Why Don Quixote is the Best Work of Fiction According to 100 Authors
Hernán Sánchez Martínez de Pinillos discussed the life of Miguel de Cervantes and his great literary work, Don Quixote.
Speaker Biography: Hernán Sánchez Martínez de Pinillos is a professor in the department of Spanish and Portuguese at the University of Maryland at College Park.
For transcript and more information, visit
3. Don Quixote, Part I: Chapters I-X (cont.)
Cervantes' Don Quixote (SPAN 300)
González Echevarría continues from the end of his last lecture by referring to the self invention and self legitimation of Don Quixote, which is the most innovative aspect of the book. The main character is, as it is suggested in the famous first sentence of the book, beyond family and social determinisms, hence literature appears as a realm for wit and a capacity for invention, breaking with the previous literary tradition and with its predecessors. Perspectivism is expressed in the novel through various linguistic fluctuations, regional differences, and spaces such as the inn, which becomes a key place in the novel by providing an archaeology of society. The first episodes of the Quixote, from the first sally to the first adventure with Sancho, show the gap between literature and reality by probing into Don Quixote's very particular madness which refuses to recognize and accept social conventions. Cervantes' literary techniques, such as dialogue, and the presence of his squire blur the differences between fiction and reality, and ultimately question our beliefs and view of the world.
00:00 - Chapter 1. Innovative Features in Don Quixote
10:17 - Chapter 2. Time, Space and Place; Reality into Illusion
24:01 - Chapter 3. Don Quixote's Particular Madness
37:17 - Chapter 4. The Inquisition of the Library
45:29 - Chapter 5. An Invitation to Blur Fiction and Reality
52:39 - Chapter 6. Sancho Enters the Scene
58:07 - Chapter 7. Windmills: Reality in a State of Flux; The Basque
01:03:02 - Chapter 8. Remarks on Background Readings
Complete course materials are available at the Open Yale Courses website:
This course was recorded in Fall 2009.
If We Were a Picture Show — Original Short Story — Don Quixote Series
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The Reality of Truth film
Learn more - This highly compelling film offers a front row seat on an around the world exploration of how people, groups and entire cultures tap into an alternative “true reality” through spirituality, meditation, and psychedelics. Join Michelle Rodriguez (Fast and the Furious) and Zappy Zapolin as they meet with thought leaders from around the world, including Bruce Lipton, Deepak Chopra, Ram Dass, Marianne Williamson, Sri Sri Ravi Shankar, Foster Gamble and many more, on their journey to find the reality of truth.
0:13 Manna from heaven
0:29 The Reality of Truth intro - my life was about to change
1:26 I call up Deepak Chopra
2:00 Is there a plant sacrament connection?
2:14 Deepak talks about ancient religious possible connection to mushrooms
2:53 Deepak explains that we are all connected and the hallucination of separation
4:03 Could these sacred ancient plants be the solution to our problems?
4:32 Let's help enlighten people
4:45 Did Deepak Chopra tell me to go to Peru and drink ayahuasca tea?
4:58 Gerry's story begins - struggling with addiction and unhappiness
5:33 Who I am - Zappy's story - living the American dream
6:57 We need to change our collective consciousness to solve the world's problems.
7:54 I talked to Deepak's friends about reality
8:07 Marianne Williamson
8:26 Sri Sri Ravi Shankar - beyond the 3 states of consciousness
8:55 Bruce Lipton - reflecting light as a forcefield of energy
10:15 Maharishi Mahesh Yogi - teaches transcendental meditation
11:09 John Hagelin continues Maharishi's teachings
12:03 Dr. Fred Travis
13:36 I talked to religious teachers about meditation
13:56 Joel Osteen
15:20 Peter Coyote talks about his psychedelic experiences
15:36 Fabian Piorkowsky talks about how these ayahuasca ceremonies use two separate plants that use chemicals that our bodies produce.
16:02 Foster Gamble's movie Thrive - Foster talks about changing global consciousness
16:46 Aubrey Marcus talks about his experiences with ayahuasca
17:13 Amazon John Easterling - it's like ten year's of therapy in 7 hours
17:25 Kundalini Yoga icon Gurmukh teaches celebrities to journey inside.
18:44 Tim Booth - these plants are powerful tools
19:46 Dr. Drew Pinsky talks about the medicine
20:08 Dr. Jeff McNairy - 10 to 12 years of psychotherapy in 1 to 2 sessions
20:25 Shiva Rea gives insight into plant medicine
21:01 Ram Dass - Richard Alpert - Worked with Timothy Leary at Harvard experimenting with psychedelics
21:44 Study shows 60% of alcoholics that took psilocybin mushrooms were cured of alcoholism
22:24 A talk with Ram Dass
22:54 I decide to take a journey with friends
23:43 San Pedro
24:22 Fredy Puma - Shaman
24:51 Michelle Rodriguez gives her perspective
25:13 Experience the healing effects
25:28 Daniel Macmillan - what drew him
26:14 Adam Singer - plant medicine ceremonies
27:08 We take the journey
27:30 Michelle Rodriguez - her San Pedro experience
28:50 Why suffer?
30:31 20 years of pain lifted
31:22 Enrique Umbert
31:49 Each person has a pattern - ayahuasca can change the pattern
32:38 Day of ayahuasca ceremony
32:49 My ayahuasca experience
33:27 Why do bad things happen?
34:47 Michelle Rodriguez talks about her ayahuasca experience
37:13 Laurent Levy
37:32 The plants will help your will to transform
38:38 Back to reality
38:56 Nature provides healing medicines
39:10 Sri Sri Ravi Shankar - breathing technique
39:54 Altered states of consciousness
40:47 Psychonauts gather
45:35 We should set up a haven for like-minded people in Costa Rica
45:50 Was it making a difference?
