(Question and info by goodreporter)

Answer: Museo Nacional del Prado

Spain's national museum opened in 1819, in a building that King Charles III had designed in 1785 to house a natural history collection. His grandson King Ferdinand VII decided to instead display paintings and sculptures owned by the monarchy, and the Spanish public was first admitted to view the artwork in November 1819.

At the time the Prado opened it became home to 1510 paintings culled from the various royal homes around Spain. Each succeeding monarch, throughout the changes of the Spanish dynastic houses, added to the collection. Much more of the artwork came from other museums, private donations and bequests. The more than 2300 pieces of art required the museum to expand so that the works of the Spanish masters, which form the core of the collection, could be properly displayed.

(Question by tiffanyram; info by goodreporter)

Answer: El Escorial

The Royal Site of San Lorenzo de El Escorial is a royal complex that includes a monastery, library, palace, basilica, school, and pantheon. It was commissioned by King Phillip II of Spain to commemorate the victory against the French at the Battle of St. Quentin, but he also wanted it to be the burial site for his parents, himself, and his descendants. The king hired Juan Bautista de Toledo as the architect and construction for El Escorial began in 1563. Juan Bautista de Toledo died in 1567, and it was his apprentice, Juan de Herrera, who finished the project in 1584. King Phillip II also donated a large collection of reliquaries to the monastery, a collection that consists of about 7500 relics, making it one of the largest in Catholic reliquaries.

(Question and info by tiffanyram)

Answer: Santiago de Compostela Cathedral

The cathedral is the destination for the pilgrimage known as The Way of St. James, or "El camino de Santiago" in Spanish. The cathedral's architecture is Romanesque, with some Gothic and Baroque elements that were added after its original construction, which took place between 1075 and 1211. Tradition says that it was St. James who brought Christianity to Spain, and his remains were returned to Spain after his execution in Jerusalem; however, his tomb was abandoned during a period of Roman persecution of Christians. Legend also states that his tomb was rediscovered in 814 and King Alfonso II of Asturias and Galicia ordered a chapel to be built on the site and was the first pilgrim to visit it. The original church that was built was destroyed during a raid by Al-Mansur Ibn Abi Aamir.

(Question and info by tiffanyram)

Answer: La Rambla

La Rambla, also known as Las Ramblas, is actually a series of shorter streets that connect the Christopher Columbus monument at Port Vell to the city's central square, Plaça de Catalunya. Originally, La Rambla was a stream, but in the 14th and 15th centuries the city's walls were extended and the stream was diverted around the city. Over time, La Rambla became the center for Barcelona city life, hosting festivals, sporting events, and markets. La Rambla is a pedestrian thoroughfare which is always full of people strolling along the tree-lined path and visiting the different attractions and vendors. Its stone path has a rippled pattern to reflect its origin as a stream, and it even has a mosaic by the famous Spanish painter Joan Miró.

(Question and info by tiffanyram)

Answer: Altamira

The Cave of Altamira was discovered in 1868 by Modesto Cubillas, but its art was discovered in 1879 by Marcelina Sanz de Sautuola. He was accompanied by his young daughter Maria, who was actually the first one to see the paintings and point them out to her father. Sautuola published his findings in 1880, but they became controversial as some experts at the time felt that prehistoric humans were incapable of producing such paintings.

The art in the cave can be found throughout the caves many chambers, and can be dated to Paleolithic period, but there is disagreement among experts as to the exact dating of the cave's art. The cave is known for is polychrome art, and the main chamber has been compared to the Sistine Chapel.

(Question and info by tiffanyram)

Answer: Guggenheim Museum Bilbao

The Basque government approached the Solomon R. Guggenheim Foundation in 1991 about a project to redevelop its rundown port area. Construction of the museum was completed in 1997 and it opened to the public. Upon its opening, it was widely praised for its architecture, which is both sculptural and expressionistic in style. The museum sits on a 32,500 square meter site on the Nervión River, with 11,000 square meters used for art exhibition.

(Question and info by tiffanyram)

Answer: Seville Cathedral

The Cathedral of Saint Mary of the See, or Seville Cathedral, is the largest cathedral in the world. It is third largest church behind the Basilica of the National Shrine of Our Lady of Aparecida and St. Peter's Basilica. The original mosque was built from 1172-1198 and was used as a mosque until 1248 when the city was conquered by King Ferdinand III. It was then Christianized and used as a cathedral until 1434, when it was then reconstructed into a Gothic cathedral.

(Question and info by tiffanyram)