Zurbaran's Virgin Saints, and their modern-day modistas Spain's Golden Age, in the 16th and 17th centuries, produced some of the world's greatest painters: Zurbaran, Murillo, Valdes Leal. They painted Virgins, saints, and other religious figures, feeding the demand for holy portraits for churches…

GUEST BLOG POST BY CHRIS CHAPLOW   Recently I was pleased to attend the second edition of Foro La Zagaleta: Brands and Trends, Management & Leadership in Challenging Times. It was held in the Marbella Palacio de Congresos with the aim of providing a forum to discuss the luxury goods and…

The first ever World Sherry Day       If you've ever been to Jerez - the city, the train station, or even just the airport - you can't have failed to notice that everywhere you go, there are neatly-stacked piles of barrels. These are a reference to one of Jerez's most famous exports - along…

          Football in Seville, with a British touch   Last Saturday, I went to my first football match in Spain - and I've been living here for nearly ten years. You might gather by my non-attendance that I'm not much of a footie fan, and you'd be…

    'Bang & Olufsen by the Sea' Event   GUEST POST: MORWENNA FRANCIS Last night Andalucia.com had the pleasure of attending Bang & Olufsen by the Sea, a "champagne afternoon and high tea party" held at La Cabane Beach Club in Marbella. The event was to celebrate the…

      Tio Pepe en Rama - the untamed sherry   In case you hadn't already guessed, April and May in Andalucia are all about ferias. And one of the essential ingredients of any feria - even more so if you're in El Puerto de Santa Maria, Sanlucar de Barrameda or Jerez de la…

      Feria de Jerez - flamenco and flounces       One of Andalucia's best-known Ferias, after the Seville Feria de Abril, is the Feria del Caballo in Jerez. This feria is famed for its magnificent jerezano horses, and its sherry,Jerez being the centre of…

  .   The May Crosses of Ecija   The tradition of the Cruces de Mayo (May Crosses) is famous in Cordoba - this festival is the first of many festivites in the city during this month of May - and Granada, especially on Dia de la Cruz, 5 May. But many other cities and…

      El Galeon Andalucia arrives for Viva Florida 500   Florida - yes, that's Florida in the US - is all abuzz thanks to the arrival of a magnificent Andalucian galleon. The voyage of El Galeon, a replica l6th-century Spanish trading ship, celebrates 500 years since the…

      Doñana saved from fracking - for now   Good news for environmentalists and nature-lovers: the plan to drill for natural gas in Doñana National Park, which is a UNESCO-recognised biosphere, has been halted. In a victory for those who value this protected natural…