A Walk through Alcala de Henares, Spain for Weathervane Wednesday

 Happy New Year!  All these weathervanes were photographed near the parador at Alcala de Henares, in the province of Madrid, Spain.  We walked from the parador to the birthplace of Cervantes, and saw many, many weathervanes. This is an old university town, with many church steeples and college towers.  It was founded in the first century, BC by the Romans.  This city is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. 

Near the parador (which was originally a student hostel centuries ago)  was a section of the Complutense University, founded in the late 15th century. It was full of church steeples and towers with lots of weathervanes. We had a lot of fun walking here and photographing all the weathervanes. 

This building was on the Plaza de Cervantes, near the parador where we ate lunch. I loved the circular part of the weathervane, which held up the cardinal points. And the stork's nest is a bonus! 

Here we are at the birthplace of Miguel de Cervantes (1547 - 1616), the Spanish author of Don Quixote. Cervantes was born in his grandparents house, and grew up in poverty. His father was a barber-surgeon. 

For the truly curious:

Alcala de Henares at Wikipedia:   https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alcal%C3%A1_de_Henares   

Miguel de Cervantes at Wikipedia:  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Miguel_de_Cervantes  

To see over 550 more weathervanes, please click here:     https://nutfieldgenealogy.blogspot.com/search/label/Weathervane%20Wednesday  

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To cite/link to this blog post:  Heather Wilkinson Rojo, "A Walk through Alcala de Henares, Spain for Weathervane Wednesday", Nutfield Genealogy, posted January 29, 2025, ( https://nutfieldgenealogy.blogspot.com/2025/01/a-walk-through-alcala-de-henares-spain.html: accessed [access date]). 

Another Lighthouse with a Weathervane, from Peniscola, Spain

 This weathervane was photographed above a lighthouse in Peniscola, Castellon, Spain. 

Peniscola is an ancient city on the Mediterranean Sea originally settled by the Iberians, then the Phoenicians, then the Greeks, Then the Carthaginians.  The castle above the city was built by the Templar Knights around 1300.  It was the home of the "Papa Luna" or Pope Benedict XII from 1415 to 1423.  This was a time in history when there were three popes - one in Rome, one in Avignon, France and one in Peniscola, Spain.  We visited the town during an almost full moon, which you can see in some of the photographs. Peniscola is a now a resort town with beautiful beaches near this medieval part of the city. 

The lighthouse is next door to the Papa Luna castle.  It was first lit in October 1899 and powered by paraffin lamps, and later electrified. It is still in use as a navigation aid. Like last week's weathervane you can see HERE, it is a a simple arrow vane for navigation below an anemometer which measures wind speed.  This type of weathervane is appropriate for a lighthouse. Both Peniscola's and Oropesa's weathervanes look alike, if not exactly alike!  

For the truly curious:  

Peniscola Lighthouse:    https://www.portcastello.com/en/portcastello-lighthouses/peniscola-lighthouse/#1631877192018-618eb56d-59ae   

Last week's Weathervane Wednesday in Oropesa, Spain:  https://nutfieldgenealogy.blogspot.com/2025/01/a-lighthouse-at-oropesa-spain-for.html  

Click here to see over 550 more weathervanes from all over the world:

https://nutfieldgenealogy.blogspot.com/search/label/Weathervane%20Wednesday   

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To cite/link to this blog post:  Heather Wilkinson Rojo, "Another Lighthouse with a Weathervane, from Peniscola, Spain", Nutfield Genealogy, posted January 22, 2025, ( https://nutfieldgenealogy.blogspot.com/2025/01/another-lighthouse-with-weathervane.html: accessed [access date]). 

What did Genea-Santa Bring? Christmas Books 2024

 Happy Holidays!  For many years I have posted the books that the Genea-Santa has put under my Christmas Tree.  This year was a big haul of new books to read!  I hope that now that Christmas and Three Kings have passed, I can start to read the Christmas books I received this holiday season.  I hope you enjoy this blog post, and that you find a book or two you might like to read, too.  Here they are in no particular order- 

A few months ago I heard that Heritage books was having a sale on their genealogy books, so I made a list of some of the titles that might help me with my family tree.  Genea-Santa ordered three of those books, wrapped them up, and delivered them in time for Christmas.  Thank you Genea-Santa!  This volume about the Greenleaf family includes my ancestor Captain Edmund Greenleaf, who was born before 2 January 1574 in Ipswich, Suffolk England, and died in Boston on 24 March 1671.  I descend from two of his children - Judith, who married Tristam Coffin, and Stephen Greenleaf, who married Elizabeth Coffin (two Greenleaf siblings married two Coffin siblings).  I haven't written up a Greenleaf "Surname Saturday" blog post yet, but this book should help! 