46:30 Gerry calls
46:58 The moon comes to Gerry
47:08 Gerry Powell - addictions - Ibogaine experience helps come to grips with childhood trauma
48:39 Gerard goes back to the moon
50:02 Gerard Powell hasn't touched drugs since
50:14 Brandee Alessandra talks about her experience
51:11 Plant medicine helps Brandee and Gerry find happiness together
52:18 Gerry broke his addiction in 1 plant medicine session and set up a center to expand consciousness, heal, and break addiction
52:52 The moon helps Gerard make the right choices
53:15 Rythmia in Costa Rica
53:46 Rythmia - spiritual growth - Rev. Michael Beckwith The Answer Is You
54:44 The miracle you get at Rythmia is the Reality of Truth
55:25 My journey has been worth it
57:33 Plant-based medicine, meditation and breathing are all tools of ancient spiritual tradition
58:05 Ayahuasca in a clean, safe, and comfortable place
58:11 Credits
1:04:59 Meditate with Deepak Chopra, Michelle Rodriguez, Zappy & friends
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13. Don Quixote, Part II: Front Matter and Chapters I-XI
Cervantes' Don Quixote (SPAN 300)
The modern novel that develops from the Quixote is essentially a political novel and an urban genre dealing with cities. In Part II there is a sense of the text being written and performed in the present because it incorporates current events, such as the expulsion of the moriscos, a critic of the arbitristas and a satire of the aristocracy. In part two of the Quixote Part I plays the role that the romances of chivalry played in Part I: the characters have read the first part and so a new larger mirror has been added to the play of mirrors that was already present. Characters evolve within a social context, which is consonant with the political character of the novel and has much to do with the development and evolution of realism in literature in the representation of every day life and of common people. An explanation of the Baroque aspects that appear in the second part of the novel helps to understand the Quixote as a whole and its relation with the first part.
00:00 - Chapter 1. The As If of Literature
06:20 - Chapter 2. Part II as the First Political Novel
09:32 - Chapter 3. New Factors in Part II
14:14 - Chapter 4. Sansón Carrasco and a Text in the Making
25:01 - Chapter 5. Characters Evolving in a Social Context
35:58 - Chapter 6. Renaissance and Baroque Aspects
Complete course materials are available at the Open Yale Courses website:
This course was recorded in Fall 2009.
25 Ways to Win With People by John Maxwell - How to Make Others Feel Like A Million Bucks Audiobook
25 Ways to Win With People by John Maxwell - How to Make Others Feel Like A Million Bucks twenty-five specific actions you can take to build positive, healthy relationships - Complimenting People in Front of Others, Creating a Memory and Visiting It Often,
Encouraging the Dreams of Others
The Perfect Goat Barn Setup - what you need to make keeping goats easier!
Goats are a challenging animal to keep! But with the right goat barn setup, keeping goats can be a great addition to your homestead. In this vid, we give you the tour of our goat barn setup, and explain all the key components to keeping happy goats!
To see the extended version, go to thisishomesteady.com and become a Homesteady Pioneer!
Spain | Wikipedia audio article
This is an audio version of the Wikipedia Article:
Spain
Listening is a more natural way of learning, when compared to reading. Written
language only began at around 3200 BC, but spoken language has existed long ago.
Learning by listening is a great way to:
- increases imagination and understanding
- improves your listening skills
- improves your own spoken accent
- learn while on the move
- reduce eye strain
Now learn the vast amount of general knowledge available on Wikipedia through
audio (audio article). You could even learn subconsciously by playing the audio
while you are sleeping! If you are planning to listen a lot, you could try using
a bone conduction headphone, or a standard speaker instead of an earphone.
You can find other Wikipedia audio articles too at:
In case you don't find one that you were looking for, put a comment.
This video uses Google TTS en-US-Standard-D voice.
SUMMARY
=======
Spain (Spanish: España [esˈpaɲa] ( listen)), officially the Kingdom of Spain (Spanish: Reino de España), is a country mostly located on the Iberian Peninsula in Europe. Its territory also includes two archipelagoes: the Canary Islands off the coast of Africa, and the Balearic Islands in the Mediterranean Sea. The African enclaves of Ceuta and Melilla make Spain the only European country to have a physical border with an African country (Morocco). Several small islands in the Alboran Sea are also part of Spanish territory. The country's mainland is bordered to the south and east by the Mediterranean Sea except for a small land boundary with Gibraltar; to the north and northeast by France, Andorra, and the Bay of Biscay; and to the west and northwest by Portugal and the Atlantic Ocean.
With an area of 505,990 km2 (195,360 sq mi), Spain is the largest country in Southern Europe, the second largest country in Western Europe and the European Union, and the fourth largest country in the European continent. By population, Spain is the sixth largest in Europe and the fifth in the European Union. Spain's capital and largest city is Madrid; other major urban areas include Barcelona, Valencia, Seville, Málaga and Bilbao.
Modern humans first arrived in the Iberian Peninsula around 35,000 years ago. Iberian cultures along with ancient Phoenician, Greek, Celtic and Carthaginian settlements developed on the peninsula until it came under Roman rule around 200 BCE, after which the region was named Hispania, based on the earlier Phoenician name Sp(a)n or Spania. At the end of the Western Roman Empire the Germanic tribal confederations migrated from Central Europe, invaded the Iberian peninsula and established relatively independent realms in its western provinces, including the Suebi, Alans and Vandals. Eventually, the Visigoths would forcibly integrate all remaining independent territories in the peninsula, including Byzantine provinces, into the Kingdom of Toledo, which more or less unified politically, ecclesiastically and legally all the former Roman provinces or successor kingdoms of what was then documented as Hispania.
