Have a look at the UNESCO World Heritage sites of Barcelona

Did you that know that Barcelona has several sites on the UNESCO World Heritage List? 

Here are just a few examples of the many sights to see while you are visiting this vibrant city:

La Sagrada Familia: This iconic cathedral from the 19th century was first started by architect Francisco de Paula, who had originally envisioned a Neogothic building. However, when the famous Spanish architect Gaudi took over the project in 1883, he soon began to change the project to his own personal and very distinctive style. He was only able to finish the chapel of San Jose, the crypt and the door of El Nacimiento before he died.

La Casa Mila "La Pedrera": A masterpiece built and designed by Antoni Gaudi also on the UNESCO List of World Heritage Sites is the so-called "La Pedrera" House.
It is one of the best-known works by the architect and one of the symbols of Barcelona. Built between 1906 and 1912, everything in this building is curved and undulating. Reflecting Modernist techniques and tendencies, there are chimneys and sculptures on the roof, large windows and iron balconies set into the stone walls on the outside and the interior consists of two painted courtyards.


Palacio Guell: Antoni Gaudi created the small Guell Palace during the 19th century on top of basements and columns. The site features a dome, stained glass windows and stairs that create an optical illusion to make the palace seem larger. The entrance doors are iron work with coiled sculptures snakes and the terrace is a veritable outdoor museum.

Palau de la Musica Catalana: The Palau de la Musica Catalana Auditorium was inaugurated in 1908. It took the architect Lluis Domenech i Montaner three years to complete what is now one of the world's major concert halls. An excellent example of Modernism, the interior is decorated with ceramic mosaics and glass with floral motives.

¡Bienvenidos a Valencia! Incantato welcomes SBC to our one our favorite Spanish cities

Spain's third largest city after Madrid and Barcelona is Valencia. It is located on Spain's coastline, has a warm climate and is situated in the middle of a fertile plain of orange groves and market gardens.
The city was founded by the Romans in 138 BC and later conquered by the Moors.
The three finest buildings in Valencia - Torres de Serranos, Cathedral de Valencia and La Lonja de la Seda de Valencia - were built in the 14th and 15th century, when the city economically prospered.

Torres de Serranos
The tower was erected in 1491 as a triumphal arch in the city's walls. It is a gateway that combines defensive and decorative features and the two towers are crowned with battlements and lightened by delicate Gothic tracery.

The Cathedral de Valencia
The original cathedral was built in 1262, however much has been added over the centuries. The three doorways are in different styles, the oldest of which is the Romanesque Puerta del Palau. The Cathedral's bell tower, the Miguelete, is Valencia's main landmark.

Lonja de la Seda de Valencia - The Silk Exchange
Built in the 15th century, the Silk Exchange is Valencia's jewel of European Gothic civil architecture. The majority of the exchange was built between 1482 and 1492. After the master mason Pere Compte's death, a student completed the work, adding some Renaissance elements. Similarly to old medieval castles, the Silk Exchange is based on a fierce, fortress-like appearance re-enforced by its stone walls. The complete site, consisting of the Sea Consulate Room, the Orange tree Patio, and the Room of Columns, covers more than 2,000 square meters. It is considered one of Europe's most beautiful examples of Gothic civil architecture and for that was also added to the UNESCO List of World Heritage Sites. 

Explore the "Enchanted City" near Cuenca with Incantato Tours

The Ciudad Encantada (English: Enchanted City) is a geological site near the city of Cuenca, in Spain in which the erosive forces of the nearby Júcar river, ice and wind have modelled the rocks into stunning distinctive and memorable shapes. Some of the rock formations that have been named Seta (English: mushroom), Puente (English: bridge), Cara (English: face), Amantes (English: lovers) or La tortuga (English: turtle).

Ciudad Encantada was declared a "Natural Site of National Interest" on 11 June, 1929. The surreal landscape appears in different movies such as Conan the Barbarian from 1982.

