Spain is comprised of an absolutely fascinating set of diverse places, inhabited by intriguingly diverse peoples, traditions and landscapes as a consequence of its rich history, cultural heritage and complex geography. The focus of this course is on learning about the country, regions and the people. In a context marked by economic crisis, the pressures from sectors such as construction, tourism, transport, energy and agriculture, high densities and pressures in coastal areas and islands determines that Spain faces important challenges in economic, social and environmental issues. The teachers will try to provide an open, critical and diverse overview of contemporary Spain using press releases, videos, reports and presentations.

This course is based on two fundamental objectives: firstly, in theoretical sessions, to provide students with an introduction to Sevilla’s key monuments and customs, thus enabling them to become familiar with their historical and artistic reality; secondly, to ensure that those same participants in the course get to know and experience these monuments directly.

Classes will be interactively theoretical and practical, combining theoretical explanations of syllabus with reflection and debate involving students’ reactions to the visual content being projected, as well as to the texts recommended for reading. Likewise, each class session will be linked to a visit to the monument being discussed at the time and may include the Santa Cruz neighborhood, the bullring, the square known as Plaza de España, the Cathedral, the Real Alcázar (Royal Palace Fortress), The Alameda and its surroundings - Triana and Saint Ann’s Church (Santa Ana).