ARANJUEZ

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SPECIAL PROGRAMS ONLY FOR SPOUSES   If you wa
nt to participate in any of the tours for
spouses, a tour desk will be available at the h
otel for you to register at the time of
registration for the General Assembly  
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ARANJUEZSaturday, October 4

• Located in the wide, flat valley that makes up
  the fertile plain the Tajo and Jarama rivers in
  an area of scenic beauty is the city of
  Aranjuez, declared a National Cultural Heritage
  Site by UNESCO in 2001.

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GARDENS OF ARANJUEZ

• Aranjuez possesses some of the most beautiful
  gardens in the world. The varied vegetation and
  wide range of species of trees, together with the
  impressive variety of flowers, is complemented by
  stone and marble fountains featuring statutes of
  classical mythological figures.
• The extensive gardens, constructed to enrich the
  royal residence in the arid plateau of central
  Spain and irrigated by the waters of the Tajo and
  Jarama rivers, are the most important of the
  Hapsburg era in Spain. They have gained special
  renown thanks to Joaquin Rodrigos Concierto de
  Aranjuez, regarded as Spains most listened to
  musical composition.
• .

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ROYAL PALACE

• The construction of this Palace in the baroque
  style went through various stages, as evidenced
  in its main façade, made up of additions made
  over two centuries. It has more than 300 rooms,
  alternating between Colmenar stone and bright red
  tiles.
• Porcelain Room Constructed between 1759 and 1765
  it was created Italian artists on the orders of
  King Carlos III. The room is totally covered by
  porcelain tiles made at Madrids Buen Retiro
  workshop. The background is blue, adorned with
  garlands and reliefs depicting Chinese scenes and
  exotic themes.

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THE GREEN FROG RESTAURANT

• El Rana Verde (The Green Frog) restaurant founded
  in 1908 is internationally known for its
  outstanding location on the banks of the Tajo
  river, beside the Royal Palace and Gardens. Its
  meat and fish dishes and the quality and variety
  of its cuisine make this a must place to visit
  for lovers of good food.

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TO SEGOVIA BY HIGH-SPEED TRAINSunday, October 5
Transfer by bus with guide to AVE (High-Speed
Train) station Travel in high-speed train to Sego
via Sightseeing in Segovia ending at the Alcazar
Descent to the Aqueduct via the Cathedral Lunch
at Casa Cándido Transfer to La Granja to see the
Royal Palace and Gardens Return to Madrid via Nav
acerrada.
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AQUEDUCT

• This is without doubt one of the most important
  ancient structures, being a majestic piece of
  Roman engineering that gives the city its special
  character.
• We do not know for sure when it was constructed
  due to the lack of any inscription being found.
  For some historians it was built in the time of
  Augustus, others place it in the second half of
  the 1st century A.D. and early 2nd century, in
  the time of Emperors Vespasian and Trajan.
• It was constructed of granite keystones with no
  use of mortar.
  
• It begins in La Acebeda, at a spot near La
  Granja, from where it carries water to the
  capital, a distance of some nine miles of which
  approximately 2,400 feet is above ground with the
  remainder underground.

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THE ALCAZAR

• The Alcázar is a military fortress nestling
  between the Eresema and Clamores rivers on a rock
  eroded by them. Its origin is uncertain, but very
  likely this fortification was already in
  existence at the time of the Romans and was used
  by the Muslims.
• Isabel the Catholic sallied forth from here to be
  proclaimed sovereign of Castile in the Main
  Square.
  
• One curious thing to note is that the complicated
  yet beautiful silhouette of the Alcázar has been
  the inspiration for the castles in Walt Disney
  parks and movies.

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CATHEDRAL

• The Segovia Cathedral is one of the most recent
  Gothic constructions in Spain. Known as the
  Doyen of Cathedrals it was built between 1525
  and 1577.
• Noteworthy are its tall and graceful tower and
  magnificent interior, a veritable wonder of light
  and harmony, made up of three naves, apse and
  ambulatory, radiating from them chapels with
  ribbed vaults. There are 12 chapels on the
  perimeter of the main nave.
• The Main Altar is surrounded by seven chapels
  with fine altarpieces, paintings, sculptures and
  tombs dating from various eras and of differing
  styles and authors. It is worked in marble,
  jasper and bronze. It was painted by Sabatini.

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LA GRANJA

• King Felipe V wished to construct a small
  Versailles in this place, like his grandfather,
  King Louis XIV, had done when he built the Palace
  of Versailles in Paris.
• In the gardens are 26 monumental fountains, all
  of them with fantastic waterworks and statues to
  historical and mythological figures.
  
