Andalucía: Discovering Southern Spain
EVENTS > STUDY TRIPS ABROAD
STUDY TRIP ABROAD
March 4-13, 2022
OPTIONAL EXTENSION: MADRID: SPAIN’S CULTURAL EPICENTER
March 13-16, 2022
Andalucía in southern Spain reflects a fascinating blending of Mediterranean cultures through the powerful legacy of centuries of Moorish rule in Al-Andalus. Our exploration of the region focuses on Seville, Córdoba, and Granada, discovering iconic sites alongside private palaces and sumptuous gardens with bespoke tours throughout. Andalucía also presents an excellent opportunity to delve into the area’s cuisine and viniculture, derived from the scenic and rugged landscape. Throughout the program we benefit from the insight and entree of the Madrid-based art historian Sofia Barroso.
REGISTRATION NOW CLOSED
ITINERARY (subject to amendment)
Friday, March 4
Gathering in Seville at the luxurious Hotel Alfonso XIII, built in the Neo-Moorish style, we begin our journey in this graceful city, the capital of the Almohad dynasty from 712 until 1248 and later a principal headquarters for expeditions to the New World. Following an introductory talk by Sofia Barroso on Spanish history and decorative arts, we set out on the cobblestone streets of the Barrio Santa Cruz and discover the artistic glories of Seville’s Golden Age. We visit the Real Alcázar, the palace of the Spanish kings and the Moorish rulers who preceded them, before returning to the hotel for a welcome reception and dinner.
R, D included
Overnight: SEVILLE
Saturday, March 5
Our day begins at the Focus Foundation, housed in a 17th-century Baroque monastery with a fine collection of paintings by Velasquez. The Archive of the Indies is situated in a former merchants’ exchange built in 1573 and contains the major Spanish archive of the colonial period, including an almanac annotated by Christopher Columbus. We continue to the sprawling Cathedral where Columbus is buried. Originally constructed as a mosque with a triumphant minaret, the building expanded after the reconquest, becoming perhaps the largest Gothic church in the world. We enjoy a private lunch at Casa Fabiola with the Italian Consul. In the afternoon, we take in Casa de Pilatos, the private home of the Duchess of Medinaceli. The palace was built in the 15th century in the Moorish-influenced Mudéjar style and features an impressive range of glazed tiles, known as azulejos. An evening outing to a flamenco school offers an introduction to Spain’s iconic performing art.
B, L included
Overnight: SEVILLE
Sunday, March 6
At the Museo de Bellas Artes, our morning is devoted to the masters of Sevillian Baroque painting, including Zurbarán, Murillo, and Valdés Leal. A tapas lunch is hosted at a private palace with a splendid collection of decorative arts. The Palacio de las Dueñas, the remarkable 15th-century home of the Duke of Alba features large gardens and stunning Mudéjar patios, including tile, plasterwork, and carved wooden ceilings. Seeking further introduction to Spain’s ceramic traditions, we reach the sought-after workshop Exvotous. The Iglesia de San Luis de los Franceses, one of the finest examples of Baroque architecture in Seville, features an extravagantly decorated interior. Our uptempo day finishes with a relaxing and delectable dinner.
B, L, D included
Overnight: SEVILLE
Monday, March 7
An outing to the coast introduces us to Andalucía’s rugged countryside. In Jerez de la Frontera, a region famous for its wine, we visit the Bodega Tradición, where the Spanish painting collection spanning the 14th to 19th centuries is superb. We enjoy a taste of their renowned sherry prior to lunch at the palace of the Domecq family of vintners. Arriving in Cádiz, we explore the narrow winding streets and plazas of the Old Town, stopping at the Roman Theatre, built around 70 BC, and the Cathedral, financed from trade between Spain and the Americas. The day concludes with an invitation for drinks at a private manor house owned by Seville’s leading antiques dealer.
B, L included
Overnight: SEVILLE
Tuesday, March 8
Before departing Seville, we tour the Hospital de la Caridad, a Baroque charity hospital built in the mid-17th century that houses important paintings by Valdes Leal and Murillo. In Palma del Rio, we enjoy lunch at the Palacio de Portocarrero, a spectacular architectural monument that combines Roman, Almohad, and Renaissance elements. In Córdoba, we are welcomed at the palace of the Marquis de Viana, which features an esteemed collection of tapestries, paintings, and porcelains. After checking into the handsome Las Casas de la Juderia, we take a special evening survey of the Mezquita, or Great Mosque, offering a romantic introduction to an interior framed by a forest of granite and marble columns supporting two tiers of brick-banded arches.