This is another book published by Heritage Books.  It is a reprint of a book I have referred to often in my family tree research.  I do not descend from Thomas Pierce, but I have found many of his descendants in my family tree through marriages and other kinships.  

This book A Thousand Miles Up the Nile by Amelia Edwards is a book I am looking forward to reading.  This book is also a reprint, since the original is long out of print (1877).  It is a classic book about early Egyptologists, and Amelia Edwards was a pioneering woman in exploring Egypt in Victorian times. She was also the inspiration for the fictional character Amelia Peabody in a modern series of mystery novels about archeaology in Egypt in the 1800.  I read many of the Amelia Peabody books before my own trip down the Nile River in 2023, and I can't wait to read the real story written by the real "Amelia". 

This is the third book published by Heritage Books on my Genea-Santa list.  It is the complied genealogy of the Crosby family and descendants of Simon Crosby.  He is my 9th great grandfather, born about 1609 in Holme-on-theSpaulding-Moor, Cambridge, England, and he died in September 1639 in Cambridge, Massachusetts. I descend from his eldest son, Thomas Crosby, who settled in Eastham on Cape Cod.  My line of Crosbys eventually removed to Nova Scotia during the Planter Movement.  You can read more about my Crosby lineage at this 2012 blog post:  https://nutfieldgenealogy.blogspot.com/2012/08/surname-saturday-crosby.html   

The last book from Genea-Santa was this lovely edition of Mark Twain's Innocents Abroad. When I was a girl we read Huckleberry Finn in school, and then I borrowed many other of Twains books from the library, but Innocents Abroad was always my favorite.  I reread this book online before our trip to Egypt, and now I can reread it before our next trip to Europe.  It's still a funny book with many thoughtful insights on American tourists, and it still makes me laugh.  This is a boxed book with a fine cover, and I've never owned a copy of Innocents Abroad.  

For the truly curious:

Christmas Books 2023

https://nutfieldgenealogy.blogspot.com/2024/01/what-did-genea-santa-bring-christmas.html    

Christmas Books 2022

https://nutfieldgenealogy.blogspot.com/2023/01/what-did-genea-santa-bring-christmas.html    

Christmas Books 2021

https://nutfieldgenealogy.blogspot.com/2022/01/what-did-genea-santa-bring-christmas.html  

Christmas Books 2020

https://nutfieldgenealogy.blogspot.com/2021/01/what-did-genea-santa-bring-christmas.html  

Christmas Books 2019

https://nutfieldgenealogy.blogspot.com/2019/12/what-did-genea-santa-bring-christmas.html   

Christmas Books 2018  

https://nutfieldgenealogy.blogspot.com/2019/01/christmas-books-from-santa-2018.html   

Christmas Books 2017

https://nutfieldgenealogy.blogspot.com/2018/01/christmas-books-from-santa-2017.html 

Christmas Books 2016:

 https://nutfieldgenealogy.blogspot.com/2016/12/christmas-books-from-santa-2016.html   

Christmas Books 2015:

https://nutfieldgenealogy.blogspot.com/2016/01/genealogy-gifts-from-santa-2015.html  

Christmas Books 2014:

https://nutfieldgenealogy.blogspot.com/2014/01/new-books-for-christmas-santa-was-very.html

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To cite/link to this blog post:  Heather Wilkinson Rojo, "What did Genea-Santa Bring?  Christmas Books 2024", Nutfield Genealogy, posted January 14, 2025, ( https://nutfieldgenealogy.blogspot.com/2025/01/what-did-genea-santa-bring-christmas.html: accessed [access date]). 

The Valencia Cathedral, Spain for Weathervane Wednesday

This weathervane was photographed in Valencia, Spain a few weeks before the big flood in October, 2024. 

The cathedral in Valencia is named the Metropolitan Catheral - Basilica of the Assumption of Our Lade of Valencia (or Iglesia Catedral - Basilica Metropolitana de la Asuncion de Nuestra Senora de Valencia in Spanish).  This church was first consecrated in 1238 on the site of a former cathedral that had been turned into a mosque.  It is located on the Plaza de la Reina.  

The cathedral is famous for an agate cup inside one of its chapels that is claimed to be the Holy Grail. 

The weathervane sits above the Miguelete Tower which was opened in 1429.  It is an octagonal tower reaching 206.7 feet (63 meters high).  There are eleven bells in the tower, the largest set of Gothic bells in Spain. The oldest bell dates from 1305, and the newest bell was installed in 1735. 

