Spain – Mostly history

Absolute killers I’ve built up that I scarely remember writing. But it does include a craft brewery, which has bumped Zaragoza way up on my list of Spanish places to visit.

Questions

19th-century Spanish novelist Pedro Antonio de Alarcón is possibly most famous for which work that was adapted into the opera “Der Corregidor” by Hugo Wolf, as well as a ballet in 1919?

EL SOMBRERO DE TRES PICOS / THE THREE-CORNERED HAT

Over a period of history that ran from 647 to 709, the Rashidun and Umayyad Caliphates expanded into the Maghreb at the expense of which other empire, with the Tunisian World Heritage Site of Dougga being an example of a place that went into decline after the change?

BYZANTINE

One possible origin for the name of the province of Septimania is ‘Colonia Julia Septimanorum’, the Roman name for which French city in the Occitania region through which the Canal du Midi passes?

BÉZIERS

Established by Charlemagne, what two-word name was given to a military buffer zone that lay beyond Septimania and acted as a defensive barrier against the expansionary Ummayads?

SPANISH MARCH / MARCA HISPÁNICA

Centred around a courtyard with a fountain containing sculptures of lions, the Court of the Lions at the Alhambra is an example of which period of Islamic architecture, taken from the name of the dynasty that ruled the Emirate of Granada at the time of its fall in 1492?

NASRID

Giving his name to a style of pre-Romanesque architecture exemplified by the UNESCO listed church of Santa María del Naranco, which King of Asturias helped fend off a group of Vikings in 844, showing his displeasure by burning a large part of their fleet?

RAMIRO I (The style is ‘Ramirense’)

After the collapse of the Caliphate of Córdoba in the 11th-century, a number of independent Muslim entities emerged that were known by what one-word Arabic term? Examples include Huelva, Granada and Murcia.

TAIFA

The taifas had to pay what tribute to the Christian kingdoms found in the northern part of the Iberian peninsula, with El Cid being one of those whose job was to ensure payment?

PARIAS

A key victory in the Reconquista, which King of León was responsible for the 1085 Conquest of Toledo, this being depicted in a ceramic found at Seville’s Plaza de España?

ALFONSO VI

Causing a dryness that farmers need to protect their crops from when it arrives from the north, what is the name of the mistral-like wind sometimes found in the Ebro Valley? A Zaragoza craft brewery is named for it.

CIERZO

Apparently given this name because its inhabitants were naked, how is the subgroup of Balearic Islands that only contains Menorca and Mallorca known?

GYMNESIAN ISLANDS

Having a name that refers to the pine tree, which other group of islands make up the Balearic archipelago with the Gymnesian Islands of Menorca and Mallorca? It includes the well known Ibiza and Formentera.

PITYUSIC ISLANDS

Spain

Some nasty stuff in here about Visigothic kings that drained any desire to go on to the next stage of Spanish history.

Questions

Who is the male beauty queen who represented Spain in Miss Universe 2018? They were the first openly transgender contestant for this title.

ANGELA PONCE

Resolving the Moluccas Issue by establishing the limits of Spanish western and Portuguese eastern expansion, in what year was the Treaty of Zaragoza signed?

1529

A member of the House of Aviz, who was the king of Portugal when the Treaty of Zaragoza was signed with the Kingdom of Castile?

KING JOHN III

Having pieces called “Love and Death” and “The Straw Man” directly based on works by Francisco Goya, what is the sub-title of the Enrique Granados piano work “Goyescas”?

LOS MAJOS ENAMORADOS / THE GALLANTS IN LOVE

Not to be confused with another opera that has part of its name, which Enrique Granados opera based on a libretto and play by José Feliú i Codina is sometimes called the Spanish “Cavalleria Rusticana”?

MARÍA DEL CARMEN

Also known as the Battle of Tarifa, in which 1340 battle did Granada’s Yusuf I suffer a disastrous defeat against the forces of two Alfonsos, IV of Portugal and XI of Castile? The Marinid emirate was part of Yusuf’s alliance.

RIO SALADO

Which Spanish humanist published “Gramática de la lengua castellana”, the first published grammar study of any modern European language? He also authored the first Spanish dictionary.

ANTONIO DE NEBRIJA

Found in the Gran Dolina, which translates as ‘Great sinkhole’, which ‘pioneer man’ is an archaic human species recorded in the Sierra de Atapuerca from 1.2 million to 0.8 million years ago?

HOMO ANTECESSOR

Possibly of Celtic ethnicity, which pre-Roman culture are perhaps best known for their granite boar sculptures?

VETTONES

Coming from the Spanish word for ‘boar’, what are the granite boar sculptures of the Vettones known as?

VERRACOS

What four words precede the Castilla-La Mancha city of Cuenca in the name of its Unesco listing? It was conquered by Alfonso VII of Castile in 1177 and although he subsequently suffered reverses against the Almohads, rallied to break their power in the early 13th century. His wife Eleanor Plantagenet of England is said to have inspired the Gothic design of Cuenca cathedral, the first of that type in Spain.

HISTORIC WALLED TOWN OF

Which Roman province established in 14 BC was bordered by Lusitania to the west and Tarraconensis to the north-east, making it one of the three Hispanic Roman provinces? It takes its name from the Roman name for the Guadalquivir river.

(HISPANIA) BAETICA

What Latin designation for a Berber population from a part of North Africa west of Numidia made incursions into Baetica in the 2nd century?

MAURI

Which Visigothic king of Hispania and Septimania’s reign marked a climactic shift in history when he announced the renunciation of Arianism in favour of Catholicism in 587?

RECCARED I

Which set of 30 synods included the 3rd synod of 589 where King Reccared was converted from Arianism to Catholicism?

COUNCILS OF TOLEDO

The votive crown of Reccesuinth, Visigothic king of Hispania and Septimania from 649 to 672, is one of twenty-six that comprise what treasure, with that item containing blue sapphires from Sri Lanka?

TREASURE OF GUARRAZAR

Visigothic king Athaulf was a member of which hungry sounding dynasty, the first ruling family of the Visigoths from 395 to 531?

BALTI

Earning a reputation as a great warrior and prudent ruler, which Visigothic king who ruled from 415 to 418 was elected after the assassinations of Athaulf and Sigeric?

WALLIA

Which Visigothic king who ruled from 418 to 451 took part in the Battle of the Catalaunian Plains where Attila the Hun was defeated, losing his life in the process?

THEODORIC I

Which son of Theodoric I ruled from 466 until 484 after murdering Theodoric II, putting an end to the last remnants of Roman power on the peninsula during his reign? He is sometimes considered the first monarch of Spain.

EURIC

Which Visigothic king rose against King Agila, ceding territory to the Byzantines in the south in exchange for their support? Isidore of Seville’s work provides some source material.

ATHANAGILD

Also known for a Code, which Visigothic king was father to Reccared, he who converted from Arianism to Christianity?

LIUVIGILD

Which Visigothic saint was the son of Liuvigild, rebelling against his father and converting to Christianity before suffering a martyrdom?

ST. HERMENEGILD

Which first democratically elected Prime Minister of Spain since the Second Spanish Republic was in office from 1976 to 1981, now having Madrid’s Barajas airport named for him following his death in 2014?

ADOLFO SUÁREZ