Barcelona spain castles Videos

Emailed to [email protected]: It is indeed a "special treat" courtesy of The Filipino Web Channel saving us time and money getting a glimpse of historic Barcelona jail where Rizal was incarcerated. Jose Sison Luzadas Toronto CANADA

When I was in BCN a year ago I really enjoyed hiking up to the castle through the gardens (saving €€€ instead of going up the Teleferic hehe). Serene views of the whole city sprawled out between the mountains and the sea. Love that last shot of you with the gigantic Catalan flag waving in the background! BTW do you pronounce it as "mahn-JWEEK" or "moon-JWEEK"? I can never get my Catalan pronunciation rules straight...

I am a Cardona and I was so fascinated to read of the history of our family name and to find that there is a place named Cardona in Spain located in Catalonia near Barcelona. Additionally, I found that there is also a Cardona, Italy. The name has existed from the time of Emperor Charlemagne (who was French) as a toponym (meaning the name of a place - a village) in Catalonia Spain. His brother-in-law married Charlesmagne's sister, Argencia. The brother-in-law was Raimundo (or Ramon) Folc (also spelled Folch or Folck) whose father was the Count of Anjou in France. Raimundo went to Spain during the crusades to fight against the Moors (who were Muslims invading Spain) and took refuge under the Lordship of Cardona and subsequently adopted the name Cardona as his surname. The Emperor Charlemagne granted Raimundo the title of Count of Cardona in the year 791 AD. The family were again allocated the title of Count by King Pedro IV of Aragon in 1375 AD. Then in April 1491 AD, the title of Duke was bestowed by the "Catholic Kings" to Juan Ramon Folck de Cardona, Fifth Count of Cardona. There were also other Cardona families that were ennobled by the emperors or kings of their day. The name has a coat of arms that displays as follows: (source -- The Historical Research Center) Look at wikipedia for variations of the coat of arms. Blazon of arms: Argent, three thistles vert; on a chief or an eagle displayed sable Translation: The thistle signifies strength, independence, protection and healing Crest: Three to five ostrich feathers. Ostrich feathers on a crest were designations of royalty. Origin: Spain The Castle of Cardona (Catalan: Castell de Cardona, IPA: [kəsˈteʎ də kərˈðonə]) is arguably the most important medieval fortress in the Principality of Catalonia. It is situated on a hill overlooking the river valley of the Cardener and the town of Cardona. The fortress was initially constructed by Wilfred the Hairy in 886. It is in both the Romanesque and Gothic styles, and includes the so-called Sala Dorada and Sala dels Entresols. During the 14th century, the dukes of Cardona came from the most important family of the Crown of Aragon, which was second only to the royal house. Because of this, they were called “kings without crowns,” as they had extensive territories in Catalonia, Aragon, and Valencia, and dynastic ties with Castile, Portugal, Sicily, and Naples. This presumably increased the importance of the castle. In 1714, even after a Bourbon siege destroyed a good part of the castle's walls, the garrison was one of the last to surrender to the Bourbon troops which supported Philip V. As the Bourbons and their heirs would go on to suppress Catalonian national identity, the fort has become significant to Catalonian nationalism. Today, the castle's main jewel is the torre de la minyona (from the 11th century) a tower which measures 15 metres in height and 10 metres in diameter. Additionally, there is the romanesque Church of Sant Vicenç de Cardona adjacent to the fort. The fort is currently used as a parador, a state-run luxury hotel. (Source:Wikipedia) Doesn't it just make you proud to have such an illustrious background history for our surname? I feel blessed, don't you? Show less Reply · Rosa Cardona 3 weeks ago +Rosa Cardona Actually, I was born in San Sebastian, PR where there are many Cardonas. There were 14 in my dad's family so I figure by now I am related to half of PR. LOL Reply ·