• We could say that while the mythology at
  Versailles is dedicated to Apollo who represents
  the sun, at La Granja it is dedicated to Diana,
  who represents the moon.

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ORIENTE PALACEMonday, October 6

• Madrids Royal Palace is the official residence
  of His Majesty the King of Spain, used in state
  ceremonies, although he does not live there.
  
• The palace dates from the 9th century, during
  which the Moslem kingdom of Toledo constructed a
  defensive building that was later used by the
  kings of Castille, upon which in the 16th century
  the Old Alcázar was built.
• That building was destroyed by fire on Christmas
  Eve 1734 and King Felipe V ordered a New Palace
  to be built on the same site. The palace was
  constructed throughout in stone and brick, with
  no wood so that no further fire might destroy it.

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ALMUDENA CATHEDRAL

• The cathedral of Santa María La Real de La
  Almudena is the episcopal seat of the Madrid
  (Spain) diocese. It is a church 330 feet long and
  240 feet high with a mixture of various styles -
  NeoClassic outside, NeoGothic inside and NeoRoman
  in the crypt.
• It was consecrated by Pope John Paul II during
  his fourth visit to Spain on June 15, 1993. It is
  the first Spanish cathedral to be consecrated by
  a Pope and the first consecrated by John Paul II
  outside of Rome.
• It is located in the center of the city. The main
  façade looks out over Armería Square, facing
  Oriente Palace. The side entrance is on Bailén
  Street and the crypt on Main Street. Unlike other
  cathedrals, which have an east-west orientation,
  Almudena faces north-south, due to its
  conceptualization as an integral part of the
  Madrid Royal Palace complex.

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ORIENTE SQUARE

• Located facing the eastern façade of the Royal
  Palace, Oriente Square was created in a district
  known as Priora Garden, belonging to the
  Monastery of the Incarnation. The project was not
  concluded due to the overthrow of the French in
  the War of Independence. Queen Isabel II would
  become the one to conclude the current layout
  with construction of the Royal Theatre and
  Gardens. The equestrian statute of King Felipe
  IV that dominates the square was transferred from
  Retiro Park to Oriente Square in 1843. This
  statue is based on the portrait that Velázquez
  had painted of the monarch.

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SACRAMENTO STREET

• This is one of the most stately streets to be
  found in the city of Madrid. In it we find
  medieval palaces and churches dating from that
  era, conserved thanks to successive
  restorations.
• San Miguel ChurchIt is one of the few Spanish
  churches in the Italian baroque style. It is
  dedicated to Saints Pastor and Justo. The end of
  this street becomes a complex of lanes punctuated
  by small squares and to lose oneself in these is
  always a delight. This labyrinth is the result
  an absence of planning when a village turned into
  the capital..
• Sacramento ConventOrdered built by King Felipe
  IIIs prime minister at the beginning of the 17th
  century, its construction was slow due to a
  number of legal disputes concerning title to the
  property. All this meant that the architectural
  styles involved changed over its long
  construction period.

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LA PAJA SQUARE

• From this point we come across a group of
  symbolic buildings representative of how life was
  in old Madrid.La Paja SquareThis
  irregularly-shaped square was, together with the
  Carros Square, the medieval commercial district.
  On one side is the Vargas Palace, which dates
  from the 16th century.
• Puerta Cerrada (Closed Gate)It original name was
  Snake Gate, as an image of that animal was carved
  on it. It then came to be known as Closed Gate,
  because it was cancelled and shut down as its
  shape encouraged robberies and holdups. Currently
  there is a cross in its place that beautifies
  what in its day was a water shutoff valve.
• San Pedro (St. Peter)A 14th century church
  dating from the time of King Alfonso XI.
  
• Bishops Chapelthe only Gothic church in the
  city, it contains an altarpiece from the period
  and its doors are of the Plateresque style of
  great artistic value.

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SAN ISIDRO

• This church, construction of which began in 1626,
  belonged at first to the Jesuits. After their
  expulsion ordered by King Carlos III they
  recovered this place when it was restored to them
  by King Fernando VII. During their absence the
  building was assigned as a place of worship of
  the citys patron saint, San Isidro (St.
  Isidore).
• Construction of the Baroque-style church began in
  1626 for the Company of Jesus. It is a church
  with an austere twin-tower façade, one tower on
  each side.
• This church had functioned as the city cathedral
  on a temporary basis until 1993, when
  construction of the Almudena Cathedral was
  completed. Currently it contains the remains
  of the patron saint and of his wife, Santa María
  de la Cabeza.

