The Spaniards and the landscape

Fotografia de José B. Ruiz.

As you well know, one of the main goals of the project SOS Paisajes de Mar is to protect sites of our coastline with a high landscape value. That is why we wellcome the article from the writer Julio Llamazares, that makes a call for the same objetive.

Llamazares states that the interest for the landscape in Spain arrived later than in other countries. Though, recognized writers and painters during the latest century have shown in their plays a concept of the landscape that went beyond the mere framework for an story. In this cases, it was described “as it is: the big mirror that reflects us and shape our sensitivity”.  The author, remind us the key role that the landscapes have had for our writers, from Clarin’s Asturias to  the Castilla sites described by Machado -considered “the real discoverer of the landscape literary sense.”

But maybe this value dicovered by our artist has not reach all corners. Because the landscape itself, is still the victim of unjustifiable disdain from some peoples in our country.

it would be the only way to justify the progresive destruction that landscapes are suffering due to both public and private building works, not always necesary and sometimes even incomprehensive.  (This contrast with the respectfull way that other countries treat their  landscape).

Now that economic crisis has stoped suddenly the destruction that has press our landscapes during decades, maybe we have the chance to redefine the way that Spaniards wathch the world surrounding us.  An opportuntiy to make our rulers that our landscapes are as worthy as health or education.

Let’s do then as Pla used to say, let0s be humans and demonstrate that we are able to enjoy the landscape with an intelligent look.

See the whole article at  versión online del periódico El Pais (spanish).

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