The curious link between Spain’s Easter processions and a fascist ally of dictator Franco
MANY readers will know about the Spanish ‘Legion’, the crack unit of the Spanish Army, based in Ronda and Almeria. You will have likely seen
FROM THE ARCHIVES: ‘It’s like nothing I’ve ever experienced before’: Reflections on Spain’s Semana Santa from a Kiwi far from home
SEMANA Santa in Spain is like no religious event this Kiwi girl has ever experienced before. I heard Malaga was one of the most famous
Retired matador, 51, gored to death on the Costa del Sol while preparing animal for Easter bullfight
A RETIRED matador has been gored to death in Malaga while preparing the animals for a traditional Easter weekend Picasso-themed bullfight. Ricardo Ortiz, 51, was
Could Puerto Rico really ‘go back’ to Spain? Inside the fringe group raising eyebrows in the US
OUTSIDE the capitol building in San Juan, Puerto Rico, two flags flutter side by side in the Caribbean breeze. One is the island’s own; the
Bullfighting beyond borders: It’s not just Spain that fights with bulls, but not every country kills them
BULLFIGHTING remains one of the most divisive traditions worldwide. Whether it’s an art form steeped in history or an outdated spectacle of cruelty, it’s not
Inside the lives of three of Spanish TV’s favourite faces – all celebrating their birthdays in early April
ANYONE who has ever switched on a Spanish TV set will recognize these three women. Curiously, they all celebrate their birthdays in early April. RUTH
ON THIS DAY: A cult priest is knighted and a Catalan patriot is executed – two opposing tales shaped by fascist dictator Franco
THIS is a story of two men with contrasting fates. JOSEMARIA ESCRIVA DE BALAGUER Y ALBAS On 2 April 1956, a Spanish priest was given
Revealed: The city in Spain where English is spoken best – and it’s not the obvious choice
SPAIN’s best English-speaking city isn’t Madrid or Barcelona, but a coastal hotspot topping the rankings thanks to its immersive approach to language learning. When it
EXPLAINER: Why are the hats from Spain’s Semana Santa processions conical and are they linked to the KKK?
VISITORS to Spain during Easter week might gasp in horror when they see people in conical white hoods parading through the streets. But while these
What is ‘la torrija’? The delicious sweet treat that’s traditionally eaten during Semana Santa in Spain
SEMANA Santa has taken over Spain this week and you may be seeing ‘torrijas’ everywhere, but what are these sweet treats? This Spanish take on
Tradition or Tragedy? Spain’s first bull-related death of 2026 raises fresh questions over the tradition’s safety
IT was the first night of this year’s Carnaval del Toro festival in Ciudad Rodrigo when a bull charged at Eustaquio Martin, piercing the upper
EXPLAINER: How the ancient spectacle of Spain’s sacred Semana Santa traditions are celebrated in the different cities and regions
SEMANA Santa, Spain’s holy week, is an incredible celebration of pagentry and ancient tradition rarely seen around the world these days. The seven-day extravaganza transforms
Whenever, wherever? Bitter row erupts in Madrid over planned concert residency at ‘Shakira Stadium’
A BITTER political row has broken out in Madrid over a series of planned late summer concerts by international superstar artist Shakira. The Colombian singer
Previously buried air-raid shelters from the Spanish Civil war are discovered in Barcelona
LONG-FORGOTTEN entrances to underground shelters were uncovered earlier this month during renovation work in Barcelona’s Hostafrancs neighbourhood. The discovery was made as workers upgraded a
ON THIS DAY: The deadly chain of events that caused the world’s worst aviation disaster on Spanish soil 49 years ago
By Michael Coy TODAY marks exactly 49 years since the world’s deadliest aviation disaster claimed 583 lives right here on Spanish soil. But in a
‘They shall not pass!’ The ghosts of Madrid’s heroic resistance against fascism live on in Kyiv 90 years later
IN 1936, the people of Madrid found themselves in an unenviable position. Spain was regarded as a European backwater, and the international community cared little
From Wembley upsets and Dutch defiance to baby-eating witches – the events that shaped Spain on March 25
Today might seem just like any other, but leaf through the Spanish history books and it emerges as a remarkably dramatic 24 hours. From a
From the world’s deadliest plane crash to a royal shooting – the dark anniversaries that haunt late March in Spain
By Michael Coy SPRING in Spain usually brings to mind orange blossoms, warmer days, and the spectacle of Semana Santa. But leaf through the history
Will it rain on the parade? What the experts are saying about Spain’s Semana Santa weather (and why no-one actually knows)
FROM Palm Sunday (March 29, 2026) to Easter Sunday (April 5), Andalucia will be taking to the streets. Ancient tradition dictates that Semana Santa must
ON THIS DAY: The chilling Germanwings flight from Barcelona that ended in murder-suicide and 150 deaths
ON March 24, 2015, a commercial flight between Barcelona and Dusseldorf crashed into a French mountain. A total of 150 passengers and crew lost their
‘You can’t miss it, Morrissey!’: Spain’s UK embassy pokes fun at British music legend for cancelling Valencia gig over Fallas ‘noise’
THE Spanish embassy in the UK has jokingly mocked singer Morrissey after the artist cancelled a performance in Valencia due to ‘lack of sleep’. The
IN PICS: The full revelries from the Costa del Sol’s biggest St Patrick’s Day parade and party
PLAZA La Mezquita in Benalmádena was awash with green on Tuesday as hundreds gathered to celebrate St Patrick’s Day. There was a full-day programme of
New Sevilla exhibition uncovers the wealth and fabulous empire of estates, palaces and castles belonging to the late Duquesa de Alba
WITH an estimated wealth of €3.5 billion and more than 40 official titles, she was the world’s most noble aristocrat and one of Spain’s wealthiest.Â
WATCH: Onlookers run away as historic ruins of 15th-century castle in central Spain suddenly collapse
THIS is the alarming moment a portion of a historic 15th-century castle in Spain suddenly collapsed. Onlookers were forced to run away as part of
EXPLAINER: Why does the Spanish exclave of Melilla celebrate St Patrick’s Day as a bank holiday?
A SPANISH North African enclave is one of the few places outside the English-speaking world to recognise St Patrick’s Day as an official holiday –
Franco’s family loses final court battle in Spain over ownership of dictator’s summer home
THE Supreme Court has ordered the relatives of the dictator General Francisco Franco to hand over his Galicia summer residence to the State. The ruling