The ancient city of Cuenca

Cuenca is a city in the autonomous community of Castilla-La Mancha in central Spain. It is the capital of the province of Cuenca, and one of the largest provinces in Spain, being almost as large as countries like Slovenia or Montenegro. Important Roman settlements, such as the ones found at Saelices and Valeria have also been located in Cuenca. 

The history of Cuenca is one of the richest in Spain, where traces of the Iron Age have surfaced through the remains of various burial grounds.

The city also serves as the site where the Roman Conca was established, which later became a territory ruled by the Visigoths, followed by the Moors, until liberation came by the hands of Alfonso VIII in 1177. It was from then on that Cuenca would enjoy the unique rights as a frontier town, eventually becoming the headquarters of the knightly Order of Santiago.

Today, the history of Cuenca, Spain is captured in the many attractions and intriguing sites from the past that are scattered about the land. The Cathedral, located in Plaza Mayor, dates back to 1177, and displays the allure of several different periods of architecture. Another worthy chapel called the Palcacio Episcopal dates back to the 13th century. While the Cathedral is rather historic, the Town Hall is relatively new (an 18th century gem). 

The hill on which the village thrives upon is thought inhabited since prehistoric times. After the Romans conquered the land, the Arabs converted it into a fortress, which was later taken back by Alfonso VIII. In Belmonte, an assortment of well-preserved churches, palaces, and convents hailing from between the 15th to 17th century reside.

In 1996, Cuenca was named a UNESCO World Heritage Site, due to its unusually well-preserved medieval fortified old city center. 

Incantato Introduction: Spanish Cuisine

The Spanish food tradition has varied ancestry, though most Spanish dishes have rather humble origins and are the result of ingredients put together by farmers or shepherd families - many times using leftovers, or at the very least products from their own farms and orchards.
Mountains run through Spain in several directions, acting as natural barriers to communication and making transportation difficult until the last half of the 20th century. This is one of the reasons why cooking differs so much from region to region. Many times the only common ingredients are olive oil and garlic, the two basic ingredients of Spanish food!
Many dishes are prepared today using the same cooking methods and ingredients as they were two or three hundred years ago. Other dishes sprung up from European and American influences and were adapted to the Spanish taste. One thing is for sure, food in Spain is fresh, abundant and full of taste and the Spanish love their food dearly.

Unquestionably pork is par excellence the most favorite Spanish meat:
the Spanish like to make use of all of the ingredients they can and often include a number of different meats in the same dish.
Of course there are many other meats served in Spanish tables including lamb, beef and chicken. But Spaniards are not exclusively carnivorous, there are many vegetarian stews and other dishes that are enjoyed from North to South, from East to West. Vegetables are grown throughout the country, and the varied climates and terrains in Spain mean that a variety of different vegetables are grown. As a result, the vegetable dishes in Spain tend to also vary from place to place.

But what makes Spanish food so popular? The answer is simple it is the quality and variety of the ingredients used. For instance, it was the Romans that imported rice to Spain, giving way to the creation of the Valencian paellaand many other rice dishes. Since then, these dishes have come to form part of the typical dishes of Spain and are a definite must for any travelers who are planning on visiting Spain and doing a bit of gastronomic tourism.

There is also a great variety of seafood, including fish and crustaceans from the coast areas, which are used in the preparation of many delicious dishes. The fish industry in Spain is extremely important and forms part of the livelihood of many of the population. Furthermore, Spain is a country that is blessed with such a large and varied coastline, including the Bay of Biscay, the Atlantic Ocean and the Mediterranean Sea. This gives rise to a whole manner of different species of fish and seafood being available for Spanish chefs. Therefore the range of Spanish seafood dishes is endless!

When it comes to sweet things, Spain has a very rich dessert tradition. On one hand it was also influenced by the Moors, and on the other many of them are centuries old creations from nun convents. 
If you have a sweet tooth we recommend you to sample some of the many deserts Spain has to offer for a example Churros, Spain’s answer to a donut, a crunchy, deep-fried sweet snack that resembles the horns of the churro sheep. It is mostly served with hot chocolate to dip it in.

