VACACIONES DE SEMANA SANTA

WoWWWWW, Maria! THIS IS VERY INTERESTING!

I am glad you like my country to spend your holidays!!! I agree that our countryside is still very quiet and unspoiled!

I am not Bea, I am Serena , but, I can tell you something about Our Lady of Fatima!

It is indeed true that Fatma is the name of Prophet's Maome's siter! There is a village called Fatima in the centre of Portugal!

But, everybody agrees it was just a coincidence...but a misterious one indeed!
This country was also conquered by the moors that left lots of places with arabic names behind!
About 85 % of our population is profoundly devout of Our Lady of Fatima !! Lots of people say that Our Lady has helped them in their lifes intervening! Making miracles!
There is a fact that is curious!
The priests on duty in the Sanctuary have spoted muslins several times visiting the place, thinking that the santuary is a kind of museum in honour of Maome's sister!
The priests admited on tv that it was quite embarassing!!!


By the way, Maria, thanks for the links about Spain!

Serena wrote!

Quote :

The priests on duty in the Sanctuary have spoted muslins several times visiting the place, thinking that the santuary is a kind of museum in honour of Maome's sister!
The priests admited on tv that it was quite embarassing!!!

I bet it must have been!!!


Now it´s time to tell you about our unfortunate queen!

JUANA was in fact the 3rd child of Isabel and Fernando..but she inherited the throne because her brother and her eldest sister died young!
She was a very sweet girl, but given to mood swings and depression!
At seventeen..when.she was still a plain princess of Castille and Aragon!!, she was married to Felipe the Handsome of Flanders( what is now Belgium...)!
It was love at first sight!!
Juana was deeply , madly in love! And spanish women are verrrry passioanate!
But Felipe soon tired of his wife and turned to his old life before marriage...enjoying the company of his mistresses!
Juana was deeply unhappy and never could come to terms with the situation!
while still in Flanders,during a party, Juana found out that one of her husband´s mistresses was wearing a fabulous jewel, Filipe had given her at the time of their wedding!

JUANA had a terrible fit of anger and attacked the woman, cutting her face with a pair of scissors!
Felipe responded by beating his wife in such a way that he almost killed her!!!

This was the situation when Juana became the heir to the throne of Castile..Aragon , Andalucia and the New World of America!!
JUANA forgave her husband and they set out to SPAIN!!
THEY already had three small children!!


They settled in TOLEDO AND SOMETIMES IN GRANADA that had become of the favourite cities of Queen Isabel when she was alive!!

I am very sorry for Juana!! SOOOO young! SOOO unexperienced about politics!!
From now on she would have to fight her father that wanted to go on ruling Castile..and her husband tht wanted to become king instead of her!!


I´ll go on telling you the stoy of this unfortunate woman tomorrow!!!

I hope you are enjoying it!!!!

BESOS!!!

I am not sleepy yet..so why not continuing withthe story!!???


SOOOOO, JUANA became queen! Hwever her husband began hinting that his wife was mentally unhinged!!!! HE wanted to be king instead of her!!
Their married life continued with daily terrible jealous fits from Juana towards her husband who went on collecting mistresses in SPAIN TOO!!


One day, after participating in a hunting...Felipe drank iced water...felt ill and died! He was only 28! They were in Burgos at the time!!

Juana's despair knew no bounds !!!!
She was pregnant with her sixth child!
For days , she refused to leave hER husdand's dead body and kept caressing him all the time!!
The courtisans were terrified!!!
Felipe wanted to be buried in Granada..so the Queen organized a group of courtisans monks and priests that should accompany them, including her dead husband to Granada!!
Burgos is the north of Spain and Granada is in the South!!!
Some historians say that the journey lasted three months ...and every night Juana opened the coffin to caress the embalmed body of her husband!!!

ALL PEOPLE AROUND HER THOUGHT SHE HAD BECOME MAD!!!!


There is a motion picture about this unfortunate QUEEN!! HERE IS THE LINK!
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0270480/

And a link to the official site!

http://www.sonyclassics.com/madlove/index-withflash.html

Maria, Queridinha!!!

I have just stumbled in this thread here!
It's a nice surprise that you like to spend your holidays in my small, cosy country!
Thanks for all the details on the history of Spain!!
I had already seen the movie MAD LOVE!!! It's just super!!!

Tell me, isn't Pilar...Penelope Cruz sister..younger sister?
I think she is!
Thanks for the links!!!!! :<33:


I don't have time now..., but one of these days, I]ll tell you more about FATIMAS history!!!

BEA wrote!

Quote :

Tell me, isn't Pilar...Penelope Cruz sister..younger sister?
I think she is!
Thanks for the links!!!!! :<33:

[b]YES, SHE IS!!!!! IT RUNS IN THE FAMILY!!![/b]

DEAR GIRLS!

I know this is obviously OFF Topic, but I am going to end the story of our unfotunate beautiful Queen, JUANA!!

On Xmas 1506, th Queen, the coffin and her retinue left Burgos in direction of Granada where Isabel of Castille was buried too!

