FOLLOWING the interest shown in our recent piece about Spain’s oldest bookshop, we thought readers might like to learn about some other ‘oldest’ things.
We outlawed anything Basque, because our Euskari friends would claim everything … (oldest word, oldest name, oldest community).
Besides, we don’t speak the language!
SPAIN’S OLDEST BAR – EL RINCONCILLO, SEVILLA
We had to introduce some rules for this one.
After all, who knows whether or not some ancient farmhouse might have sold wine in the ninth century? So, it had to be a bar which still exists, and it had to have written records.
The winner is El Rinconcillo (‘The Little Corner’) in Sevilla, which has a proven history going back to the year 1670 (it might have existed much longer!)
We recommend the tapas – especially the chick peas with spinach.
SPAIN’S OLDEST BOOK – EL MIO CID
That is, the oldest book in a language recognisable as being Spanish.
‘El Cantar del Mio Cid’ (‘The Song of My Cid’) is an epic poem, far older than Chaucer, and not much younger than Beowulf.
It tells a basically true story – the adventures of Rodrigo de Vivar, better-known as El Cid.
It dates from about the same time as the Bayeux Tapestry, and describes the battles between Christians and Arabs in eleventh-century Valencia (El Cid loved fighting, and didn’t much care for which side: he was employed by both!)
SPAIN’S OLDEST FOOTBALL CLUB – RECREATIVO DE HUELVA
It’s our fault!
The Spanish obsession with ‘futbol’ (they’ve even adopted our word – the name originally was ‘balompoie’) can be traced back directly to the British workers of Rio Tinto Zinc.
The company’s quarries just outside Huelva were established in 1873, and a mixture of British and Spanish men worked there.
During lunch breaks, the locals learned to play – and love – soccer. Recreativo de Huelva was formed in 1889 (so it’s 11 years younger than Everton!)
SPAIN’S OLDEST PHOTOGRAPH – PLA DE PALAU, BARCELONA
If you ever visit the Museum of Science and Technology of Catalunya, you can see both the original glass-plate photo, taken in 1839, and the camera that took it!
It’s a ‘daguerreotype’, a process invented in France.
READ MORE: Tiny Spanish store voted one of the most beautiful bookshops in the world
The crafty photographer aimed his lens at a statue (in those days, photos needed several seconds to engrave the image, so the best targets were ones that didn’t move!)
SPAIN’S OLDEST RESTAURANT – SOBRINO DE BOTIN, MADRID
We have to admit that this one seems dodgy.
It claims, dating from 1725, to be the oldest restaurant in the world!
However, ‘Sobrino de Botin’ is listed in the Guinness Book of Records as Spain’s senior eat-house, and last year it promoted itself with a rolling, year-long 300th birthday party.
Is there nothing older in, for example, China? And how come there are no old pictures of the joint?
SPAIN’S OLDEST TITLE – DUKE OF CANTABRIA
Did you know that, in order to be a duke, you have to be a member of the royal family?
You did? Well, did you know that Spain once had a King Chindasvint?
We’re not making this up. He was a Visigoth.
Three interesting facts about him: (1) he was 79 years old when he seized the throne: (2) his name means ‘rich in sons’: (3) in the year 643AD, he made one of his sons ‘Duke of Cantabria’.
SPAIN’S OLDEST TOWN – CADIZ
Founded by the Phoenicians in 1100BC, Cadiz is the oldest still-thriving settlement in Europe.
It’s easy to see why: it makes a superb natural port, with easy access to both the Atlantic and the Mediterranean.
And its location on a narrow peninsula makes it easy to defend.
Its ancient name was Gadir, and even today, natives are known as ‘gaditanos’.
SPAIN’S OLDEST UNIVERSITY – SALAMANCA
The oldest learning-centre (still in business) in the world is the University of Bologna, founded in the year 1180.
Oxford and Cambridge came next, in 1200 and 1210. Salamanca is the world’s number four, dating from 1218.
The famous lecturer, Fray Luis de Leon (he lived in the 1500s), was not a man to make a fuss.
Released after five years of being tortured by the Spanish Inquisition, he resumed his lecture with the words, “As I was saying …”
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