Barcelona is an important historical centre of Spain, with many of its old buildings and architecture still intact from its colourful past. It has a long and varied history having been founded in the second century B.C. by the Romans. Many sites from the early Roman settlement still remain dotted around the city, and artefacts from various eras of Barcelona

If one were to look down at Spain from above, the country would be lit up by bonfires throughout the night during the San Juan Fiesta. Bonfires are prepared in the afternoon and are left to burn in the night darkness honouring the light of the summer. Jumping over a bonfire three times during the fiesta will cleanse the soul of a person according to old tradition, and still takes place throughout the country. Perfumed water made of seven different plants is also prepared to cleanse people and this is prepared by the women according to custom.

The San Juan fiesta is celebrated all over Spain, with even more festivities taking place along the extensive coastline. With bonfires lighting the beaches, local residents jump into the sea as the clock strikes midnight to wash away evil and be granted ever lasting beauty. In some of the coastal towns, residents dance on the beach around the bonfires before going in for a midnight dip. In other areas, large cardboard statues are built which are then burned together with the bonfires. These paper statues are typically built weeks in advance and are judged for their creativity and uniqueness. In Valencia the best statues are kept in the local museum to be visited throughout the year.

The Fiesta de San Juan is a festive occasion that can be enjoyed by both visitors and residents. Food and drink are aplenty, and stalls line up in the streets selling their traditional recipes and treats. Dance shows and firework competitions are popular, as are fairs and parades. The streets are alive with music and dance throughout the fiesta week, and many activities are on offer. The night sky is lit up with bonfires, fireworks and the burning of the gigantic statues in honour of light and summer.

The Romeria Del Rocio begins with a vibrant and exciting festival in the city of Almonte where people from all over Spain join to commemorate the Virgin Mary. The pilgrimage begins a few days later, with thousands of people walking through the Andalusia countryside to the mouth of the Guadalquivir River. Colourful processions from all the surrounding towns and villages are a site to behold, with the locals dressed up in their traditional garb and costumes. Many of the women wear gorgeous, colourful flamenco dresses, and the men look well-groomed in their traditional wide-brimmed bolero hats and short-cropped jackets. Horse drawn carriages and carts dominate the processions, with motor vehicles and cars banned from the pilgrimage.

The Romeria Del Rocio has been celebrated in Andalusia for over eight hundred years, ever since a local hunter found her statue in the village of Villamanrique in the fifteenth century. According to local legend, the statue was found in a tree trunk in Donana Park and is believed to have the ability to cure all kinds of disease and disorders. People pray to the Virgin Mary to help them with their ailments, or to alleviate the suffering of their friends and family.

A shrine to the Virgen has been placed in the marshes of the El Rocio fields where the statue was found several hundred years ago. The Romeros or travellers join together to shout their blessings to the Virgen.

The flamenco can tell all imaginable stories from tragedy to comedy, and love to politics using song, dance and music to bring the story alive. There is little evidence left of the development history of this art form, although it is believed to have begun in the lower levels of Andalusian society a few hundred years ago. This is one of several reasons that there is a distinct lack of historical evidence of the origins of this musical genre, as it was not recognised amongst the more prestigious people of this time. Many of the classes were illiterate, so the music and songs were passed on orally, eliminating any written history from being recorded. Many of the groups involved in the beginning of the flamenco culture were later persecuted, including the gypsies, the Jews and the Moors, taking any existing evidence with them at the time.

Flamenco music made a comeback in the late eighteenth century in a time often referred to as the Golden Age of Flamenco. Singing and dancing performances started growing in popularity in the cities of Seville and Malaga and quickly spread throughout the province of Andalusia. As the movement grew, so did the different styles of flamenco; as local dance movements and traditions influenced the original art form.

Many people mistakenly think of flamenco as being a form of dance, although it originally started as a form of singing to tell a story. Dance was later added to express the songs with movement to the music. The entire art form is a complex blend of music, dance and song and to the untrained eye may look wild and ardent. The sophisticated footwork and complex rhythms of music combine together to make flamenco the passionate art form that it is today.

Madrid is a lively cultural city, full of historical sites and heritage. Archaeological and architectural sites and buildings are found throughout the city, dating back for several hundred years. Several UNESCO world heritage sites are located in and around the municipality, and attracts visitors from all over the world. One of the oldest churches in Madrid is the San Nicolas de los Servitas which was built in the fifteenth century. This spectacular church houses the Mudejar Mosque which dates back to the twelfth century. Madrid is overflowing with stunning architecture dating back from different eras of the capital

The first settlers to the Iberian Peninsula arrived over 35, 000 years ago, establishing themselves throughout various areas in Spain. These settlers included the Carthaginians, the Greeks and the Phoenicians who set up home throughout the country. The Roman Republic took hold of Spain around 200 BC, but lost control to the Visigoths, who in turn lost to the North Africans. Muslim states were created following this period in a period known as the Al-Andalus. This era lasted approximately 750 troubled years, with the Christian re-conquest occurring at the same time. The Reconquista culminated in 1492 with their victory at Granada, when the last Muslim ruler surrendered to the Christians. Christian kingdoms flourished during the following years, with the two largest merging to form the Kingdom of Spain.

During the years of the Spanish Empire, the country flourished and was one of the leading explorers of the New World. The Spanish opened up new trade routes to the Americas, and acquired large areas of land in both the North and South Americas. Arts and literature thrived, and the Spanish Empire prospered for several centuries. The only thing that marred this period was the Inquisition and the conduct towards the natives of the Americas.

In the years that followed, the Spanish Empire grew in stature and size, and eventually became involved in several continental European wars. Some of the wars resulted in heavy losses, whereas others resulted in added gains. Wars against France and England continued, and slowly the Empire lost its strength. The Spanish- American War in 1898 saw Spain forced to hand back much of its overseas empire to the Americas, and by the end of the nineteenth century Spain had lost much of its Empire.

A troubled period followed, with political instability fracturing the countries remaining domination. A civil war ensued and lasted for three years between 1936 and 1939 devastating the country further. A national dictatorship led by Francisco Franco was founded which thereby ended the war. Franco took measures to rebuild the country, and the economy grew rapidly during his reign.  He wanted Spain to form a national identity, which he achieved by repressing much of the country