In the early eighth century the Visigothic Kingdom fell to the Moors, who arrived to rule most of the peninsula in the year 726, leaving only a handful of small Christian realms in the north, lasting up to seven centuries in the Kingdom of Granada. This led to many wars during a long reconquering period across the Iberian Peninsula, which led to the creation of Kingdom of Leon, Kingdom of Castille, Kingdom of Aragon and Kingdom of Navarre as the main Christian kingdoms to face the invasion. Following the Moorish conquest, Europeans began a gradual process of retaking the region known as the Reconquista, which by the late 15th century culminated in the emergence of Spain as a unified country under the Catholic Monarchs.
In the early modern period, Spain became the world's first global empire and the most powerful country in the world, leaving a large cultural and linguistic legacy that includes +570 million Hispanophones, making Spanish the world's second-most spoken native language, after Mandarin Chinese. During the Golden Age there were also many advancements in the arts, with world-famous painters such as Diego Velázquez.
The most famous Spanish literary work, Don Quixote, was also published during the Golden Age. Spain hosts the world's third-largest number of UNESCO World Heritage Sites.
Spain is a secular parliamentary democracy and a parliamentary monarchy, with King Felipe VI as head of state. It is a major developed country and a high income country, with the world's fourteenth largest economy by nominal GDP and sixteenth largest by purchasing power parity. It is a member of the United Nations (UN), the European Union (EU), the Eurozone, the Council of Europe (CoE), the Organization of Ibero-American States (OEI), the Union for the Mediterranean, the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), the Or ...
A Centelha Humana - Ep. 3 (Documentário-2010)
[Ativar legenda abaixo do vídeo] — Ajude a disseminar o Conhecimento Científico, se inscreva no Canal e faça parte da Revolução Científica !
Episódio 3 de 3
► Sinopse: Qual a natureza da singularidade humana? Onde A Centelha Humana surgiu, e quando? E talvez o mais interessante, por quê? Nesta série em três partes, Alan Alda aborda essas questões de forma pessoal, visitando dezenas de cientistas em três continentes e participando diretamente de várias experiências, incluindo o exame detalhado do seu próprio cérebro. Levando seu bom humor e curiosidade a conversas com pesquisadores, ele busca A Centelha Humana, com arqueólogos descobrindo pistas em ossos fossilizados e ferramentas dos nossos ancestrais, primatólogos estudando os nossos parentes vivos mais próximos para descobrir o que temos em comum e o que nos diferencia e com neurocientistas analisando sua mente com as últimas tecnologias de mapeamento cerebral.
Lista de Reprodução com os outros episódios da série:
32 The Angler by Washington Irving, unabridged audiobook
Genre(s): Horror & Supernatural Fiction, Travel Fiction, General Fiction, Romance, Short Stories
The Sketch Book of Geoffrey Crayon, Gent.
Washington IRVING (1783 - 1859)
The Sketch Book was first published in seven numbers/installments in the United States before being published in two volumes in London (1819-1820). The generally enthusiastic reception of Irving's sketches in England was unusual, since at the time British opinion of American literature was pretty low. Irving's sketches were formally innovative and successful--he is credited by literary historians as being the first American author to make a living as a professional author. In particular, as Irving explicitly makes reference to in a short essay concluding the second volume of the London edition, his intent was to create pieces that didn't necessarily hang together as a whole, but which were heterogeneous in nature. Irving's logic was that his miscellany was written for different humours and that his end was that it should contain something to suit each reader.
Apart from Rip Van Winkle and The Legend of Sleepy Hollow - the pieces which made both Irving and The Sketch Book famous - other tales include Roscoe, The Broken Heart, The Art of Book-making, A Royal Poet, The Spectre Bridegroom, Westminster Abbey, Little Britain, and John Bull. His stories were highly influenced by German folktales, with The Legend of Sleepy Hollow being inspired by a folktale recorded by Karl Musäus. Stories range from the maudlin (such as The Wife and The Widow and Her Son) to the picaresque (Little Britain) and the comical (The Mutability of Literature), but the common thread running through The Sketch Book - and a key part of its attraction to readers - is the personality of Irving's pseudonymous narrator, Geoffrey Crayon. Erudite, charming, and never one to make himself more interesting than his tales, Crayon holds The Sketch Book together through the sheer power of his personality - and Irving would, for the rest of his life, seamlessly enmesh Crayon's persona with his own public reputation. (Introduction by Wikipedia)
Washington Irving Playlist
00 - Preface - Easton
01 - The Author's Account of Himself - Bob Gonzalez
02 - The Voyage - Delmar H Dolbier
03 - Roscoe - Kristin Gjerløw
04 - The Wife - Kristin Gjerløw
05 - Rip Van Winkle - Bob Neufeld
06 - English Writers on America - Pamela Krantz
07 - Rural Life in England - Jean Bascom
08 - The Broken Heart - Mike Pelton
09 - The Art of Book-making - elfpen
10 - A Royal Poet - David Wales
11 - The Country Church - David Wales
12 - The Widow and her Son - NoelBadrian
13 - A Sunday in London - Bob Gonzalez
14 - The Boar's Head Tavern - ToddHW
15 - The Mutability of Literature - Grant Hurlock
16 - Rural Funerals - David Wales
17 - The Inn Kitchen - Bob Gonzalez
18 - The Spectre Bridegroom - Chiquito Crasto
19 - Westminster Abbey - David Wales
20 - Christmas - Easton
21 - The Stage-Coach - Anna Simon
22 - Christmas Eve - Easton Kristen McQuillin
23 - Christmas Day - David Wales
24 - The Christmas Dinner - David Wales
25 - London Antiques - Patti Cunningham
26 - Little Britain - David Wales
27 - Stratford-on-Avon - Pamela Krantz
28 - Traits of Indian Character - Anna Simon
29 - Philip of Pokanoket - L D Hamilton
30 - John Bull - Anna Simon
31 - The Pride of the Village - vikvenom
32 - The Angler - elfpen
33 - The Legend of Sleepy Hollow - Phil Chenevert
34 - L'Envoy - Easton
Audio Recording © courtesy of Librivox
This video: © Copyright 2013. PublicAudioLibrary. All Rights Reserved.
