ANDALUCIA
Andalucia is Spain's largest region, and it's the one which evokes the most powerful images of the country with its flamencos, festa, bullfighting and raw passion.
Andalucian Architecture
Tree thousand years of settlement by many different peoples have left their traces in Andalusia. Not only Phoenicians, Greeks  and the Tartessians but also the Romans and Arabs have contributed to the architectural style. The architectural inheritance of this time is very varied. Besides many other things, the remains of the former Roman city of Italica, located close to the village of Santiponce (near Seville), can be visited today.

From the period of the Arab supremacy there are some outstanding splendid buildings in Córdoba ("Mezquita"), Granada ("Alhambra") and Seville ("Alcázar" and "Giralda"). Above all the street labyrinths of the ancient town centers remind us of the Muslim era. Beside the construction of religious buildings, such as mosques, the Arab builders created spectacular water routes and defense systems. After the end of this period arose the Mudéjar style influenced by the Moorish builders, a mixture of styles which combines Gothic and then Renaissance elements with the traditional Almohad style. During the 15th Century the famous Cathedral of Seville was built, today the largest Gothic church and the third biggest Cathedral in the world.
 
The Renaissance shows its influence in the so-called Plateresque style with its playful ornamental art. It is followed by the Baroque style (17th and 18th Century) with a more decorative and monumental appearance. In the early 20th Century there arose a variety of the Historic style, which cites and mixes various older architectural styles. Examples of this can be found in Seville, city of the Iberian-American world exhibition in 1929.
For the world exhibition Expo '92 in Seville many modern works of architecture  were constructed.
Gastronomia Andalusia
The different cultures of Andalusia appear also in the Andalusian cuisine. The Romans brought wine and olives  into the country, from the Arabs derive not only the water supply systems but also lemon fruits, almonds, spices and cakes.
Fish and seafood from Mediterranean and Atlantic as well as the culinary delicatessen, above all meat, sausage and cheese are typical for the regional kitchen.

Many traditional meals are based on legumes (beans, chickpeas, lentils), vegetables, eggs, rice or potatoes. The combination of ingredients and spices as well as the preparation is very varied: braised, roasted or fried – for sure always with olive oil.
Famous all over the world is the cold vegetable soup "gazpacho andaluz" , a creamy mass of green paprika, tomatoes, cucumber, garlic, olive oil and pieces of white bread. It is eaten particularly during the hot summer months.
The classic menu consists of two plates, the hors d’oeuvre ("1. plato"), the main course ("2. plato ") and a dessert ("postre"). A widespread alternative way of eating are the so called "tapas", small portions of meals, ham, cheese a.o. In former times it was only a snack, today a good selection of two or three tapas replace a whole meal. The food is accompanied by Sherry wine ("vino fino") from the region of Jerez de la Frontera,Montilla wine from the province Córdoba or a white Condado wine from Huelva.
Flamenco

The history of Flamenco began in the 15th Century in the southwest of Andalusia. It combines traditional gypsy music with Arab, Jewish and also old Indian sounds. Originally it consisted exclusively of the singing (cante) , either the melancholic "cante jondo" or the more cheerful "cante chico ". It was mainly performed in a private atmosphere, e.g. family celebrations of rich landlords or also in the houses of prostitutes. In the middle of the 19th Century the Flamenco music conquers the "cafés cantantes" and fusions for the first time with the two other arts: the dance (baile) and the guitar play (toque). These cafés were popular for some decades and disappeared in the 30's of the 20th Century. Flamenco has survived until today in local societies (penas) and has inspired artists of different cultures all over the world. Although about 20 different types of Flamenco exist, one can still find the traditional types in Cádiz, Seville and Granada: two chairs, a singer ("cantaor") and a guitarist; the voice leads, the guitar accompanies.
Very popular among the Andalusians are also the so-called "Sevillanas", a dancing form which follows a stricter set of rules.