A travel series unlike any other, Insight Guides go beyond the sights and into reality. Their incomparable photojournalistic approach captures the uniqueness of each culture they cover: their traditions, their arts, their history, their lives. The stunning photography is married to compelling text, written by local writers; the people most qualified to convey their culture's secrets.Yes, Insight Guides will tell you which attractions to visit, but they'll also tell you a whole lot more. From the most popular resort cities to the world's most remote and exotic villages, Insight Guides will give you the insider's perspective you need to truly experience any destination you visit.Insight Guides serve many purposes. They are ideal for planning a trip. And, they're wonderful souvenirs to treasure for years after. Even the armchair traveler can be swept away by their magnificent content and experience the world from the comfort of home.Many international and domestic and domestic destinations also offer companion FlexiMaps, an innovative laminated folding map specially designed for the discriminating traveler.

Queen Isabel of Castile is perhaps best known for her patronage of Christopher Columbus and for the religious zeal that led to the Spanish Inquisition, the waging of holy war, and the expulsion of Jews and Muslims across the Iberian peninsula. In this sweeping biography, newly revised and annotated to coincide with the five-hundredth anniversary of Isabel's death, Peggy K. Liss draws upon a rich array of sources to untangle the facts, legends, and fiercely held opinions about this influential queen and her decisive role in the tumultuous politics of early modern Spain. Isabel the Queen reveals a monarch who was a woman of ruthless determination and strong religious beliefs, a devoted wife and mother, and a formidable leader. As Liss shows, Isabel's piety and political ambition motivated her throughout her life, from her earliest struggles to claim her crown to her secret marriage to King Fernando of Aragn, a union that brought success in civil war, consolidated Christian hegemony over the Iberian peninsula, and set the stage for Spain to become a world empire.

This book provides everything you'll ever need in a guidebook. It is an inspiring background read, an invaluable on-the-spot companion and a superb souvenir of your visit.Evocative photography: Insight guides are renowned for their great pictures, which vividly convey a sense of everyday life.Illuminating text: Expert writers bring to life the history, monuments, wildlife, cities and, above all, its people.Detailed, cross-referenced maps: All sites are clearly highlighted and numbered in relation to the text.Full listings: All the travel details, hotels, restaurants and phone numbers you'll need.

Provides a region-by-region guide to Spain including information on accommodations, shopping, and points of interest

This work deals with international principles regarding the use of language in the administration of justice, and looks at the way in which multilingual countries such as Belgium and Switzerland approach this complex problem.

The distinct religious culture of early modern Spain -- characterized by religious unity at a time when fierce civil wars between Catholics and Protestants fractured northern Europe -- is further understood through examining the expulsion of the Jews and suspected Muslims. While these two groups had previously lived peaceably, if sometimes uneasily, with their Christian neighbors throughout much of the medieval era, the expulsions brought a new intensity to Spanish Christian perceptions of both the moriscos (converts from Islam) and the judeoconversos (converts from Judaism). In Parallel Histories, James S. Amelang reconstructs the compelling struggle of converts to coexist with a Christian majority that suspected them of secretly adhering to their ancestral faiths and destroying national religious unity in the process. Discussing first Muslims and then Jews in turn, Amelang explores not only the expulsions themselves but also religious beliefs and practices, social and professional characteristics, the construction of collective and individual identities, cultural creativity, and, finally, the difficulties of maintaining orthodox rites and tenets under conditions of persecution. Despite the oppression these two groups experienced, the descendants of the judeoconversos would ultimately be assimilated into the mainstream, unlike their morisco counterparts, who were exiled in 1609. Amelang masterfully presents a complex narrative that not only gives voice to religious minorities in early modern Spain but also focuses on one of the greatest divergences in the history of European Christianity.

One of Spain's most talented culinary ambassadors showcases her culinary heritage through more than 250 recipes, including her own, her friends' recipes, and those of fellow chefs across Spain, from the famed rice dishes of Valencia and the mojos of the Canary Islands to hearty stews and braised meats.

From Bilbao to the Canary Islands, Fodor's local writers have traveled throughout the country to find the best hotels, restaurants, attractions and activities to prepare readers for a journey of stunning variety.