The weathervane is a typical scrolled banner seen on other Spanish churches.  It swivels below an ornate cross. 

For the truly curious:

Wikipedia article on the Valencia Catheral:  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Valencia_Cathedral  

Wikipedia article on the Miguelete Tower:    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Miguelete_Tower  

To see almost 550 other weathervanes, click here:   https://nutfieldgenealogy.blogspot.com/search/label/Weathervane%20Wednesday   

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To cite/link to this blog post:  Heather Wilkinson Rojo, "The Valencia Cathedral, Spain for Weathervane Wednesday ", Nutfield Genealogy, posted January 8, 2025, ( https://nutfieldgenealogy.blogspot.com/2025/01/the-valencia-cathedral-spain-for.html: accessed [access date]). 

Iglesia de Santa Catalina, Valencia, Spain for Weathervane Wednesday

 This weathervane was photographed in Valencia, Spain. We were there in October, just a few weeks before the big flood. 

The Iglesia de Santa Catalina (or Esglesia de Santa Caterina Martir in the native language Valencian, a dialect of Catalan) is located on the Plaza Lope de Vega in Valencia, Spain.  It was built on the site of a mosque in the 13th century, and expanded and rebuilt several times over the centuries.  The current church was constructed in 1785.  The 56 meter (about 184 feet high) octagonal bell tower was begun in 1688 and finished in 1705.  

According to Wikipedia "On the dome and as a crowning, a ball that represents the globe and a weather vane with the symbols of the saint (St. Catherine) allow it to reach 56.12 metres in height. And at the top is the cross. In 2001 it was restored by the Generalitat Valenciana and with the financing of the Caja Madrid foundation, inagurating its resotration on 28/11/2002."  The symbols of St. Catherine are a broken wheel, because she was martyred and killed on this torture device.  

This church was attacked during the Spanish Civil War in 1936, and destroyed by fire.  In the 1950s it was restored, but the baroque interior decorations on the walls were never replaced.  

Our daughter is named "Catalina", because when I was pregnant and trying to find a baby name that could be pronounced easily by both sides of our family we stayed one night at the parador in Jaen, Spain.  This was a beautiful parador hotel in a lovely medieval castle on a bluff.  I learned that the castle was named after Santa Catalina, and we both decided that name was it.  We never found a boy's name, so it was a good thing I had a girl!  

This little chocolate shop dedicated to Santa Catalina was nearby the church. 

St. Catherine of Alexandria  (Santa Catalina)

with her wheel

For the truly curious:

The Spanish Wikipedia article for Santa Catalina, Valencia in English:

   https://es-m-wikipedia-org.translate.goog/wiki/Iglesia_de_Santa_Catalina_(Valencia)?_x_tr_sl=es&_x_tr_tl=en&_x_tr_hl=en&_x_tr_pto=sc  

The Wikipedia article on the torture device known as a Catherine's wheel:   https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Breaking_wheel   

Click here to see over 550 more weathervanes:     https://nutfieldgenealogy.blogspot.com/search/label/Weathervane%20Wednesday   

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To cite/link to this blog post:  Heather Wilkinson Rojo, "Iglesia de Santa Catalina, Valencia, Spain for Weathervane Wednesday", Nutfield Genealogy, posted January 1, 2025, ( https://nutfieldgenealogy.blogspot.com/2025/01/iglesia-de-santa-catalina-valencia.html: accessed [access date]). 

Nacimientos, Manger Scenes, Nativities, Crèches, etc.

 I recently realized that most of my Christmas decorations are nativity scenes, from all around the world.  Here is a sampling of some of them - small and large!  I love minatures, of any type, and so I find nativities to be fascinating. As a child I remember the nativity we had, which was identical to the one my Nana had at her house. My uncle had built the wooden stable, and my mother had collected the figures. Of course, as children we could only look and not play with the figures.  Now we collect nativities on our travels, and have brought many back from Spain, South America, and Europe.    

This very large scene is called a "Belen" in Spain, which is Spanish for Bethlehem.  All the tiny clay figures were bought in Madrid, Spain at the Christmas market in the Plaza Mayor over almost 40 years of collecting.  The landscape was built by Vincent and I out of an old, cork bulletin board and papier mache.  The final touches were plants, grass and trees from a hobby shop.  Children love to rearrange the figures in this little village. And so do my cats! 

This tiny little nativity was from a New Hampshire craft fair.  It is on the molding above our front closet, and below Vincent's grandfather's sword from the Guardia Civil in Spain.  