Spain | Wikipedia audio article
This is an audio version of the Wikipedia Article:
Spain
Listening is a more natural way of learning, when compared to reading. Written
language only began at around 3200 BC, but spoken language has existed long ago.
Learning by listening is a great way to:
- increases imagination and understanding
- improves your listening skills
- improves your own spoken accent
- learn while on the move
- reduce eye strain
Now learn the vast amount of general knowledge available on Wikipedia through
audio (audio article). You could even learn subconsciously by playing the audio
while you are sleeping! If you are planning to listen a lot, you could try using
a bone conduction headphone, or a standard speaker instead of an earphone.
You can find other Wikipedia audio articles too at:
In case you don't find one that you were looking for, put a comment.
This video uses Google TTS en-US-Standard-D voice.
SUMMARY
=======
Spain (Spanish: España [esˈpaɲa] ( listen)), officially the Kingdom of Spain (Spanish: Reino de España), is a country mostly located on the Iberian Peninsula in Europe. Its territory also includes two archipelagoes: the Canary Islands off the coast of Africa, and the Balearic Islands in the Mediterranean Sea. The African enclaves of Ceuta and Melilla make Spain the only European country to have a physical border with an African country (Morocco). Several small islands in the Alboran Sea are also part of Spanish territory. The country's mainland is bordered to the south and east by the Mediterranean Sea except for a small land boundary with Gibraltar; to the north and northeast by France, Andorra, and the Bay of Biscay; and to the west and northwest by Portugal and the Atlantic Ocean.
With an area of 505,990 km2 (195,360 sq mi), Spain is the largest country in Southern Europe, the second largest country in Western Europe and the European Union, and the fourth largest country in the European continent. By population, Spain is the sixth largest in Europe and the fifth in the European Union. Spain's capital and largest city is Madrid; other major urban areas include Barcelona, Valencia, Seville, Málaga and Bilbao.
Modern humans first arrived in the Iberian Peninsula around 35,000 years ago. Iberian cultures along with ancient Phoenician, Greek, Celtic and Carthaginian settlements developed on the peninsula until it came under Roman rule around 200 BCE, after which the region was named Hispania, based on the earlier Phoenician name Sp(a)n or Spania. At the end of the Western Roman Empire the Germanic tribal confederations migrated from Central Europe, invaded the Iberian peninsula and established relatively independent realms in its western provinces, including the Suebi, Alans and Vandals. Eventually, the Visigoths would forcibly integrate all remaining independent territories in the peninsula, including Byzantine provinces, into the Kingdom of Toledo, which more or less unified politically, ecclesiastically and legally all the former Roman provinces or successor kingdoms of what was then documented as Hispania.
In the early eighth century the Visigothic Kingdom fell to the Moors, who arrived to rule most of the peninsula in the year 726, leaving only a handful of small Christian realms in the north, lasting up to seven centuries in the Kingdom of Granada. This led to many wars during a long reconquering period across the Iberian Peninsula, which led to the creation of Kingdom of Leon, Kingdom of Castille, Kingdom of Aragon and Kingdom of Navarre as the main Christian kingdoms to face the invasion. Following the Moorish conquest, Europeans began a gradual process of retaking the region known as the Reconquista, which by the late 15th century culminated in the emergence of Spain as a unified country under the Catholic Monarchs.
In the early modern period, Spain became the world's first global empire and the most powerful country in the world, leaving a large cultural and linguistic legacy that includes +570 million Hispanophones, making Spanish the world's second-most spoken native language, after Mandarin Chinese. During the Golden Age there were also many advancements in the arts, with world-famous painters such as Diego Velázquez.
The most famous Spanish literary work, Don Quixote, was also published during the Golden Age. Spain hosts the world's third-largest number of UNESCO World Heritage Sites.
Spain is a secular parliamentary democracy and a parliamentary monarchy, with King Felipe VI as head of state. It is a major developed country and a high income country, with the world's fourteenth largest economy by nominal GDP and sixteenth largest by purchasing power parity. It is a member of the United Nations (UN), the European Union (EU), the Eurozone, the Council of Europe (CoE), the Organization of Ibero-American States (OEI), the Union for the Mediterranean, the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), the Or ...
Spain | Wikipedia audio article
This is an audio version of the Wikipedia Article:
Spain
Listening is a more natural way of learning, when compared to reading. Written language only began at around 3200 BC, but spoken language has existed long ago.
Learning by listening is a great way to:
- increases imagination and understanding
- improves your listening skills
- improves your own spoken accent
- learn while on the move
- reduce eye strain
Now learn the vast amount of general knowledge available on Wikipedia through audio (audio article). You could even learn subconsciously by playing the audio while you are sleeping! If you are planning to listen a lot, you could try using a bone conduction headphone, or a standard speaker instead of an earphone.
You can find other Wikipedia audio articles too at:
You can upload your own Wikipedia articles through:
The only true wisdom is in knowing you know nothing.
- Socrates
SUMMARY
=======
Spain (Spanish: España [esˈpaɲa] (listen)), officially the Kingdom of Spain (Spanish: Reino de España), is a country mostly located on the Iberian Peninsula in Europe. Its territory also includes two archipelagoes: the Canary Islands off the coast of Africa, and the Balearic Islands in the Mediterranean Sea. The African enclaves of Ceuta and Melilla make Spain the only European country to have a physical border with an African country (Morocco). Several small islands in the Alboran Sea are also part of Spanish territory. The country's mainland is bordered to the south and east by the Mediterranean Sea except for a small land boundary with Gibraltar; to the north and northeast by France, Andorra, and the Bay of Biscay; and to the west and northwest by Portugal and the Atlantic Ocean.
