{"id":101,"date":"2022-03-12T18:57:45","date_gmt":"2022-03-12T23:57:45","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.uml.edu\/madrid-winter-2022\/?p=101"},"modified":"2022-03-12T18:57:45","modified_gmt":"2022-03-12T23:57:45","slug":"the-presence-of-the-past","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.uml.edu\/madrid-winter-2022\/2022\/03\/12\/the-presence-of-the-past\/","title":{"rendered":"The Presence of The Past"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Mindset for the Day <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

One of my biggest reasons for coming to Madrid was to learn about its history since I had limited knowledge prior to enrolling in this course. Fortunately, throughout the trip, I believe I have been able to develop a deeper understanding of the country\u2019s history, and what makes Madrid the city that it is today. Additionally, because my family comes from the Dominican Republic, a former colony of Spain, I had an even greater interest in how the Spain of the past has affected both countries today. Therefore, I paid extra attention during Wednesday\u2019s Spanish Civil War tour.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Visiting Plaza de Espa\u00f1a <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

After a short walk through Gran Via, the group arrived at  
Plaza de Espa\u00f1a. There, our wonderful tour guide, Ana, proceeded to show us around the area while pointing out the historical buildings surrounding us. Two of the buildings mentioned included Edificio Espa\u00f1a and Torre de Madrid, which were built during Franco\u2019s regime as a way to symbolize a time of prosperity for the country. Of course, Franco was a dictator and continues to be a very controversial figure, so this prosperity is full of dark moments.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

We were also able to see the Monument to Miguel Cervantes, the iconic Spanish writer who wrote the world-famous novel Don Quijote<\/em>. Additionally, Ana also explained the state of Spain before, during, and after the civil war. Although we had heard much of this information prior to the trip, physically being in the city where everything happened affected the way in which I viewed the war. The weight and impact of the war are felt with greater intensity here, unlike the distant way in which it is usually perceived in a classroom. Especially with the current war in Ukraine, the parallels and relevance are saddening and disturbing.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n