sillydoll
Veteran Member
- Time of past OR future Camino
- 2002 CF: 2004 from Paris: 2006 VF: 2007 CF: 2009 Aragones, Ingles, Finisterre: 2011 X 2 on CF: 2013 'Caracoles': 2014 CF and Ingles 'Caracoles":2015 Logrono-Burgos (Hospitalero San Anton): 2016 La Douay to Aosta/San Gimignano to Rome:
There is a stunning DVD pack on the Via de la Plata - in Spanish but to beautiful that you will still be swept away by it!
http://www.elcorteingles.es/cine/produc ... 5941512953
Here is a revue of the DVD:
The discs contain fourteen 45-minutes episodes for a total duration of 640 minutes. Each episode covers a specific 80 to 100 kms segment and it completes the entire 1,000 kms of the Via narrating the history and circumstances of its creation over the last 3,000 years, and visiting its most important and emblematic monuments and places. Those who first opened the Via in prehistoric times did so because of the natural passes in the huge mountain ranges and the rivers that could be crossed. It appears that humans and cattle traversed the route in Neolithic times. The Romans used the Via in their penetration of the Iberian peninsula from Betis (Seville, more or less) and used it in their conquest of the Peninsula. The Moors were able to occupy Spain in a relatively short time because of the fabulous network of of extraordinary cobbled highways which the Romans created throughout the Peninsula, particularly in the route of the Via de la Plata. The Arab word for the paved connecting highways of the Via was "al blasat" (cobbled), which Latinized became "plata", whence the name of the Via which is totally unrelated to silver.
Now.... The discs start out by showing the covered section on a map to fix its location, and then follow the route from the air showing every river, every range, every forest, every town and so on. The aerial view lingers above the cities, monuments and churches in a way that one can really appreciate the greatness of their structure in relation to their surroundings. When a particular town, church, monastery. monument or significant university or particular activity comes into view, learned commentators serve as guides thereof with an erudition, clarity and richness of detail superior to anything I've ever seen in similar PBS programs. And wow!!!! ....those aerial views!
The series was produced by an outfit called DIVISA HOME VIDEO 2006 located in Valladolid (in association with TVE, the National Television Center of Spain); they have a home page : http://www.divisared.es
Unfortunately for some of you, I think, the discs are only in Spanish, but, regardless.... what a feast for the eyes of the whole country.
http://www.elcorteingles.es/cine/produc ... 5941512953
Here is a revue of the DVD:
The discs contain fourteen 45-minutes episodes for a total duration of 640 minutes. Each episode covers a specific 80 to 100 kms segment and it completes the entire 1,000 kms of the Via narrating the history and circumstances of its creation over the last 3,000 years, and visiting its most important and emblematic monuments and places. Those who first opened the Via in prehistoric times did so because of the natural passes in the huge mountain ranges and the rivers that could be crossed. It appears that humans and cattle traversed the route in Neolithic times. The Romans used the Via in their penetration of the Iberian peninsula from Betis (Seville, more or less) and used it in their conquest of the Peninsula. The Moors were able to occupy Spain in a relatively short time because of the fabulous network of of extraordinary cobbled highways which the Romans created throughout the Peninsula, particularly in the route of the Via de la Plata. The Arab word for the paved connecting highways of the Via was "al blasat" (cobbled), which Latinized became "plata", whence the name of the Via which is totally unrelated to silver.
Now.... The discs start out by showing the covered section on a map to fix its location, and then follow the route from the air showing every river, every range, every forest, every town and so on. The aerial view lingers above the cities, monuments and churches in a way that one can really appreciate the greatness of their structure in relation to their surroundings. When a particular town, church, monastery. monument or significant university or particular activity comes into view, learned commentators serve as guides thereof with an erudition, clarity and richness of detail superior to anything I've ever seen in similar PBS programs. And wow!!!! ....those aerial views!
The series was produced by an outfit called DIVISA HOME VIDEO 2006 located in Valladolid (in association with TVE, the National Television Center of Spain); they have a home page : http://www.divisared.es
Unfortunately for some of you, I think, the discs are only in Spanish, but, regardless.... what a feast for the eyes of the whole country.