The Legacy of Spain: Exploring Spain's World Heritage Sites
Gwen Barnes-Karol is a vivacious, engaging teacher whose passion for Spain is contagious. Gwen considers Spain her second home. She taught two summer graduate courses in Spain for teachers and does all of her professional research there. In June 2001, she led a Study Travel program in Madrid and Barcelona, "Spain's Two Capitals."
Below are Gwen's comments about the centuries-long blending of three diverse cultures — Muslim, Christian and Jewish — in Spain.
Christianity arrived in the Iberian Peninsula during the Roman Empire and became the official religion of Spain under the Visigoths in 587 A.D. Jews, who came during Roman times before Spain was Christian, were persecuted under the Visigoths. When Muslims occupied the peninsula in 711, Jews welcomed them, and Christian nobles took refuge in northern Spain, from where they began an 800-year struggle to reclaim Spain.
The relationships among these three groups varied over time. The Muslims tolerated both Christians and Jews because they considered all three groups as distant cousins who shared Abraham as their patriarch. Jews and Christians were allowed a degree of autonomy and the opportunity to practice their own religion and customs in exchange for paying special taxes.
This changed after the year 1000 when increasingly conservative Muslims from North Africa invaded Spain in successive waves. They were less tolerant of Jews and Christians than their Arabic predecessors. These Muslim invaders were also critical of the Spanish Muslims, whom they considered too lax in their religious practices.
What is the current status of each group?
Spain is culturally Catholic, even though the number of practicing Catholics is diminishing. Spain has had separation of Church and State only since 1978.
Muslims are one of the largest immigrant groups. That a number of them are illegal creates some tension. Though Muslims are a minority, they are a growing group.
There are currently about 15,000 Jews. They were expelled from Spain in 1492 and invited back in the 20th century, but very few have returned.
What is your approach to organizing time and activity during Study Travel?
I like to have a certain amount of structured activity and a certain amount of free time for people to explore on their own. During free time, I'm always open to organizing things spontaneously for small groups.
I plan to have an optional book club component. Participants can join in discussing the novels I've selected to makes the culture of Spain come alive.