With an area of 505,990 km2 (195,360 sq mi), Spain is the largest country in Southern Europe, the second largest country in Western Europe and the European Union, and the fourth largest country in the European continent. By population, Spain is the sixth largest in Europe and the fifth in the European Union. Spain's capital and largest city is Madrid; other major urban areas include Barcelona, Valencia, Seville, Málaga and Bilbao.
Modern humans first arrived in the Iberian Peninsula around 35,000 years ago. Iberian cultures along with ancient Phoenician, Greek, Celtic and Carthaginian settlements developed on the peninsula until it came under Roman rule around 200 BCE, after which the region was named Hispania, based on the earlier Phoenician name Sp(a)n or Spania. At the end of the Western Roman Empire the Germanic tribal confederations migrated from Central Europe, invaded the Iberian peninsula and established relatively independent realms in its western provinces, including the Suebi, Alans and Vandals. Eventually, the Visigoths would forcibly integrate all remaining independent territories in the peninsula, including Byzantine provinces, into the Kingdom of Toledo, which more or less unified politically, ecclesiastically and legally all the former Roman provinces or successor kingdoms of what was then documented as Hispania.
In the early eighth century the Visigothic Kingdom fell to the Moors, who arrived to rule most of the peninsula in the year 726, leaving only a handful of small Christian realms in the north, lasting up to seven centuries in the Kingdom of Granada. This led to many wars during a long reconquering period across the Iberian Peninsula, which led to the creation of Kingdom of Leon, Kingdom of Castille, Kingdom of Aragon and Kingdom of Navarre as the main Christian kingdoms to face the invasion. Following the Moorish conquest, Europeans began a gradual process of retaking the region known as the Reconquista, which by the late 15th century culminated in the emergence of Spain as a unified country under the Catholic Monarchs.
In the early modern period, Spain became the world's first global empire and the most powerful country in the world, leaving a large cultural and linguistic legacy that includes +570 million Hispanophones, making Spanish the world's second-most spoken native language, after Mandarin Chinese. During the Golden Age there were also many advancements in the arts, with world-famous painters such as Diego Velázquez.
The most famous Spanish literary work, Don Quixote, was also published during the Golden Age. Spain hosts the world's third-largest number of UNESCO World Heritage Sites.
Spain is a secular parliamentary democracy and a parliamentary monarchy, with King Felipe VI as head of state. It is a major developed country and a high income country, with the world's fourteenth largest economy by nominal GDP and sixteenth largest by purchasing power parity. It is a member of the United Nations (UN), the European Union (EU), the Eurozone, the Council of Europe (CoE), the Organization of Ibero-American States (OEI), the Union for the Mediterranean, the North ...
Toledo, Spain | Wikipedia audio article
This is an audio version of the Wikipedia Article:
Toledo, Spain
00:01:20 1 Coat of arms
00:01:37 2 History
00:01:46 2.1 Antiquity
00:05:17 2.2 Visigothic Toledo
00:14:37 2.3 Toledo under Arab rule
00:34:36 2.4 Medieval Toledo after the Reconquista
00:36:36 2.5 Modern era
00:36:58 3 Climate
00:38:09 4 Economy
00:38:50 4.1 Unemployment
00:41:12 5 Politics
00:42:27 6 Culture
00:42:59 6.1 Toledo steel
00:47:07 6.2 Gastronomy
00:47:52 6.3 Holidays
00:48:37 7 Main sights
00:50:30 8 Infrastructure
00:54:31 8.1 Roads
00:54:53 8.2 Rail
00:56:29 9 Health
00:57:27 10 Sport
00:59:07 11 Media
01:03:10 12 In popular culture
01:04:25 13 International relations
01:04:45 13.1 Twin towns — Sister cities
01:04:55 14 See also
01:05:48 15 References
Listening is a more natural way of learning, when compared to reading. Written language only began at around 3200 BC, but spoken language has existed long ago.
Learning by listening is a great way to:
- increases imagination and understanding
- improves your listening skills
- improves your own spoken accent
- learn while on the move
- reduce eye strain
Now learn the vast amount of general knowledge available on Wikipedia through audio (audio article). You could even learn subconsciously by playing the audio while you are sleeping! If you are planning to listen a lot, you could try using a bone conduction headphone, or a standard speaker instead of an earphone.
You can find other Wikipedia audio articles too at:
You can upload your own Wikipedia articles through:
The only true wisdom is in knowing you know nothing.
- Socrates
SUMMARY
=======
Toledo (Spanish: [toˈleðo]) is a city and municipality located in central Spain; it is the capital of the province of Toledo and the autonomous community of Castile–La Mancha. Toledo was declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1986 for its extensive monumental and cultural heritage.
Toledo is known as the Imperial City for having been the main venue of the court of Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor, and as the City of the Three Cultures for the cultural influences of Christians, Muslims and Jews reflected in its history. It was also the capital from 542 to 725 AD of the ancient Visigothic kingdom, which followed the fall of the Roman Empire, and the location of historic events such as the Visigothic Councils of Toledo. Toledo has a long history in the production of bladed weapons, which are now popular souvenirs of the city.
People who were born or have lived in Toledo include Brunhilda of Austrasia, Al-Zarqali, Garcilaso de la Vega, Eleanor of Toledo, Alfonso X, Israeli ben Joseph, Halevi and El Greco. As of 2015, the city had a population of 83,226. and an area of 232.1 km2 (89.6 sq mi).