These nativity pieces were all from my mother-in-law's house in Spain.  I didn't know that Vincent had packed them all into his suitcase after she passed away.  They are made out of papier mache and cloth. 

This little nativity is made out of fabric.  I made it in the 1990s when my daughter was little and wanted to play with the figures in the nativity scenes. It is indestructable.  I've even caught the cats playing with it! 

Here is another nativity from Spain.  It is on our mantel at Christmas time. 

This tiny nativity is in my office.  It is three extra pieces from the clay "Belen" at the top of this blog post. We bought extra Marys, Josephs, and Baby Jesuses just in case! 

Here is another tiny nativity that is placed above a window trim.  It just barely fits up there! 

There are many, many nativities on the Christmas tree.  This one is a Hallmark ornament.

This ornament was bought in Rome, Italy.

This nativity is on our tree.  I forget where we bought it, but it was on a trip. 

This is another tiny nativity.  You can see how small it is compared to the two coffee mugs behind it. 

This nativity comes from Ecuador, and the ball closes up into an ornament. 

This tiny Christmas tree nativity came from Puerto Rico. 

This is tree ornament has three mooses depicting the Holy Family in a stable.

There are many more nativities scattered around the house at Christmas time.  Do you have more than one in your house during the holidays?  Do they have special meaning for you, too? 

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To cite/link to this blog post: Heather Wilkinson Rojo, "Nacimientos, Manger Scenes, Nativities, Crèches, etc.", Nutfield Genealogy, posted December 24, 2024, ( https://nutfieldgenealogy.blogspot.com/2024/12/nacimientos-manger-scenes-nativities.html: accessed [access date]). 

The Matadero in Madrid, Spain for Weathervane Wednesday

 This weathervane was photographed at the Matadero in Madrid, Spain.  It is located at the Plaza de Chopera in the Arganzuela neighborhood. The weathervane is above the Cultural Center Casa de Reloj. 

The Matadero cultural center in Madrid is a former slaughterhouse, previously called El Matadero y Mercado Municipal de Ganados. It was built in 1925 and closed in 1996.  It reopened as a cultural and arts center in 2006.  There are buildings for the visual arts, concerts, archives, theaters, expositions, and more. We attended an exhibit on the Titanic disaster there in September 2024.  That's when we spotted this banner style weathervane on the tower of the Casa del Reloj.

The Casa del Reloj (The Clock House) is at the far end of the Matadero.  It was the former central services pavilion for the slaughterhouse, but now it provides services for a retirement home for senior citizens.  It has 2 exhibition halls, a large auditorium, and 14 classrooms. 

For the truly curious:

Matadero Madrid at Wikipedia (English)  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Matadero_Madrid  

Click here to see almost 550 Weathervane Wednesday posts from New England and around the world:    https://nutfieldgenealogy.blogspot.com/search/label/Weathervane%20Wednesday  

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To cite/link to this blog post: Heather Wilkinson Rojo, "The Matadero in Madrid, Spain for Weathervane Wednesday", Nutfield Genealogy, posted December 18, 2024, ( https://nutfieldgenealogy.blogspot.com/2024/12/the-matadero-in-madrid-spain-for.html: accessed [access date]). 

At the Royal Palace of Aranjuez for Weathervane Wednesday

 This weathervane was photographed at the Royal Palace of Aranjuez, outside of Madrid, Spain. 

This gilded weathervane is above the palace at Aranjuez.  The banner style weathervane revolves under a gilded cross. 

This royal residence was originally a hunting lodge for Philip II.  It has been expanded, remodeled, and rebuilt many times over the years, and suffered extensive damage by a fire in 1748.  There are many luxurious Baroque style rooms inside, including a ballroom, a throne room, a music room and a billiard room. The "Gabinete de Porcelana" or Porcelain Room is the most famous.  It is completely covered with porcelain with a marble floor.  

This palace was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2001.  It is open to the public, including the extensive gardens and grounds. 

The famous Porcelain Room 

For the truly curious:

Patrimonio Nacional Royal Palace of Aranjuez website:   https://www.patrimonionacional.es/en/visita/royal-palace-aranjuez    

Click here to see almost 550 Weathervane Wednesday posts from New England and around the world:    https://nutfieldgenealogy.blogspot.com/search/label/Weathervane%20Wednesday   

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To cite/link to this blog post:  Heather Wilkinson Rojo, "At the Royal Palace of Aranjuez for Weathervane Wednesday", posted December 11, 2024, ( https://nutfieldgenealogy.blogspot.com/2024/12/at-royal-palace-of-aranjuez-for.html: accessed [access date]).