¡Buen provecho!

Visiting Spain's Capital City Madrid

In the past, Madrid has often been considered the stately, classical cousin to the cooler, hipper Barcelona. However, the ambiance of Spain's capital is changing and it is evolving into a trendy destination in its own right.

One of the main contributors to this transformation has been the emerging and contemporary art exhibitions and there has also been a spike in shopping venues opened with international visitors in mind. 
One of the events to watch is the fourth annual Apertura contemporary art exhibition, presented by the ARTE Madrid Association of Art Galleries. The festival features simultaneous activities at museums and some 50 galleries city-wide.  

There will also be the first ever Summa, a fair hosted by the Matadero Madrid cultural center, that will showcase everything from emerging art and photography to gastronomy. The Matadero center itself is also a happening venue, with year-round events and exhibitions. Located in the previously less touristed Arganzueal district, the center has revitalized that part of the city. 
If shopping is more of interest to you than art, be sure to watch out for the Las Rozas Village. It is a large complex that acts not only as a tourist draw, but is also set to help revive the country's down economy. Close to Gran Via is also TriBail, featuring young designers, appealing shops and one-of-a-kind boutiques. 

An addition to the thriving shopping and art scene, the San Anton Markethas also been a valuable addition to what Madrid has to offer. Situated in the popular neighborhood of Chueco, which is a hub of welcoming restaurants, this modern, refurbished market offers visitors typical season Spanish products in a three-story building. The building originally dates back to the 19th century, but it was modernized in 2002 and finally opened in 2011. San Anton is not a market in the traditional sense, but a combination between market, show cooking and restaurant. 

On the first floor, vendors present stands of food from hamburgers to a selection of more than 60 types of bread, vegetables and fruit. On the second floor, there is a tasting area, as well as the opportunity to purchase Spanish and international cuisine to go. A restaurant is located on the third floor where typical products form the market below are cooked. It also features a terrace lounge with a view. 

Incantato Welcomes You to Spain!

¡Damas y caballeros, bienvenidas y bienvenidos a España!

Spain, officially the Kingdom of Spain, is a member state of the European Union since 1986 and is located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula.

Its mainland is bordered to the south and east by the Mediterranean Sea except for a small land boundary with the British Overseas Territory of Gibraltar; to the north by France, Andorra, and the Bay of Biscay; and to the northwest and west by the Atlantic Ocean and Portugal. Spanish territory also includes the Balearic Islands in the Mediterranean, the Canary Islands in the Atlantic Ocean off the African coast, and two autonomous cities in North Africa, Ceuta and Melilla, that border Morocco.

With an area of 505,955 km², Spain is the second largest country in Western Europe and the European Union after France and is amongst the fifty largest countries in the world. Since January 1, 2010, Spain has held the Presidency of the Council of the European Union.

Because of its location, the territory of Spain was subject to many external influences, often simultaneously, since prehistoric times and through the dawn of Spain as a country. Conversely, the country itself has been an important source of influence to other regions, chiefly during the Modern Era, when it became a global empire that has left a legacy of over 400 million Spanish speakers today, making it the world's second most spoken language by native speakers. Spain is a democracy organized in the form of a parliamentary government under a constitutional monarchy.

The Spanish population stands at over 47 million, with an average density of just 93.4 inhabitants per square kilometer.
The life expectancy in Spain is one of the highest in the world (approximately 82,1 years). Life expectancy for Spanish women, at 85 years, is also one of the highest in the European Union. Around 15% of the Spanish population is under 16 years old, while approximately 15% are over 65. Nevertheless, Spain's population is still quite young in comparison to that of other European countries.

Since Spain has still a monarchy the members of the Spanish royal family enjoy the affection and respect of the Spanish people. The royal family is made up of H.M. the King Juan Carlos, H.M. the Queen Sofía, the Prince and Princess of Asturias, Felipe and Letizia, and their daughters, Leonor and Sofía.