Spain | Wikipedia audio article
This is an audio version of the Wikipedia Article:
Spain
00:04:30 1 Etymology
00:07:07 2 History
00:09:00 2.1 Prehistory and pre-Roman peoples
00:10:46 2.2 Roman Hispania and the Visigothic Kingdom
00:13:46 2.3 Middle Ages: Muslim era and Reconquista
00:21:18 2.4 Spanish Empire
00:29:55 2.5 Liberalism, labour movement and nation state
00:34:42 2.6 Second Spanish Republic
00:36:53 2.7 Spanish Civil War and Francoist Spain
00:39:05 2.8 Restoration of democracy
00:45:14 3 Geography
00:46:47 3.1 Islands
00:47:40 3.2 Mountains and rivers
00:48:55 3.3 Climate
00:52:13 3.4 Fauna and flora
00:52:59 4 Politics
00:55:06 4.1 Government
00:57:29 4.2 Human rights
00:58:22 4.3 Administrative divisions
00:59:14 4.3.1 Autonomous communities
01:02:40 4.3.2 Provinces and municipalities
01:03:51 4.4 Foreign relations
01:08:04 4.5 Military
01:08:34 4.6 Ecology
01:09:49 5 Economy
01:12:51 5.1 Agriculture
01:15:33 5.2 Tourism
01:16:23 5.3 Energy
01:17:45 5.4 Transport
01:20:24 5.5 Science and technology
01:21:05 6 Demographics
01:24:08 6.1 Urbanisation
01:24:27 6.2 Peoples
01:25:30 6.3 Minority groups
01:26:38 6.4 Immigration
01:29:46 6.5 Languages
01:31:53 6.6 Education
01:33:09 6.7 Health
01:33:42 6.8 Religion
01:38:46 7 Culture
01:39:34 7.1 World Heritage Sites
01:45:31 7.2 Literature
01:51:15 7.3 Philosophy
01:52:24 7.4 Art
01:53:51 7.5 Sculpture
01:55:13 7.6 Cinema
01:56:18 7.7 Architecture
01:58:02 7.8 Music and dance
01:59:57 7.9 Fashion
02:00:22 7.10 Cuisine
02:01:52 7.11 Sport
02:03:55 7.12 Public holidays and festivals
02:05:29 8 See also
Listening is a more natural way of learning, when compared to reading. Written language only began at around 3200 BC, but spoken language has existed long ago.
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The only true wisdom is in knowing you know nothing.
- Socrates
SUMMARY
=======
Spain (Spanish: España [esˈpaɲa] (listen)), officially the Kingdom of Spain (Spanish: Reino de España), is a country mostly located on the Iberian Peninsula in Europe. Its territory also includes two archipelagoes: the Canary Islands off the coast of Africa, and the Balearic Islands in the Mediterranean Sea. The African enclaves of Ceuta and Melilla make Spain the only European country to have a physical border with an African country (Morocco). Several small islands in the Alboran Sea are also part of Spanish territory. The country's mainland is bordered to the south and east by the Mediterranean Sea except for a small land boundary with Gibraltar; to the north and northeast by France, Andorra, and the Bay of Biscay; and to the west and northwest by Portugal and the Atlantic Ocean.
With an area of 505,990 km2 (195,360 sq mi), Spain is the largest country in Southern Europe, the second largest country in Western Europe and the European Union, and the fourth largest country in the European continent. By population, Spain is the sixth largest in Europe and the fifth in the European Union. Spain's capital and largest city is Madrid; other major urban areas include Barcelona, Valencia, Seville, Málaga and Bilbao.
Modern humans first arrived in the Iberian Peninsula around 35,000 years ago. Iberian cultures along with ancient Phoenician, Greek, Celtic and Carthaginian settlements developed on the peninsula until it came under Roman rule around 200 BCE, after which the region was named Hispania, based on the earlier Phoenician name Sp(a)n or Spania. At the end of the Western Roman Empire the Germanic tribal confederations migrated from Central Europe, invaded the Iberian peninsula and established relatively independent realms in its western provinces, including the Suebi, Alans and Vandals. Eventually, the Visigoths would forcibly integrate all remaining independent territories in the peninsula, including Byzantine provinces, into the Kingdom of Toledo, which more or less unified politically, ecclesiastically and legally all the former Roman provinces or successor kingdoms of what was then documented as Hispania.
In the early eighth century the Visigothic Kingdom fell to the Moors, who arrived to rule most of the peninsula in the year 726, leaving only a handful of small Christian realms in the north, lasting up to seven centuries in the Kingdom of Granada. This led to many wars during a long reconqu ...
Madrid | Wikipedia audio article
This is an audio version of the Wikipedia Article:
Madrid
00:03:20 1 Etymology
00:05:35 2 History
00:05:44 2.1 Middle Ages
00:08:00 2.2 Modern Age
00:12:18 2.3 From the 19th century to present day
00:17:10 3 Geography
00:17:54 3.1 Climate
00:19:28 3.2 Water supply
00:20:07 4 Demographics
00:21:07 4.1 Immigration
00:23:12 4.2 Religion
00:23:36 5 Government
00:25:07 5.1 Districts
00:28:00 6 Metropolitan area
00:29:17 7 Cityscape
00:29:25 7.1 Architecture
00:34:00 7.2 Urban sculpture
00:35:39 7.3 Environment
00:44:15 8 Economy
00:45:08 8.1 Economic history
00:46:15 8.2 Present-day economy
00:48:26 8.2.1 Standard of living
00:49:29 8.2.2 Employment
00:50:37 8.2.3 Services
00:52:31 8.2.4 Industry
00:53:36 8.2.5 Construction
00:54:16 8.2.6 International rankings
00:55:02 8.3 Media
00:56:28 9 Art and culture
00:56:38 9.1 Museums and art centres
01:09:04 9.2 Landmarks
01:10:41 9.3 Churches
01:16:31 9.4 Literature
01:19:40 9.5 Nightlife
01:21:03 9.6 Bohemian culture
01:22:17 9.7 Classical music and opera
01:23:36 9.8 Local festivities
01:24:29 9.9 Bullfighting
01:25:15 9.10 LGBTQ culture
01:26:41 10 Sport
01:26:50 10.1 Events
01:27:40 10.2 Football
01:29:14 10.3 Basketball
01:30:00 10.4 Sport clubs
01:30:09 11 Education
01:30:29 11.1 Universities
01:37:12 11.2 Business schools
01:38:30 12 Transport
01:38:58 12.1 Roads
01:40:48 12.2 Local transport
01:42:33 12.3 Long-distance transport
01:44:10 13 International relations
01:44:20 13.1 Twin towns and sister cities
01:44:33 13.2 Union of Ibero-American Capital Cities
01:44:53 13.3 Other partnerships
01:45:02 14 Notable people
01:45:11 15 Honours
01:45:27 16 See also
Listening is a more natural way of learning, when compared to reading. Written language only began at around 3200 BC, but spoken language has existed long ago.