B, L included
Overnight: CÓRDOBA
Wednesday, March 9
Córdoba was a Roman provincial capital that flourished as the intellectual center of Moorish Spain and the western capital of the Islamic empire. This atmospheric city reveals its rich history of cultural confluence, including a Jewish Quarter where we center our walking tour. We return to the Mezquita for additional study before continuing to the privately owned Monasterio de San Jerónimo which provides a magical lunch venue, evocative of 10th-century Islam. At the base of the Sierra Morena mountains sits the Medina Azahara, a 10th-century Moorish palace that served as the caliph’s summer retreat. An Andalucían culinary experience awaits us this evening at Restaurante El Churrasco.
B, L, D included
Overnight: CÓRDOBA
Thursday, March 10
Departing Córdoba, we set out for Úbeda, built on Roman foundations and set in the rolling hills of olive trees that define the region. Úbeda reached its apogee in the 16th century when the city’s most important buildings were raised, including the Renaissance Capilla del Salvador. Following lunch at the Parador, we continue to Baeza. The capture of this city in 1226 gave the Christians their first foothold in Andalucía, from which the reconquest of Al-Andalus was launched. We walk through the old quarter to see the Romanesque Iglesia de Santa Cruz, the Isabelline Gothic Palacio de Jabalquinto, and the 16th-century Cathedral with an exceptional choir screen. Accommodations at the lovely Alhambra Palace Hotel await us in Granada, and we enjoy dinner on the terrace at the foot of its majestic namesake.
B, L, D included
Overnight: GRANADA
Friday, March 11
Granada was the last stronghold of the Moors in Spain before falling to the Catholics in 1492. The great royal citadel of the Alhambra, built between 1238 and 1358, beckons us this morning with its airy halls, elegant courtyards, and exquisite arabesque decoration. The Palacio Carlos V stands in stark contrast, an imposing building in the Renaissance style dating to 1526. The Generalife was the summer residence of the sultans and is surrounded by a secluded garden with tall cypresses, fountains, and water channels. A post-lunch walk introduces the Albaicín quarter, with the 11th-century Moorish baths. Our day concludes at the Cathedral, dating mainly from the 16th century and rich with symbolic ornaments indicating the resting place of Catholic monarchs, including King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella.
B, L included
Overnight: GRANADA
Saturday, March 12
In order to make morning flights from Madrid on the following day, we depart Granada with the opportunity to spend the afternoon in Toledo, Moorish Spain’s northern outpost. Arriving midday, we start outside the city walls with lunch at the private Palacio de Galiana, built in the 13th century by King Alfonso X of Castile on the site of an earlier Moorish summer villa and garden. The nearby Hospital Tavera is an important Renaissance structure owned by the Medinaceli family. Following a panoramic tour of the city, we continue to Madrid and the glamorous Westin Palace Hotel, gathering for a festive final dinner at a leading private club.
B, L, D included
Overnight: MADRID
Sunday, March 13
Morning departures from Madrid-Barajas Airport, or remain in Madrid for the Extension.
B included
OPTIONAL EXTENSION Madrid: Spain’s Cultural Epicenter (subject to amendment)
Sunday, March 13
Participants may opt for a morning at leisure to recuperate or seek out shopping opportunities. Those wishing to tackle this cultural capital can take advantage of morning guided tours of two signature museums. Across the street from the
hotel sits the Museo Thyssen-Bornemisza, among the most important privately assembled collections of Western art in the world. Then take in Pablo Picasso’s renowned Guernica and other thought-provoking works at the Museo Reina Sofia, Spain’s innovative national museum of 20th-century art. In the early afternoon, the group departs for San Antonio de la Florida, a modestly scaled church that hides a true marvel, a grandiose fresco ensemble painted by Goya in 1798. The day concludes at the largest royal palace in western Europe, Madrid’s Palacio Real. The gorgeous interiors house an impressive collection of decorative arts, including noteworthy tapestries, porcelains, and clocks.
