Valesa Cultural

Luxury Hotels in Madrid and Cordoba

editor — Fri, 16 Dec 2011 15:03:15 +0000

Here is a nice article written by Betsy Goldberg of Virtuoso on her recent visit to Spain with us. Our FAM trip had travel advisors visiting some of Spain’s emblematic cities, and some lesser frequented gems. To read more about some of the hotels click below.

From the Virtuoso Blog - Just back from Spain

Cordoba by night

editor — Fri, 18 Nov 2011 12:28:14 +0000

Cordoba, one of Andalucia’s loveliest cities, has just added one more reason to spend the night.

A new initiative has been introduced in Cordoba promoting night-time visits to their Mosque-turned-Cathedral. Its called the Soul of Cordoba “El Alma de Cordoba” and allows a limited number of visitors each evening to experience an extra special illuminated autoguided visit to one of the most singular religious buildings in the world. The “Mezquita-Catedral” is a UNESCO ‘World Heritage Monument and in our opinion one of the must see sites in Europe.

Cordoba’s period of greatest glory began in the 8th century after the Moorish conquest, and by the 11^th century the city had had become the centre of a great realm renowned for its artistic and intellectual predominance and its liberal tolerance of other religions. After the Christian conquest, In the 13th century, under Ferdinand III, Cordoba’s Great Mosque was turned into a cathedral. The structure was maintained and several chapels were built. Later the heavy, incongruous Baroque choir was sanctioned in the very heart of the mosque by Charles V in the 1520s. Artists and architects continued to add to the existing structure until the late 18th century, making the Mezquita an intriguing architectural oddity with styles spanning 8 centuries.

The Alma de Cordoba night-time visit costs 18 Euros and begins from 8pm to 10:30 depending on the time of year. The visits last approximately one hour. Ask us to include this in your next customized trip plan for Southern Spain.

www.elalmadecordoba.com

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New for Mondays in Madrid- The Prado Museum

editor — Wed, 02 Nov 2011 15:42:58 +0000

The Prado Museum

that it will be open for every day of the week

^th

every day

Velazquez’s – The Surrender of Breda or The Lances – Part of the Prado’s permanent collection.

Read Past Entries Here

International Luxury Travel Market – 2011

editor — Tue, 25 Oct 2011 10:06:40 +0000

Catch up with us at ILTM in Cannes! The International Luxury Travel Market (5-8 December, 2011) is the leading annual business to business event for the global luxury travel community. The world’s most sought after destinations and unique travel experiences are showcased for the most discerning international luxury travel buyer. As an Inbound Operator will be attending ILTM and will be located within the Tourist Office of Spain booth. Buyers, If you are attending we would love to see you at one of our pre-scheduled appointments or at some other time if you prefer. We are looking forward to seeing the best of the best of the luxury travel industry!

Read past entries here

Virtuoso Life – September 2011

editor — Mon, 12 Sep 2011 13:42:28 +0000

New Issue of Virtuoso Life features Valencia and Morocco.

Valesa Cultural Services has been a proud Virtuoso preferred supplier for the past 20 years. We are an “On-Site” for Spain and Portugal and enjoy working with top travel agents from around the world to create bespoke Spanish and Portuguese travel experiences for their clients.

September Issue:

“From Valencia to Morocco you’ll discover new and exciting ways to satisy your travel cravings. Add to that, American Whiskey, Urugay’s wines, sprinkle in a few top Chefs and its a recipe for success.”

”Chef’s Table: Page 118 – Top toques dish on their favorite destinations, their inspirations, a where they eat on their nights off.

MOROCCO: Land of Dates and Honey: Page 128 – A culinary journey through Marrakech leaves no taste bud untickled.

VALENCIA : All Fired Up: Page 140 – In Valencia, a recipe for satisfied travelers: Great food, groundbreaking architecture, and unabashed pyromania

Why Do It Yourself: Page 36 – Now serving: Gourmet Paris and the Loire for a group.

