Galician Pie.

The Galician pie is a very popular variety of pies in Spanish and Galician cuisine. Culinary preparation is offered in the municipalities of Galicia (Northeast Spanish) on holidays. It is usually served hot or cold.

Pies are known in Spain since the time of the Goths in the seventh century where standards are enacted for processing. The Pie was the ideal food for travelers, as a preparation covered, allowing the interior to avoid contact with the dust of the roads. Galician pies are already carved in the twelfth century in the Portico de la Gloria of Santiago de Compostela.

ingredients:

- 500g of flour.

- 25 g fresh bakers yeast.

- 160 ml of water.

- 50 ml of white wine.

- 1 pinch of salt.

- Oil sauce.

- 500 g of onion.

- 350 g of tuna.

- 4 tablespoons tomato sauce.

- Paprika.

- Extra virgin olive oil.

- 1 egg.

Elaboration.

- Peel and chop the onions.

- Fry the chopped onions in a pan with olive oil.

- Add a tablespoon of paprika.

- Add the tuna and mix well.

- Remove the pan from the heat, drain the oil and reserve the mixture. Add about 4 tablespoons tomato sauce.

Elaboration of the mass

- In a bowl put the flour, salt and white wine.

- Heat water in the microwave and dissolve the yeast and add to the bowl.

- Incorporate 8-10 tablespoons oil sauce.

- Knead the mixture with your hands to prevent sticking.

- Remove the dough from the bowl, knead and put back in the bowl.

- Cover the bowl with a cloth and leave the dough to increase its volume.

- When the dough has risen, knead again and cut into two pieces.

- With the help of a stretch roll a piece of dough and put it on the baking tray.

- On top of the dough, the filling split tuna leaving the free edges.

- Roll out the other half of the dough and cover the filling.

- We cut excess mass from the edges and closed joining the two pie dough portions.

- Beat the egg and add a little paprika.

- With the above mixture, brush the pie.

- With a fork, prick the surface randomly pie.

- Bake at 180 º C

Aisha bint Muhammad ibn al-Ahmar

Queen of the Muslim kingdom of Granada, named Aisha al-Hurra (the honest), known in Spanish tradition by the name Aixa, the Muslims also called Fatima "the honest". He lived in the fifteenth century and was the wife of King Abu al-Hasan 'Ali ibn Saad and mother of King Muhammad Abu Abd'Allah (known by the nickname of "the wretch"), who helped with the support of the tribe Banu Sarray, to accede to the throne of Granada. Flattering and palace intrigues of Queen ribal Zoraida (formerly known as Elizabeth, second wife of the King of Granada), was the soul of the resistance against the Catholic Monarchs and accompanied, in 1493 her son-in-exile to Fez (Morocco)where she died soon after.

Legend has it that, when they went into exile in the mountains of Granada, her son crying looked back to see the Kingdom of Granada for the last time and Aisha said, "cries like a woman you could not defend as a man ". Because of this, the mountain pass where they stood is called "Sigh of the Moor".

The Thirteen Roses

The Thirteen Roses is the collective name was given to a group of thirteen young Spanish, half of them members of the Unified Socialist Youth (USY), shot by the Franco regime in Madrid (Spain), August 5 1939 shortly after the end of the Spanish Civil War. Their ages ranged between 18 and 29 years. The Thirteen Roses were:

- Carmen Barrero Aguado.

- Martina García Barroso.

- Blanca Brisac.

- Pilar Good.

- Julia Conesa.

- Adelina Garcia.

- Elena Gil.

- Virtues Gonzalez.

- Ana Lopez.

- Joaquina Lopez.

- Denise Manzanero.

- Luisa Rodriguez.

History.

After the occupation of Madrid by Franco's army and end the war, the Unified Socialist Youth tried clandestinely reorganized under the direction of Jose Pena, 21. After the coup of the dictator Franco, the leaders of the Communist Party of Spain (CPS) and the Unified Socialist Youth (USY) had abandoned Spain, leaving the organization in the hands of militants insignificant, which hoped to go unnoticed. Jose Pena, general secretary of the provincial committee of the USY, was arrested by a denunciation and required to give, under torture, all the names you know and sign a prepared statement.

Roberto Conesa, police infiltrated the organization, also contributed to the fall of it (it was later appointed commissioner of the Social and Political Brigade Franco and occupied an important position in the police during the early years of democracy). A capture of the militants helped by the fact that the files of Communist Party members and USY had not been destroyed, due to the coup inconvenient, and were seized by militants Franco. Among the detainees were the Thirteen Roses, who were arrested and taken first to police facilities (where they were tortured) and then to the Women's Prison (Madrid), construdia for 450 prisoners and in which more than 4,000 women crammed.

