Учебное пособие G. G. Gubina english for tourists in professional communication part I textbook

Task 10. Read the text about Spain’s culture and do the research on one of the architectural objects, 
Spain’s museums, artists, fiestas or festivals, flamenco music and dance music, guitar playing. Make it a 
report and present the report to class. 
Culture of Spain  
Culture of Spain is unique in its own way and it’s the base for the culture of Spanish-speaking 
countries. Its uniqueness is in the historical architecture under the impact of Roman Catholicism, differing 
from other branches of Christianity with its doctrine, absolute authority and behaviour of the popes. The 
architecture is characterized by Gothic and neo-Gothic styles with grand, high but at the same time, 
beautiful, light and airy buildings, pointed arches, e. g.: City Hall and Royal Palace in Madrid, Gaudí’s 
Church of the Sacred Family in Barcelona. Metropol Parasol in Seville is the largest wooden structure in 
the world. 
The artistic heritage of Spain is also unique. Among the Old Masters are the names of El Greco and 
Diego Velázquez. El Greco, painter, miniaturist, then representative of the Renaissance art, created the 
masterpieces Opening of the Fifth Seal, Cleansing of the Temple, Christ Healing the Blind. Diego 
Velázquez’s canvases are magnificent in appearance and style. They are religious, e. g.: Saint Thomas, 
Cabeza de apóstol, San Pablo, portray the representatives of the Spanish nobility: Equestrian Portrait of 
Philip IV, Portrait of Prince Baltasar Carlos, and also include portraits of common people: The 
Waterseller of Seville, The Needlewoman. Bartolomé Esteban Murillo is the leading painter of the Golden 

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Age. Besides his religious works he painted the portraits of the women and children, e.g.: The Holy Family 
with Dog, Crucifixion, The Adoration of the Shepherds, the Annunciation, Boys Eating Grapes and Melon, 
A Girl and Her Duenna. There’s no need to reassure anybody about the significance of Pablo Picasso’s 
paintings. Pablo Picasso was a talented painter, sculpture, and playwright of the 20
th
century. He was 
versatile as a painter with his blue and rose periods, African influence, cubism and surrealism. Picasso’s 
Guernica, The Old Guitarist, Three Musicians, the Blind Man’s Meal are known in the world.
Fiestas and festivals of Spain are world famous. If there’s a fiesta or a holiday, common people 
celebrate it in every city or village of the country, where occur bullfights and bull runs; one can enjoy 
fireworks, bright processions, carnivals, flamenco music and dance, accompanied by the guitars as Spain is 
the homeland of the guitar and flamenco music. And, of course, there’s a lot of the Spanish sun, sea and 
beaches. Welcome to Spain!