Every night, in the city, village or monastey where they spent the night, the Queen ordered the coffin to be opened to kiss and caress her beloved!
The Ladies in her retinue fainted and the monks and the priests tried to find a solution to stop that folly!!

They Wrote to the Queen´s father Fernando who was back in Aragon at the time..hoping that he could do sth!!

The queen´s children were very small. Her only son was Charles , who later become EMPEROR CHARLES THE V.
ALL THE OTHERS WERE GIRLS!!

Suddenly...in the middle of January, the Queen began her labour of the last of her children Catarina , or Catalina!!
She almost died in chidbirth!!!But she survived!
However, the time she took to recover, enabled her father to look for her , and finally succeed in taking her to Tordesillas.

He also considered that is daughter as mad!

JUANA was imprisioned in a covent in Tordesillas for life!!!

NOOOONE HEEDED HER PLEADINGS!! NOT EVEN HER YOUNG SON...HE WAS VERY SMALL AT THE TIME!!
SHE NEVER SAW HER CHILDREN AGAIN!! SHE NEVER LEFT THE COVENT AGAIN!! ............


SHE DIED 47 YEARS LATER!!!


I HOPE THAT NOW YOU KNOW A BIT MORE ABOUT THE HISTORY OF SPAIN!!!
I WAS ALWAYS VERY TOUCHED BY JUANA`S SAD LIFE!!! HER LIFE WAS SOOOOO SAD!
SHE WAS SOOOOOO UNHAPPY!!!


I would like to go on talking about our history and perhAPS TELL you some legends, but I think I am going to create another topic here in the aditional corner!!

THANKS FOR YOUR KIND ATTENTION! :<33:

Dear Maria!

Thanks for the story of Queen Juana! POOR UNHAPPY PRINCESS!!!
SHE MUST HAVE SUFFERED SOOOO MUCH!!! AND SHE NEVER SAW HER CHILDREN AGAIN!!

I remember the picture!

I did not know that Pilar was Penelope´s sister!!

SHE IS A GREAT ACTRESS TOO!


THANKS!! AND DONªT WORRY IT WAS OFF TOPIC!!!!

THANKS FOR THIS HISTORY LESSON!!!!


I REALLY ENJOYED it






beijos!!! :<33:

eh...

Dear Maria...
I finally got the time to read all the last posts from this topic. I think you did a great job presenting these important parts of your history. I enjoyed reading them and more than that it was very useful. Thanks a lot for your time and, as Bea said , for the great history lesson :<33:

hugs and kisses,
Alex

Serena wrote!

Quote :

I did not know that Pilar was Penelope´s sister!!

SHE IS A GREAT ACTRESS TOO! :zvet

I like her even better than her sister!

Maria, queridinha, I don´t want to press you! , but when you have time, tell a bit more about the rest...the most important facts of your country history!
Take your time...because there so many posts here in the Forum that it is impossible to read everything and watch everything rightaway!!!





And tell us one beautiful legend too!!1

Dear girls!!!

Thanks for your words!
Well...I'll tell you more of my country history one of this days!!!
By the way...did you know that our pesent and beloved king Juan Carlos is directly descended from LE ROI SOLEIL?????


I'LL TELL YOU EVERYTHING IN TIME!!!! :<33:


BY the way..I like Pilar more than Penelope!!! PILAR IS NICER!!

Please do tell us..in time of course :<33: , It's very interesting and nice to read about your country.

I will, Alex...querida mia!!!! :<33:



:<33: :<33: :<33: :<33: :<33: :<33:

MARIA...QUERIDINHA!! :<33:
I AM NOT VERY GOOD IN HISTORY...BUT I THINK THERE WAS A PERIOD WHEN OUR TWO COUNTRIES WERE ONE!

DON'T FORGET TO MENTION IT!!!

PORTUGUESE PEOPLE KICKED THE SPANIARDS OUT IN THE END!!!

:<33: PLEASE...DON'T BE OFFENDED!! :<33:

MUITISSIMOS BEIJOS!!!

Bea wrote!

Quote :

PORTUGUESE PEOPLE KICKED THE SPANIARDS OUT IN THE END!!!

:<33: PLEASE...DON'T BE OFFENDED!! :<33:

MUITISSIMOS BEIJOS!!!

OF COURSE I AM NOT Offended!! IT WAS SQUARE AND FAIR!!

Don´t worry ...that I won´t forget to mention it!!


BESOS!!!

CONTINUING WITH SPANISH HISTIRY...


SOME FACTS ABOUT unfortunate JUANA'S SON CHARLES!!!

Charles V was Holy Roman Emperor, King of Spain, Naples, and Sicily, and ruler of the Burgundian territories. In Spain, he ruled officially as Carlos I, though he is often referred to as Carlos V. Because of his majestic rule, he is sometimes known by his Spanish epithet, "El Dorado", or "the golden one".

He was the son of Philip the Handsome and Joanna the Mad of Castile. His maternal grandparents were Ferdinand II of Aragon and Isabella I of Castile, whose marriage had first united the Spain. His paternal grandparents were Emperor Maximilian I and Marie, Duchess of Burgundy.