Learning by listening is a great way to:
- increases imagination and understanding
- improves your listening skills
- improves your own spoken accent
- learn while on the move
- reduce eye strain
Now learn the vast amount of general knowledge available on Wikipedia through audio (audio article). You could even learn subconsciously by playing the audio while you are sleeping! If you are planning to listen a lot, you could try using a bone conduction headphone, or a standard speaker instead of an earphone.
You can find other Wikipedia audio articles too at:
You can upload your own Wikipedia articles through:
The only true wisdom is in knowing you know nothing.
- Socrates
SUMMARY
=======
Madrid (, Spanish: [maˈðɾið]) is the capital of Spain and the largest municipality in both the Community of Madrid and Spain as a whole. The city has almost 3.2 million inhabitants and a metropolitan area population of approximately 6.5 million. It is the third-largest city in the European Union (EU), smaller than only London and Berlin, and its monocentric metropolitan area is the third-largest in the EU, smaller only than those of London and Paris. The municipality covers 604.3 km2 (233.3 sq mi).Madrid lies on the River Manzanares in the centre of both the country and the Community of Madrid (which comprises the city of Madrid, its conurbation and extended suburbs and villages); this community is bordered by the autonomous communities of Castile and León and Castile-La Mancha. As the capital city of Spain, seat of government, and residence of the Spanish monarch, Madrid is also the political, economic and cultural centre of the country. The current mayor is Manuela Carmena from the party Ahora Madrid.
The Madrid urban agglomeration has the third-largest GDP in the European Union and its influences in politics, education, entertainment, environment, media, fashion, science, culture, and the arts all contribute to its status as one of the world's major global cities. Madrid is home to two world-famous football clubs, Real Madrid and Atlético de Madrid. Due to its economic output, high standard of living, and market size, Madrid is considered the major financial centre of Southern Europe and the Iberian Peninsula; it hosts the head offices of the vast majority of major Spanish companies, such as Telefónica, IAG or Repsol. Madrid is the 10th most liveable city in the world according to Monocle magazine, in its 2017 index.Madrid houses the headquarters of the World Tourism Organization (UNWTO), belonging to the United Nations Organization (UN), the Ibero-American General Secretariat (SEGIB), the Organization of Ibero-American States (OEI), and the Public Interest Oversight Board (PIOB). It also hosts major international regulators and promoters of the Spanish language: the Standing Committee of the Association of Spanish Language Academies, headquarters of the Royal Spanish Academy (RAE), the Cervantes Institute and the Foundation of Urgent Spanish (Fundéu BBVA). Madrid organises fairs such as FITUR, ARCO, SIMO TCI a ...
Madrid | Wikipedia audio article
This is an audio version of the Wikipedia Article:
Madrid
Listening is a more natural way of learning, when compared to reading. Written language only began at around 3200 BC, but spoken language has existed long ago.
Learning by listening is a great way to:
- increases imagination and understanding
- improves your listening skills
- improves your own spoken accent
- learn while on the move
- reduce eye strain
Now learn the vast amount of general knowledge available on Wikipedia through audio (audio article). You could even learn subconsciously by playing the audio while you are sleeping! If you are planning to listen a lot, you could try using a bone conduction headphone, or a standard speaker instead of an earphone.
You can find other Wikipedia audio articles too at:
You can upload your own Wikipedia articles through:
The only true wisdom is in knowing you know nothing.
- Socrates
SUMMARY
=======
Madrid (, Spanish: [maˈðɾið]) is the capital of Spain and the largest municipality in both the Community of Madrid and Spain as a whole. The city has almost 3.2 million inhabitants and a metropolitan area population of approximately 6.5 million. It is the third-largest city in the European Union (EU), smaller than only London and Berlin, and its monocentric metropolitan area is the third-largest in the EU, smaller only than those of London and Paris. The municipality covers 604.3 km2 (233.3 sq mi).Madrid lies on the River Manzanares in the centre of both the country and the Community of Madrid (which comprises the city of Madrid, its conurbation and extended suburbs and villages); this community is bordered by the autonomous communities of Castile and León and Castile-La Mancha. As the capital city of Spain, seat of government, and residence of the Spanish monarch, Madrid is also the political, economic and cultural centre of the country. The current mayor is Manuela Carmena from the party Ahora Madrid.
The Madrid urban agglomeration has the third-largest GDP in the European Union and its influences in politics, education, entertainment, environment, media, fashion, science, culture, and the arts all contribute to its status as one of the world's major global cities. Madrid is home to two world-famous football clubs, Real Madrid and Atlético de Madrid. Due to its economic output, high standard of living, and market size, Madrid is considered the major financial centre of Southern Europe and the Iberian Peninsula; it hosts the head offices of the vast majority of major Spanish companies, such as Telefónica, IAG or Repsol. Madrid is the 10th most liveable city in the world according to Monocle magazine, in its 2017 index.Madrid houses the headquarters of the World Tourism Organization (UNWTO), belonging to the United Nations Organization (UN), the Ibero-American General Secretariat (SEGIB), the Organization of Ibero-American States (OEI), and the Public Interest Oversight Board (PIOB). It also hosts major international regulators and promoters of the Spanish language: the Standing Committee of the Association of Spanish Language Academies, headquarters of the Royal Spanish Academy (RAE), the Cervantes Institute and the Foundation of Urgent Spanish (Fundéu BBVA). Madrid organises fairs such as FITUR, ARCO, SIMO TCI and the Cibeles Madrid Fashion Week.While Madrid possesses modern infrastructure, it has preserved the look and feel of many of its historic neighbourhoods and streets. Its landmarks include the Royal Palace of Madrid; the Royal Theatre with its restored 1850 Opera House; the Buen Retiro Park, founded in 1631; the 19th-century National Library building (founded in 1712) containing some of Spain's historical archives; a large number of national museums, and the Golden Triangle of Art, located along the Paseo del Prado and comprising three art museums: Prado Museum, the Reina Sofía Museum, a museum of modern art, and the Thyssen-Bornemisza Museum, which completes the shortcomings of the other two museums. Cibeles Palace and Fountain have become one of the monument symbols of the city. Madrid is the most visited city of Spain.