D included
Overnight: MADRID
Monday, March 14
We head out of the city center to the Royal Tapestry Factory, developed by King Philip V, the first Spanish Bourbon monarch. The factory still produces traditional tapestries and carpets with expert craftsmen who also conserve historic textiles. At the Valencia de Don Juan, we investigate the collection of decorative arts of the Counts Valencia de Don Juan, considered the finest in Spain. Of course a trip to Madrid would not be complete without taking in the famed Museo del Prado. We stroll these world-renowned galleries for an investigation of the highlights. Those thirsting for an elegant souvenir from the trip are satiated during an optional excursion to some of the top antique dealers in Madrid, focusing on tooled leather, ceramics, and other Spanish decorative arts.
B, L included
Overnight: MADRID
Tuesday, March 15
Housed in a 19th-century palace overlooking the Parque del Retiro, the Museo Nacional de Artes Decorativas features a rich collection of over 65,000 objects, primarily from Spain, Europe, and the East. We are welcomed by the director of the Museo Lázaro Galdiano, a superb private collection housed in the former home of 19th-century writer and entrepreneur José Lázaro Galdiano. Highlights include Goyas, Limoges enamels, a Da Vinci, and much more. Participants may choose an afternoon of independent exploration or a tour of the Museo Sorolla, located in the 19th-century palace and studio of artist Joaquín Sorolla, a friend of John Singer Sargent. The palace houses a collection of works by Sorolla and objects he collected throughout his life. In the evening, we enjoy a private visit to the Palacio de Liria, the 18th-century Neoclassical residence of the Duke of Alba, containing incredible works by artists such as Titian, Greco, Rembrandt, and Rubens, alongside decorative arts displayed in sumptuous interiors. Our magical time in Madrid concludes with a splendid dinner at a private palace.
B, D included
Overnight: MADRID
Wednesday, March 16
Stateside departures from Madrid-Barajas Airport, or remain in Madrid for additional independent touring.
B included
TERMS & CONDITIONS
Land Arrangement Cost: For the main tour, $8,775 per person, based on double occupancy for 9 nights. For the optional extension $3,375 per person, based on double occupancy for 3 nights.
Included in Trip Cost: For the main tour, hotel accommodations in 4-and 5-star hotels, 9 breakfasts, 8 lunches, 5 dinners, and 2 receptions. For the extension, accommodations in a 5-star hotel, 3 breakfasts, 2 lunches, and 2 dinners. For both, private coach transportation, local guides, admission in museums, historic houses, and gardens, gratuities for professional guides and coach drivers, and porterage.
Not Included in the Trip Cost: Airfare, airport transfers other than specified above, alcoholic beverages other than when provided, personal expenses, and trip insurance are not included. Please do not make your airline reservations until you have received written confirmation of your registration from the Trust.
Reservations: A deposit of $1,500 per person is required by July 31, 2021. Reservations and deposits are taken on an as received basis. You will receive written confirmation from the Decorative Arts Trust when we are in receipt of your registration.
Single Supplement: The single supplement is $1,375 for the main tour and $475 for the extension, to be paid with the final balance.
Final Payment: Will be due by December 15, 2021.
Membership: Membership at the Sponsor level is required for participation in Study Trips Abroad. Your membership contribution is tax deductible. If an increase in your membership level is necessary, the Trust will invoice you for the appropriate level upgrade with your final payment.
Contribution: A donation to the Decorative Arts Trust of $500 per person is required for Study Trips Abroad. This gift is fully tax deductible and helps support the Trust’s mission and programs.
Itinerary: The schedule outlined in this itinerary is contracted for at this time but subject to change as necessary.
Participation: The trip is limited to a maximum of 25 members and requires a minimum of 15. The trip will be canceled if under-subscribed, and deposits will be refunded. We will maintain waiting lists on the basis of the time registrations are received. A valid United States passport is required.
Cancellation and Refunds: If you must cancel your reservation, you are urged to do so as soon as possible in writing to the Decorative Arts Trust. All Cancellations are subject to a $500 administrative fee per person. Deposits are non-refundable after July 31, 2021. Cancellations arriving by December 31, 2021, will receive a 50% refund. Cancellations arriving by January 21, 2022, will receive a 25% refund. There will be no refunds for cancellations received after January 21, 2022. THE TRUST STRONGLY ENCOURAGES ALL PARTICIPANTS TO PURCHASE TRAVEL INSURANCE TO PROTECT AGAINST CANCELLATIONS DUE TO ILLNESS AND INJURY.