Alumni Travel Reading: Spain's Costa Verde

Galicia's distinct culture is apparent from its language to its landscape. This companion provides an in depth look at the culture and history of the region.

One of the greatest nineteenth-century Spanish novels, The House of Ulloa follows pious Father Julián Alvarez, who is sent to a crumbling country estate to put in order the affairs of the marquis, an irresponsible libertine. When the sensitive priest discovers the moral decadence, cruelty, and corruption at his new home, his well-meaning but ineffectual attempts to prevent the fall of the House of Ulloa end in tragedy. From the publisher

The road across northern Spain to Santiago de Compostela in the northwest was one of the three major Christian pilgrimage routes during the Middle Ages; tooday, the system of trails and roads that made up the old pilgrimage route is the most popular long-distance trail in Europe, passing through the Pyrenees to the fields and woods of Galicia. This book elucidates the beauty and uniqueness of the scenery, art, and architecture found along the way. Available at bookstores and online.

In transculturation, cultures change each other through a dynamic of transformation. Galicia is a prime area of study for this transcultural dynamic. The author argues that Galicia and Spain are essential to understanding transculturation in a global context.

In 1999 the Xunta de Galicia called an International Architecture Competition to build the City of Culture of Galicia on Mount Gaiás in Santiago de Compostela. Twelve proposals by renowned national and international architects' studios were initially submitted to this competition for ideas. Out of all these ideas, the final project to be selected for development was the design by Eisenman Architects, as - to quote the Jury - it was, "unique both in concept and plasticity, and exceptionally in tune with the site's location". From the publisher

Roger Collins, a leading historian, investigates a time in Spanish history known for its multi-religious society. Collins investigates this seemingly harmonious time to discover a more complex picture of this fascinating period.