Madrid | Wikipedia audio article
This is an audio version of the Wikipedia Article:
00:03:19 1 Etymology
00:05:34 2 History
00:05:43 2.1 Middle Ages
00:08:00 2.2 Modern Age
00:12:21 2.3 From the 19th century to present day
00:17:21 3 Geography
00:18:11 3.1 Climate
00:19:48 3.2 Water supply
00:20:27 4 Demographics
00:21:43 4.1 Immigration
00:23:51 4.2 Religion
00:24:16 5 Government and administration
00:24:25 5.1 Local government and administration
00:26:06 5.1.1 Districts
00:28:59 5.2 Regional capital
00:29:34 5.3 Capital of Spain
00:30:24 6 Metropolitan area
00:31:42 7 Cityscape
00:31:51 7.1 Architecture
00:36:28 7.2 Urban sculpture
00:38:09 7.3 Environment
00:46:56 8 Economy
00:47:50 8.1 Economic history
00:48:57 8.2 Present-day economy
00:51:08 8.2.1 Standard of living
00:52:12 8.2.2 Employment
00:53:22 8.2.3 Services
00:55:19 8.2.4 Industry
00:56:24 8.2.5 Construction
00:57:06 8.2.6 International rankings
00:57:53 8.3 Media
00:59:20 9 Art and culture
00:59:29 9.1 Museums and art centres
01:12:20 9.2 Landmarks
01:13:59 9.3 Churches
01:19:57 9.4 Literature
01:23:19 9.5 Nightlife
01:24:43 9.6 Bohemian culture
01:25:56 9.7 Classical music and opera
01:27:15 9.8 Local festivities
01:28:10 9.9 Bullfighting
01:28:57 9.10 LGBTQ culture
01:30:25 10 Sport
01:30:34 10.1 Events
01:31:25 10.2 Football
01:33:17 10.3 Basketball
01:34:04 10.4 Sport clubs
01:34:13 11 Education
01:34:33 11.1 Universities
01:40:25 11.2 Business schools
01:41:43 12 Transport
01:42:12 12.1 Roads
01:44:04 12.2 Local transport
01:45:58 12.3 Long-distance transport
01:47:58 13 International relations
01:48:08 13.1 Twin towns and sister cities
01:48:34 13.2 Union of Ibero-American Capital Cities
01:48:56 13.3 Other city partnerships
01:49:05 13.4 Parneships with international organizations
01:49:37 14 Notable people
01:49:47 15 Honours
01:50:02 16 See also
Listening is a more natural way of learning, when compared to reading. Written language only began at around 3200 BC, but spoken language has existed long ago.
Learning by listening is a great way to:
- increases imagination and understanding
- improves your listening skills
- improves your own spoken accent
- learn while on the move
- reduce eye strain
Now learn the vast amount of general knowledge available on Wikipedia through audio (audio article). You could even learn subconsciously by playing the audio while you are sleeping! If you are planning to listen a lot, you could try using a bone conduction headphone, or a standard speaker instead of an earphone.
Listen on Google Assistant through Extra Audio:
Other Wikipedia audio articles at:
Upload your own Wikipedia articles through:
Speaking Rate: 0.9462009147972144
Voice name: en-GB-Wavenet-B
I cannot teach anybody anything, I can only make them think.
- Socrates
SUMMARY
=======
Madrid (, Spanish: [maˈðɾið], locally [maˈðr(:)iθ] (listen)) is the capital of Spain and the largest municipality in both the Community of Madrid and Spain as a whole. The city has almost 3.3 million inhabitants and a metropolitan area population of approximately 6.5 million. It is the third-largest city in the European Union (EU), smaller than only London and Berlin, and its monocentric metropolitan area is the third-largest in the EU, smaller only than those of London and Paris. The municipality covers 604.3 km2 (233.3 sq mi).Madrid lies on the River Manzanares in the centre of both the country and the Community of Madrid (which comprises the city of Madrid, its conurbation and extended suburbs and villages); this community is bordered by the autonomous communities of Castile and León and Castile-La Mancha. As the capital city of Spain, seat of government, and residence of the Spanish monarch, Madrid is also the political, economic and cultural centre of the country. The current mayor is Manuela Carmena from the party Ahora Madrid.
The Madrid urban agglomeration has the third-largest GDP in the European Union and its influence in politics, education, entertainment, environment, media, fashion, science, culture, and the arts all contribute to its status as one of the world's major global cities. Madrid is home to two world-famous football clubs, Real Madrid and Atlético Madrid. Due to its economic output, high standard of living, and market size, Madrid is considered the leading economic hub of the Iberian Peninsula and of Southern Europe. It hosts the head offices of the vast majority of major Spanish companies, such as Telefónica, IAG or Repsol. Madrid is also the 10th most liveable city in the world according to Monocle magazine, in its 2017 index.Madrid houses the headquarters of the World Tourism Organization (UNWTO), belonging to the United Nations Organization (UN), the Ibero-American General Secretariat (SEGIB), the Organization ...