Martin M. Miles' photos with the keyword: modernisme

Bilbao is the largest city in the Basque Country and the tenth largest city in Spain, with a population of about 350,000. The metropolitan area has more than 1,000,000 inhabitants. After its foundation in the late 13th century Bilbao was one of the commercial hubs of the Basque Country that enjoyed significant importance in the Crown of Castile. In 1372, John I of Castile named Bilbao a free port and granting it special privileges concerning the trade of iron. This caused Bilbao to become an important port, particularly due to its trade with Flanders and Great Britain. In 1511, Queen Joanna of Castile ordered the creation of the Consulate of the Sea of Bilbao. Under the Consulate's control, the port of Bilbao became one of the most important of the kingdom. The first printing-press was brought to the town in 1577. Here in 1596, the first book in the Basque language was edited. Around 1631, the city was the scenario of a series of revolts against the increased taxation on salt, an event locally known as the "Machinada of the salt". The revolt ended with the execution of several of its leaders. The city had seen a continuous increase of its wealth, especially after the discovery of extensive iron deposits in the surrounding mountains. Despite the Peninsular War and the Carlist Wars, Bilbao prospered during the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, when it rose as the economic centre of the Basque Country. In 1936, during the Spanish Civil War the city suffered its first bombing. The Nationalists threatened further bombing if the city did not give up. In September German planes, in coordination with Francoist forces, dropped at least a hundred bombs on the city. With the war over, Bilbao returned to its industrial development, accompanied by steady population growth. In the 1980s, several factors led to a devastating industrial crisis. Since the mid-1990s, Bilbao has been in a process of deindustrialization and transition to a service economy. It started with the opening of the Bilbao Guggenheim Museum, continuing with the Conference Centre and the Concert Hall and the metro network. The Bilbao-Concordia railway station was opened in 1902 and currently serves as the terminus station for several regional and metropolitan railway services. It is a singular building of modernist style, considered an outstanding example of Belle Époque architecture in Bilbao.

Zamora straddles the Douro River. The Romans named the settlement "Occelum Durii" ("Eye of the Duero"). For the Visigoths, the place was "Semure". In the 710s the town was conquered and a Berber garrison was left in there, but some decades later it was seized by Alfonso I of Asturias. A diocese was established in the town in the early 10th century. Ibn al-Qitt unsuccessfully tried to invade the city in 901, Almanzor eventually seized the city in 966. The place returned to Christian control during the reign of Alfonso V of León. Since the early 11th century the place saw planned repopulating efforts. City walls were also erected in the 11th century. The most notable historical episode in Zamora was the assassination outside the city walls of the King Sancho II of Castile in 1072. Ferdinand I of León had divided his kingdoms between his three sons. To his daughter Urraca, he had bequeathed Zamora. All three sons warred among themselves, till the ultimate winner, Sancho, was left victorious. Zamora, under his sister who was allied with Leonese nobles, resisted. Sancho II of Castile, assisted by El Cid, laid siege to Zamora. King Sancho II was murdered by Bellido Dolfos, a duplicitous noble of Zamora, Bellido Dolfos. After the death of Sancho, Castile reverted to his deposed brother Alfonso VI of León. Zamora is known for its medieval heritage. There are more than a dozen Romanesque churches and chapels. The Mercado de Abastos was built in 1902 on the site of the demolished Romanesque church of San Salvador which is why it was also called Mercado del Salvador.

Mallorca is the largest island in the Mediterranean Balearic Islands, which are part of Spain. Mallorca is an extremely popular holiday destination. The Palma de Mallorca Airport, one of the busiest in Spain, is used by about 30 million tourists per year. After the fall of the Western Roman Empire, the island was invaded by the Vandals in 425. The time of the Vandals ended, when Byzantine troops general took the island in 534. The first Muslim arrivals were in 707. These ended the Byzantine domination and established their own hegemony. Until 903, the island was part of the Umayyad Caliphate. From Between 902 and 1229 the island was under Islamic control. James I of Aragon ( aka "Jaume el Conqueridor") conquered Mallorca in December 1229. Sóller lies in a large, bowl-shaped valley, surrounded by the Tramuntana mountain range. It was known for olive oil in Moorish times, but since the late 18th century mainly oranges and lemons are grown here in are large orchards. The town got very prosperous through the trade and keeps its grows today - through tourism. The Sóller Bank was founded in 1899. The modernist bank building is right next to Sant Bartomeu and was designed by Joan Rubio i Bellver, a Gaudí student. The construction was completed in 1912. The facades show the same stone texture as the adjacent church, whose facade was also by Rubio. Today the building is used by Banco Santander.

Mallorca is the largest island in the Mediterranean Balearic Islands, which are part of Spain. Mallorca is an extremely popular holiday destination. The Palma de Mallorca Airport, one of the busiest in Spain, is used by about 30 million tourists per year. After the fall of the Western Roman Empire, the island was invaded by the Vandals in 425. The time of the Vandals ended, when Byzantine troops general took the island in 534. The first Muslim arrivals were in 707. These ended the Byzantine domination and established their own hegemony. Until 903, the island was part of the Umayyad Caliphate. From Between 902 and 1229 the island was under Islamic control. James I of Aragon ( aka "Jaume el Conqueridor") conquered Mallorca in December 1229. Sóller lies in a large, bowl-shaped valley, surrounded by the Tramuntana mountain range. It was known for olive oil in Moorish times, but since the late 18th century mainly oranges and lemons are grown here in are large orchards. The town got very prosperous through the trade and keeps its grows today - through tourism. The first church here got erected just after the Reconquista but already in 1370 the church became dilapidated and so the construction of a new church began, which was consecrated in 1492. After the attack by Turkish pirates in 1561 a kind of fortress was built around the church, so it could serve as a refuge. After the church became dilapidated again, the construction of a new church in baroque style began at the end of the 17th century. The walls of the fortress were partly used as the outer walls. The consecration took place in 1711, though it was not completed at that time. The new facade, which was added from 1904 to 1912 according to plans by Gaudí's student Joan Rubió. It is in late Modernism/neo-Gothic forms, with a large rose window in the centre, flanked by two slender pinnacle towers.