Also, you won’t want to miss – The Virtuoso Traveler on page 54 – For experiences that run deep, Lima’s Luis Humberto Zazzali taps into his travel advisor’s expertise

Palacio Cibeles, Madrid’s New Cultural Space & Special Venue

editor — Wed, 06 Jul 2011 12:21:43 +0000

In the heart of Madrid and in the middle of its museum mile stands a fine building dating back to just after 1900, originally used as a telecommunications center and general post office. Now City Hall has taken it over and completely rebuilt the interior, making full use of its previously unused potential. The Mayor has his office there and Council meetings are held in a specially-designed chamber, but much of the space is available for public use, from a state-of-the-art auditorium in the basement to a restaurant and observation terraces on the upper floors. Temporary exhibitions and special events can be held in the glass-roofed courtyard on ground floor level, and access to all floors is easy by panoramic elevators. From Palacio Cibeles it is a short walk along a tree-lined avenue to the Prado and Thyssen-Bornemisza museums.

NEW CARMEN THYSSEN MUSEUM OPENED IN MALAGA

editor — Wed, 06 Jul 2011 12:08:45 +0000

Part of the large and well-chosen art collection of Carmen Thyssen-Bornemisza is now on display in the specially adapted Palacio de Villalón in Málaga, on Spain’s south-eastern ‘Costa del Sol’. The permanent collection consists of 230 works by Spanish 19^th-century artists, with special emphasis on Andalusian themes. This is a welcome addition, with strong local flavor, to Malagá’s already impressive list of cultural offerings, from the Roman/Muslim fortress dominating the old city to the Picasso Museum housed in another well-adapted historic palace in the city where the artist was born.

Balenciaga Museum Inagurated in Guetaria

editor — Wed, 06 Jul 2011 12:04:24 +0000

Guetaria is a small town in Spain’s northern Basque region where the haute couture designer Cristóbal Balenciaga was born in 1895. Last month, Queen Sofía of Spain inaugurated a museum in his honor, which will display a changing selection from its collection of 1,200 examples of his much-admired design work. The items on display include the wedding dress of Queen Fabiola of Belgium, dresses made for Grace Kelly, and over 100 given by Hubert de Givenchy, who was a disciple and friend of Balenciaga. The museum is housed in the restored Palacio Aldamar and in a purpose-built contemporary extension by architects AV62. Guetaria is easily accessible from elegant coastal resort San Sebastián and also from Bilbao, so a visit to the new museum can be combined with Spain’s best, most sophisticated gastronomy and of course striking modern architecture.

Attarine Medersa in Fez Reopens

editor — Wed, 06 Jul 2011 12:01:32 +0000

Morocco has a number of historic medersas, once used as schools for teaching the Koran. One of the most celebrated is the Attarine Medersa in Fez, built around 1325 and marking a high point in the decorative arts of the Merinid dynasty, based on delicate mosaics created from fragments of glazed tiles, carved cedar wood and chiseled plaster work. Under the direction of the UNESCO and Morocco’s Religious Affairs Ministry, the medersa has undergone a 3-year restoration employing the same materials and techniques used to create the original nearly 7 centuries ago. Visitors can now enjoy this building’s beauty as it was intended to look by its creators.

News From Madrid’s Thyssen Museum

editor — Wed, 06 Jul 2011 11:52:18 +0000

The Thyssen-Bornemisza Museum in Madrid houses two large collections covering the whole of western art from 1290 to the present day, in addition to regular important temporary shows. Now the museum is offering special visits for families with children between the ages of 6 and 12, on Saturday and Sunday mornings. The experience starts with a private tour of the permanent collection before the museum opens to the public, followed by a specially-designed theme workshop. The aim is to stimulate children’s imagination and capacity for observation. In another new move, the museum will keep its temporary exhibitions open until 11 pm on Saturdays for the remainder of 2011.