MY HOMETOWN: ALMUÑÉCAR

                                                               

I live in Almuñécar, which is on the Mediterranean coast, and where living in this fantastic village feels as being in paradise.

It counts with beautiful beaches, which have an extension of 17 kilometres, and a mild "tropical" climate which surrounds the area.  Although people may think that Almuñécar only offers tourism in the busy days of July and August, it is really in autumn and spring when you can experience the best of it.

There are also quite remarkable pieces of art and monuments which make Almuñécar worth a visit, such as the Apofis Vase, which contains the first evidence of written record in the Iberian Peninsula, and that has been exhibited in September in the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York.  We also have got the Roman aqueduct, which is the second longest aqueduct kept in extension after the famous one in Segovia.  Therefore, we are well-known for a rich heritage which remind us that our ancestors were from the three main cultures that inhabited the Peninsula: Phoenicians, Romans and Muslims.

Apart from this, living in a tourist place gives you the chance of meeting people who come here to have holidays, both from Spain and abroad.  There are more and more European citizens who "escape" from the cold temperatures of their countries and want the relaxation and warmth of Almuñécar.

Not only that, if you are an active person, then Almuñécar is the perfect place for you, since you will be able to practice any sport you like (running, trekking, cycling, scuba-diving, paragliding) in a beautiful landscape.
To complete your leisure time, the town hall offers a wide range of cultural activities which reflect the historical importance of this village, such as lectures, conferences, flamenco concerts by Juan Pinilla and others, the Jazz Festival in July, Ara Malikian, etc.

To conclude, Almuñécar will make your life less boring, less stressful, and much healthier.

THE ANNUNCIATION by Fra Angelico (c. 1450)

 This masterpiece of the early Renaissance was painted for the north corridor of the San Marco Convent in North Florence.

The picture describes the scene of the Annunciation of the angel Gabriel to the Virgin Mary by which she will be the mother of Jesus by miraculous means.  It has got two parts, one on the left and one that takes from the centre to the right.  The first thing that catches your attention is the use of colours, green on the left and blue and pink on the right.
We can also see that there is a contrast of colours with the grey figures on the left and the brightly coloured Gabriel and Mary.  And above them all, from the top left corner down to the Virgin Mary, there is a bright yellow flash of light that represents God, in the shape of the Holy Ghost, as there is a little dove in it.

The main characters are Gabriel and Mary, and you can see Mary pictured seated within the cloister, which underlines her separateness from the world.  We can also see that the ceiling of the cloister looks like a starry night.
The picture perfectly expresses the feeling of veneration on the part of Gabriel, as well as the submissive humility of the Madonna.
The two grey figures in the background represent Adam and Eve being expelled from the Garden of Eden.  There is an angel who is making sure they are being taken out from paradise.  Their fall into sin and expulsion from Paradise is what necessitates Gabriel´s annunciation: the announcement that the coming Redeemer is going to be conceived in the Virgin´s womb.

Fra Angelico was devoted exclusively to religious art, and the Annunciation was intended for communal contemplation.  He used his art purely for didactic purposes to picturialize and illustrate the message of God.

I chose this painting because it represents the beginning of everything, the key moment of Christianity that changed the world, and how the sin, represented by Adam and Eve, is both forgiven and forgotten with the love of God.  All this happened because a humble young lady said yes to God.c1liberalarts.wordpress.com