Spain, is one of the warmest countries in Europe and has a predominantly warm Mediterranean climate, with dry summers and winters with balanced temperatures. Here you can enjoy more than 3,000 hours of sunshine per year. It is no surprise, then, that this is also one of the warmest parts of Europe.
When talking of weather, special mention should be made of the Canary Islands. Their special location, facing the coast of Africa, gives them a benign climate with mild temperatures with only small temperature differences between day and night, whatever the season.

The currency in Spain is the Euro, as in other European Union countries. The Euro is divided into 100 cents.
• There are eight different coins: 1, 2, 5, 10, 20 and 50 cent, and 1 and 2 Euro.
• And seven different bank notes, for the following amounts: 5, 10, 20, 50, 100, 200 and 500 Euro.

Concert and exchange on Monday, April 11 at 10:15 AM for the St. Bonaventure’s College Wind Ensemble and Chamber Choir at Massimo Institute (Rome)

St. Bonaventure’s College Wind Ensemble and Chamber Choir, of St. John’s, Newfoundland, Canada, will give a concert and get in touch with the locals at the Massimiliano Massimo Institute in Rome on Monday, April 11 at 10:15 AM. The Massimiliano Massimo Institute (Istituto Massimiliano Massimo) is a Jesuit school in Rome.
Its roots are in the School of Grammar, Humanities and Christian Doctrine, a small school set up in Via Nuova Capitolina (now Via dell'Aracœli) by Ignatius Loyola in 1551. That school proved a success and so pope Gregory XIII ordered the construction of a larger institution, which opened on 28 October 1584 as the Roman College. In this and other Jesuit colleges was written the 1559 Ratio Studiorum, a document which is still the basis of the teaching methods in Jesuit schools. Those methods were followed in the Roman College until the Jesuits' suppression in 1773 and was restored with the order in 1814 by pope Pius VII.
In 1870 the Italian Government confiscated the building for the Ennio Quirino Visconti Liceo Ginnasio, with the College's professors and students moving to the nearby palazzo Borromeo until the Pontifical Gregorian University was built to take its university students. However, in 1873, father Massimiliano Massimo (after whom the institute is named) inherited the Palazzo Peretti and, in 1879, made it available to the Jesuits for the re-foundation of a school to continue the Roman College's work in secondary education. In 1960, due to a rise in student numbers, the Institute was transferred from Terme (near the Stazione Termini) to EUR, where it is now sited. It stands out from the skyline at EUR thanks to the odd shape of its church and its position on the highest point of the EUR pentagon. In 1973 it was allowed to enroll its first set of students and in 1987 all its classes were made co-ed.
The institute participates in many sports, both in the schools league and the sports associations, such as hockey, long jump, athletics, weightlifting, racing and basketball. It is also the headquarters of the Student Missionary League, a Jesuit movement for the spiritual training of secondary students, organising meetings and work camps, in preparation for confirmation of those in and above their third year at secondary school.

St. Bonaventure's College Wind Ensemble & Chamber Choir's upcoming tour

St. Bonaventure's College Wind Ensemble & Chamber Choir has an exciting week of performances coming up! Check the itinerary below for some idea of where you'll be headed and the amazing venues in which you'll get to perform.

Scambio Culturale e Concerto
Monday, April 11, at 10:15 am
Istituto Massimiliano Massimo

Roma

Animazione Liturgica
Tuesday, April 12 at 5 pm
Basilica di San Pietro
Citta del Vaticano

Papal Audience
Wednesday, April 13 at 10:30 am
Piazza di San Pietri
Citta del Vaticano

Concerto di Banda
Thursday, April 14 at 6 pm
Giardini del Comune
Maiori

Concerto di Coro
Thursday, April 14 at 8 pm
Chiesa di San Francesco
Maiori

Concerto di Coro e di Banda
Friday, April 15 at noon
Chiesa di Santa Maria della Veritá
Napoli

Recital
Saturday, April 16 at 11 am
Abbazia di Montecassino

Concerto di Coro e di Banda
Saturday, April 16 at 6:45 pm
Convento San Silvestro
Monte Compatri

Also, keep checking the blog for more updates, information, and useful travel tips!