Charles V's reign also introduced the first documented use of the styles of His Majesty or His Imperial Majesty. Because of his far-reaching territories he was described as ruling an Empire "in which the sun does not set".

Combining in himself the heritage of the German Habsburgs, the House of Burgundy, and the Spanish heritage of his mother, Charles transcended ethnic and national boundaries.

The prime influence in his early life was the culture and courtly life of the Burgundian Low Countries, where he was born and grew up. He was brought up to speak French and Flemish, but soon added Spanish and some German . Indeed, he was said to "speak French to men, Italian to women, Latin to God and German to his horse".


EMPEROR CHARLES MARRIED THE LOVE OF HIS LIFE ISABEL OF PORTUGAL...OF PORTUGAL!!!!! BEA!!!!!

She was said to be the most beautiful princess of her time!!!
And indeed she was!!!

Maria wrote about Emperor CHARLES!!

Quote :

He was brought up to speak French and Flemish, but soon added Spanish and some German . Indeed, he was said to "speak French to men, Italian to women, Latin to God and German to his horse".

SPEAK ITALIAN TO WOMEN!!WOWWWWW...HOW ROMANTIC!! HE HAD GOOD TASTE!!
SOOOOO...HE SPOKE ITALIAN TO HIS PORTUGUSE WIFE!!


SPEAK LATIN TO GOD!!! SOOOO SERIOUS!!!


SPEAK GERMAN TO HORSES!!!

I hope there aren´t any germans here!!!

DEAR GOD:::: HE wasn´t in the habit of speaking spanish, was he?
Maria , queridinha.. you still have to finish your vacaciones report!!

Maria also wrote!!

Quote :

EMPEROR CHARLES MARRIED THE LOVE OF HIS LIFE ISABEL OF PORTUGAL...OF PORTUGAL!!!!! BEA!!!!!

She was said to be the most beautiful princess of her time!!!
And indeed she was!!!

I am dying to read the details of their LOVE STORY!!

AND PORTUGUESE GIRLS AR VERY BEAUTIFUL!!!
THEY STILL ARE TODAY!!!


BUT I remember that it was because of pretty ISABEL that PoRTUGAL BECAME PART OF SPAIN FOR 80 YEARS!!

WELL...I´LL TELL YOU THEIR LOVE STORY TOMORROW!!


BEA WROTE!!

Quote :

DEAR GOD:::: HE wasn´t in the habit of speaking spanish, was he?
Maria , queridinha.. you still have to finish your vacaciones report!!

NO HE wasn´t HE PREFERED ITALIAN AND FRENCH!!!

I´LL FINISH MY REPORT AFTER TELLING THE HISTORY OF SPAIN and a legnd or two!

THE ROYAL SPANISH FAMILY LIVED HERE!!

YOUR PORTUGUESE PRINCESS TOO!!!!!

IT'S THE ALHAMBRA IN GRANADA!!!!!!!

Maria wrote about king CHARLES!!

Quote :

Indeed, he was said to "speak French to men, Italian to women, Latin to God and German to his horse".

That's the funniest thing I have read about a county history!!

No wonder Isabel was madly in love with him!! WASN'T SHE???

ITALIAN IS SOOOO ROMANTIC!!!

QUOTE BEA!!!

Quote :

AND PORTUGUESE GIRLS AR VERY BEAUTIFUL!!!
THEY STILL ARE TODAY!!!


BUT I remember that it was because of pretty ISABEL that PoRTUGAL BECAME PART OF SPAIN FOR 80 YEARS!! :shocked

YES...IT'S TRUE!!!

BOTH

Now a little about Charles and Isabel of Portugal's...of Portugal, Bea , love story!!!

CHARLES WAS VERY DIFFERENT FROM HIS FATHER! He was a very serious young man! He was only nineteen when he inherited that huge Empire!!
He had seen Isabel when they were teenagers and had fallen madly in love with her! And she with him!!!
They decided to spend their honeymoon in GRANADA! AND BECAME MORE AND MORE IN LOVE!!! He ordered special flowers from PERSIA to give to her during the honeymoon!!!

Isabel was very...very beautiful, but also very frail and delicate!
However,..she got pregnant right after the honeymoon
Their first child Felipe, was born in Valladolid. He was to become king Filipe the II of SPAIN And I Of PORTUGAL!
His mother's health suffered with the childbirth and the doctors warned the king that the queen's life would be at risk if they had more children right away!
Charles didn't breath a word of this to Isabel! He did not want to upset her!
But Isabel was very smart! SHE WAS PORTUGUESE BEA!
She wondered why her husband did not make love to her after she had recovered!
She even suspected he had a mistress and she confronted Charles! with this suspicion!
He could not resist her and told her everything!
But Isabel loved...adored her husband and wanted him...wanted to make love passionately again! She told her husband she would risk anything!!!

SHE JUST WANTED HIM!!!!

MORE ABOUT ISABEL ONE OF THESE DAYS!!