Valencia and Murcia, a glance at African Spain — Key Ideas to Explore

A City of Contrasts: Valencia's Architecture and Atmosphere

Calvert's Valencia is a city of vivid contrasts. He lingers on the Lonja de la Seda (Silk Exchange), praising its Gothic elegance, but also notes the Miguelete tower and the cathedral's mix of styles. The text repeatedly draws attention to the Moorish legacy: "the Arab influence is still visible in the narrow streets and the whitewashed houses." He contrasts the bustling Plaza de la Constitución with the quiet Campo-Santo cemetery. The descriptions are not merely visual; Calvert often adds historical context, such as the destruction caused by Marshal Suchet during the Peninsular War. The reader is encouraged to see Valencia as a palimpsest of Roman, Moorish, and Christian layers.

Saguntum and the Ruins of Antiquity

Moving north, Calvert visits Saguntum (modern Sagunto), focusing on the Roman theatre. He describes its "thirty-three tiers of bluish grey pebbles, cemented cunningly together to look like huge blocks of stone." The theatre's setting is praised: "If the play was tedious, he could turn his eye to the beautiful scenery." Calvert also mentions a lost mosaic of Bacchus discovered in 1795. The tone here is more archaeological, but he never loses the traveler's perspective. He notes that the plain between Murviedro and the sea is "rich in ruins of a bygone age," hinting at undiscovered treasures for future antiquarians.

Castellón and the Festivals of Memory

At Castellón de la Plana, Calvert shifts to a more narrative style, recounting the city's history and its annual Feast of Las Gayates. He describes the pilgrimage to a hermitage on the Desierta mountains, where "clergy and laity alike, bearing green reeds, proceed in pilgrimage." The festival commemorates the city's relocation in the 13th century. Calvert also highlights the city's rebellious spirit, noting the women who fought alongside men during a siege and the subsequent execution of a female warrior. He contrasts Castellón's democratic tendencies with the aristocratic militarism of Morella and the clerical control of Segorbe.

Murcia: A Wild and Fierce Region

The final section introduces the Kingdom of Murcia, described as "a wild, fierce region, where the sun's heat scorches all vegetation." Calvert emphasizes the harsh landscape: "deep and terrible chasms yawn between the rugged mountains." The text suggests a land shaped by extremes, with "great stretches of tawny desert." This is a different Spain from the lush orchards of Valencia. The author's language becomes more dramatic, evoking a sense of desolation and ancient power. The reader is left with an impression of a region that is both beautiful and forbidding, a fitting conclusion to a journey through "African Spain."

Calvert's narrative is best approached as a series of vignettes rather than a systematic guide. The reader should pay attention to the author's asides and comparisons, which reveal his biases and interests. The photographs (not included in this text) are clearly integral to the work, as the captions and references suggest. For a first reading, focus on how Calvert uses physical details—architecture, landscape, festivals—to evoke the character of each place. The book rewards those who read slowly, savoring the specific observations that bring early 20th-century Spain to life.

I keep thinking about that Calvert travelogue, how the architecture there felt like a whispered history carrying Africa into Spain’s coastline. It stayed with me longer than most books do. Something similar happened with The Flowers and Gardens of Madeira — Edition Insights—not the facts, just that quiet sense of a place’s roots curling beneath the surface, gently persistent.