New additions to your Incantato Tour Blog!

Dear Saint Bonaventure's College Travelers,
We have added new, important, and exciting information to your Incantato Performance Tour Blog. Please click on the links below to learn more about your upcoming adventure, and be sure to check back regularly for further updates.

Travel information:

• Updated tour itinerary
• Map of tour route
• Travel Tip: What to pack
• Travel Tip: High voltage
• Travel Tip: Money matters
• Travel Tip: Use of cell phones
• Travel Tip: Frequently asked questions
  

Confirmed performances:

• Curch of Massimo Institute, Rome
  
• Saint Peter's Basilica, Vatican City
• Church of the Gesú, Rome
  
• Papal Audience, Vatican City
• Montecassino Abbey
• Chiesa di San Francesco, Maiori
  

Hotel accommodations:

• Hotel Capannelle, Rome
• Amici di San Francesco, Maiori - Performance Tour
• Hotel Reginna Palace, Maiori - Shadow Tour
• Villa Vecchia, Rome

Enjoy the St. Bonaventure’s College tour blog? Then become a follower and never miss an update

Dear Members, Family and Friends of the St. Bonaventure’s College Wind Ensemble & Chamber Choir, we sure hope you enjoy the blog and recommend that you become a follower by clicking on the respective option in the right side bar of this webpage. As a follower, you will never miss an update and once the group heads over to Europe there should be lots of news coming your way. You can also leave comments which are like virtual greetings. Our tour team will pass those messages to the travelers on tour whenever possible. Everyone at Incantato Tours wishes you well as you prepare for this exciting journey under the leadership of Ms. Vincenza Etchegary, Instrumental Director, and Ms. Maria Conkey, Choral Director.

SBC Newfoundland performance venue for Tuesday, April 12 at 9:00 PM: Church of the Gesù in Rome

On Tuesday, April 12 at 9:00 PM, St. Bonaventure’s College Wind Ensemble and Chamber Choir will perform at Church of the Gesù in Rome. The Church of the Gesù is the mother church of the Society of Jesus, a Roman Catholic religious order also known as the Jesuits. Officially named Chiesa del Santissimo Nome di Gesù all'Argentina, its facade is "the first truly baroque façade", introducing the baroque style into architecture. The church served as model for innumerable Jesuit churches all over the world, especially in the Americas. The Church of the Gesù is located in the Piazza del Gesù in Rome. First conceived in 1551 by Saint Ignatius of Loyola, the founder of the Jesuits Society of Jesus, and active during the Protestant Reformation and the subsequent Catholic Reformation, the Gesù was also the home of the Superior General of the Society of Jesus until the suppression of the order in 1773.

Meet the Catholic School Pontificio Istituto delle Maestre Pie Filippini in Naples

When in Naples, the travelers of St. Bonaventure’s College Wind Ensemble and Chamber Choir of St. John’s, Newfoundland in Canada will get in touch with students of the Pontificio Istituto delle Maestre Pie Filippini.

Who they are (from the website): We are an Institute of consecrated life with an apostolic purpose. We continue the work of Jesus the Teacher in our times (Const. Art. 1). We consider our principal ministry to be that of Christian education of youth and of adults, especially women (Const. Art. 3). "Religious" is the substantial nucleus of our oblation to God and of our mission as "Teachers", consecrated through being invited to fulfill, with the heart of Christ, a service of love, above all among the young. For this, we are named Religious Teachers. The name "Filippini" leads us back to the person of Lucy, on her journey of becoming Christ-like, which arose from careful contemplation of the Mystery of the Incarnation, of the Cross, and of the Eucharist.