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DE LA VILLA SQUARE

• This quiet pedestrian square is enclosed by a
  number of interesting buildings loaded with
  history. There is a mixture of styles, from
  Gothic and Plateresque to Baroque.
• City HallIt is in this building that the office
  of the Mayor of Madrid is to be found. The site
  of the city council offices since 1619, the
  building has undergone several modifications,
  from the Primitive Classical style, most notable
  on the first floor, to the Baroque style in the
  rest of the structure.
• Lujane TowerKing Francis I of France was held
  prisoner here following the battle of Pavia. It
  dates from the early 15th century and is part of
  a palace.
• Cisneros HouseIt belonged to the nephew of famed
  Cardinal Cisneros, who inaugurated the University
  of Alcalá de Henares. It is one of the few
  buildings in Madrid surviving from the Middle
  Ages.

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CAVA ALTA Y CAVA BAJA(UPPER AND LOWER CELLARS)

• The Cellars are the former moats that surrounded
  the Christian walls that once were located here.
  The visitor will note that they are curved,
  corresponding to the design of the original
  defenses.
• These streets have been frequented by all kinds
  of people from the time of old Madrid, such as
  St. Isidro, and by the Arabs when they were
  expelled and fled here. It was a place of taverns
  and eating houses that sheltered villains,
  criminals and cheats. Today it is full of
  restaurants and antique shops giving a flavor of
  old Madrid.

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PLAZA MAYOR(MAIN SQUARE)

• This square has been the center of town for
  centuries and having survived several fires,
  remodelings and modifications has taken on its
  current look. It is the site of many social,
  religious and popular events. Public punishment
  was carried out here by the Holy Inquisition. It
  has also been the venue for bullfights on
  horseback and the place where Felipe V, Fernando
  VI and Carlos III were proclaimed king.
• The Bakery This is the most prominent part of
  the square, adorned as it is with frescos. Right
  in front of it is the Butchers Shop, today City
  Hall.

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ARCO DE CUCHILLEROSKNIFE-MAKERS ARCH

• This is the most famous of the nine gateways to
  Madrids Main Square. It is located at the
  southwest corner of the square. The great height
  of this archway is due to the big difference in
  floor level between the Main Square and the San
  Miguel Cellar.
• The Arch is the work of Juan de Villanueva, who
  following a fire in the Main Square in 1790
  completely closed off the square and constructed
  a series of archways to access it.
• It takes its name from Cuchilleros (Knife-Makers)
  Street that it opens out to and where cutlers
  would ply their craft in olden times and then
  sell their knives in the square itself.

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POSADA DE LA VILLA(TOWN INN)

• In this Inn Madrids gastronomic tradition lives
  on, with such delights as Arab-style dishes
  roasted in oak fires and the typical Madrid
  cocido de puchero (stew) prepared over a
  slow-burning fire and with traditional seasoning
  of mint and saffron.

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ART, FLAMENCO, TAPAS SANGRÍATuesday, October 7

• 10.00 Departure from the hotel with guides for
  short sightseeing trip to San Francisco el
  Grande.
  
• 11.00 Visit to San Francisco and historic Las
  Vistillas park, then on to the theater where
  classes will begin at
  
• 12.00 1.00 p.m. Classes with three female
  instructors
  
• Tapas and Sangría

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SAN FRANCISCO EL GRANDE

• One of the main attractions of the basilica is
  its enormous, 108-foot-diameter dome covering the
  central chapel, the largest one that also
  embraces six small surrounding ones, among which
  is the chapel most worth visiting, that dedicated
  to the Blessed Virgin Mary. The basilica also
  contains stalls from the Paular monastery and
  marbles that make a visit even more interesting.
  
• But a must-see are the statutes of the Twelve
  Apostles fashioned from Carrara marble, all of
  them almost 10 feet tall, located under the dome
  and unique in the way in which they have been
  sculpted, along with the four Evangelists worked
  in multicolored wood. The basilica itself and its
  collection of paintings are together certainly
  well worth a visit.
• .

Dome of San Francisco el Grande Angel Rollon
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LAS VISTILLAS

• Las Vistillas is one of the most typical parks of
  Madrid and one of the most visited, due to the
  marvelous views it offers and the possibility of
  witnessing spectacular sunsets.

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CORRAL DE LA MORERÍA(LA MORERÍA THEATER)

• In Las Vistillas, Flamenco classes, followed by
  tapas and sangría