On July 29, Isaac Gabaldon (Chief of Police), his 18 year old daughter and his driver were killed in an attack by three activists of USY. In the Council of War held on August 3 were judged USY 57 members, of which 14 were women. Among the defendants were the three murderers of Gabaldon, while the rest had been arrested before the attack. At trial were issued 56 death sentences, escaping only one of the women. Most executions (including those of the Thirteen Roses) took place on the morning of August 5, 1939, next to the wall of the Almudena Cemetery (Madrid), 500 meters of the women's prison.

Nine of the girls were shot were, at the time of their death, as children come of age was set at 23 years.

The Thirteen roses.

Carmen Barrero: (20, dressmaker) worked for 12 years, after the death of her father, to help support her family, which had 8 brothers (4 younger than her). Militant Communist Party after the war, was responsible.'s Game in Madrid.

Martina Barroso: (24, dressmaker) after the war began participating in USY organization. She went to the left front of the City University of Madrid looking weapons and ammunition (something that was forbidden).

Blanca Brisac: (29 years, pianist) had one son. She had no political affiliation. He was Catholic and right-wing voters. She was arrested in interacting with a musician belonging to the Communist Party. On the morning of her murder she wrote a letter to her son, who was devoted to her family 16 years later.

Pilar Good: (27, dressmaker) to inicarse the war she joined the Communist Party and worked as a volunteer in nurseries (houses which collected orphans and children of militants who went to the front). After the war was in charge of reorganizing the Communist Party in 8 sectors of Madrid.

Julia Conesa: (19, dressmaker) lived in Madrid with her mother and two sisters. He joined the USY for its sporting and dealt with the management of these. Soon bill collector was used as trams, because her family needed money, and left contact with USY. She was arrested when she was sewing at home.

Adelina Garcia: (19 years, activist) militant of USY. The daughter of a policeman. Sent a letter home saying that they just wanted to give ordinary interrogation. Was submitted voluntarily, but did not return home.

Elena Gil: (20 years, activist) entered the USY in 1937.

Virtues Gonzalez (18, dressmaker) friend of Maria del Carmen Cuesta (15 years, belonging to the USY and survivor of the women's prison). In 1936 she joined the USYwhere she met Vicente Ollero, which ended up being her boyfriend. She was denounced by a colleague under torture.

Ana Lopez: (21, dressmaker) militant of USY. She was secretary of the USY during the War. Her boyfriend proposed to emigrate to France, but she decided to stay with her ​​three younger siblings in Madrid. She has not died in the first volley of shots and asked: "Why do not you kill me?".

Joaquina Lopez (23, secretary) was given the female secretary of the Provincial Committee of the USY underground. She was reported by a militant of USY. When she was arrested she was taken to a villa.

Denise Manzanero: (20, dressmaker) She joined the Communist Party in April 1938 after a missile killed her sister and some kids playing in a field. After the war was the link between communist leaders in Madrid. She was arrested on May 16, 1939.

Victoria Muñoz García (18 years, activist). He joined with 15 years at JSU. Belonged to the group of Chamartín. She was the sister of Gregorio Muñoz, military official sector group Chamartin de la Rosa. Sales came to the June 6, 1939.

Luisa Rodríguez de la Fuente (18, tailor). She entered the JSU in 1937 without taking any charge. Some individuals will set out to create a group, but there was still convinced anyone but her cousin when she was arrested. She recognized her activism during the war, but not today. In April she was transferred to the women's prison in Madrid, the first of the Thirteen Roses to enter the prison.

Julia Conesa. Do not forget my name.

In her letter, Julia Conesa, before being shot by her twelve companions wrote:

"Mother brothers, with love and enthusiasm I ask you not weep for me. I'm not mourn. They kill me being me innocent, but die as an innocent woman must die. Mother, my mother, I'm meeting with my sister and my father in the other world, but be aware that dying for honest person. Goodbye dear mother, goodbye forever. Your daughter and you may never kiss or hug. Let my name be not forgotten ".

Blanca Brisac. Letter to her son Henry.

"Dear, beloved son of my soul:

In recent times your mother thinks of you. Thinking of you my little boy in my heart that you are a man, a man, and you know be all worth it was your parents. Excuse me, my son, if I ever wronged you. Forget son, have fond memories of me and you know I'm right rueful.

I will die with my head high. Just being good: you better than anyone you know, Henry mine.

I only ask you to be very good, very good man. All you want and do not resent those who killed your parents, never. Good people do not hold grudges and you have to be a good man, hardworking. Follow the example of your father. Right, my son, that in my last hour you promise me? Stay with my beloved mother and provided for her, and my sisters as a child. Tomorrow take care of them when they are older. You must take care when you're a man. I do not say more. Your father and I are going to die proud. I do not know if your father have confessed and received communion, because I will not see even my presence before the firing squad. I sure have.

Henry, do not you ever erase the memory of your parents. To make you take Communion but well prepared, so well grounded religion as it was taught to me. I continue writing until the moment of my death, but I have to say goodbye to everyone. Son, son, until eternity. Receive, after countless kisses, eternal kiss your mother who loves you. "

Poem in honor of the Thirteen Roses.

Madrid mourns for thirteen roses,

Thirteen lives were cut

still young, almost children.

Cursed be the souls

fascist executioners 

of their hate with scythes,

 mowed their short lives.

Spain is your mother,

the sky is your smile

their fields have the blood 

of some roses, almost children.

The people of Madrid loves you,

those people who hates,

saviors of homelands,

of communists and fascists.

Madrid is home to everyone,

sully his name only hatred

of the chiefs, 

whose reason is envy.

The rose of the parks

of our beloved Spain,

reflect your faces,

your smiles of girls.

Blessed are ye thousand times,

Blessed your families,

cursed murderers

that our roses wither.

[Julián Fernández del Pozo]

Commemorative plaque on the wall where the thirteen roses were shot. The plaque reads: "The Young calls The Thirteen Roses gave their lives for freedom and democracy on August 5, 1939. Madrid's people remember their sacrifice; August 5, 1988".

Jeanne Pimentel. The Sad Countess

Jeanne Pimentel and Enriquez (1404 - 1488) better known as "the Countess sad", it was a Spanish nobleman, belonging to the House of Benavente. Countess of Montalban own right and Lady of the castle of the town of Arenas de San Pedro.

She was married to Alvaro de Luna, constable of the kingdom of Castile, Grand Master of the Order of Santiago and favorite of King Juan II of Castile.

She was born about 1404, being the daughter of Rodrigo Alonso Pimentel, Count of Benavente, and Eleanor Enriquez de Mendoza.

She married on January 27, 1430 in the city of Palencia with the Constable Alvaro de Luna, nephew of Pedro de Luna, Archbishop of Toledo, who introduced him to the Castilian court as a bodyguard of Prince John, who later became King John II of Castile, who earned the trust and was appointed Constable of Castile and Grand Master of the Order of Santiago.

The wife brought a dowry the town and castle of Arenas de San Pedro (province of Ávila), and the link was attended by King John II of Castile and Mary of Aragon. Once married, had an itinerant life, residing in Escalona Castle, residence of the Constable and elsewhere, according to court life of her husband and, thus, their second child was born in the city of Madrid, and its sponsors kings of Castile.

On June 2, 1453 at de Luna Àlvaro head cut off in the city of Valladolid and its enemies assail their possessions.

Days later, the royal troops were besieging the castle of Escalona, where Jeanne had taken refuge with their children and their treasures.

So strong was made in the castle, the king, seeing that he could seize the treasures were accumulated the countess proposed a capitulation where Jeanne proved able to defend their rights and those of his son and managed to keep what he had brought as dowry in her wedding.

Jeanne began a struggle to recover property of her late husband, signing all documents since the nickname of the "sad", with which it is known.

After the death of King John II, Jeanne had to continue to defend the King Henry "the Impotent" going so far as to oppose royal purposes even with weapons, because she refused to receive the King that he wanted to meet her at the Castle Montalban, and she trembled with shots of "thunder and Lombard", so that the new king tried to confiscate certain property as Mombentrán villa and Adrada. The Countess Jeanne gave these properties to Beltran de la Cueva (a close friend of the king). The king's anger was so great that condemned her and her child to the death penalty, but then, thanks to the intercession of the Castilian aristocrats, Arenas donated forgave him and for her and her children.

Jeanne lived long periods in Arenas de San Pedro and in her old age she moved to the city of Guadalajara where she signed in 1487, donations of meadows and farms to the municipality as appreciation for the contribution of the villagers in the recovery of her states.

children:

- Mary. Lady of La Torre de Esteban Hambrán, Villa del Prado, Alhamín and Castle Bayuela. Infantado Duchess, by marriage.

- John. Count of San Esteban.

Her husband had acquired in 1435 a chapel in the ambulatory of the Cathedral of Toledo to use it to family tomb, the chapel of Santiago. The construction was executed by the Brussels Hanequin team, and after the death of the constable, was his widow who continued the work, finally completed in 1498 by his daughter Mary, who sent sarcophagi sculpt their parents.

The Countess Jeanne Pimentel testament granted May 30, 1485, and died in the city of Guadalajara on November 6, 1488 at the age of 84. She was buried beside her husband in the chapel, in the tombs located in the center of it. Recumbent Packages were made by Pablo Ortiz and Sebastian de Almonacid, and praying figures in the corner of the Countess represent Franciscan friars.