Vocabulary

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Transcript

 
Cordoba is famous for having the most beautiful interior courtyards in Spain, where they’re called patios. Every year in the first week of May, the annual Patio Festival gets underway.

Local resident Rafael Cordoba is among those taking part. He’s putting the finishing touches on the flowerpots and sprucing up the plants on his patio.

Rafael Cordoba, Courtyard Owner: “I have four hundred flower pots, so that’s a lot of wilted leaves to remove when you’re not busy watering, you’re applying fertilizer or paint. The house; it’s very old from the 16th century,” Lopez says.

Araceli Lopez is also doing some last-minute tidying up before the visitors start streaming in. She shows us her trusted and traditional watering system: a long stick and a tin can.

Araceli bought this property just a short time ago.

Araceli Lopez, Courtyard Owner: “We decided to buy the house so that we can preserve this old patio. It’s at least 350 years old.”

Courtyards in Cordoba go back to Roman times, designed to provide houses with a cool refuge from the heat. The tradition was continued by the Moors, who built the great mosque, now Cathedral, and left a lasting impact on local architecture, despite the city returning to Christian rule in 1236.

Miguel Angel Roldan, Cordoba Courtyards Friends Association: “The colors and scents came from the Arabs. They did their thing, they loved these vertical gardens, but they wanted to keep them to themselves. They closed the doors and enjoyed their patio.”

Most of the city’s four thousand courtyards are still closed today, but sixty open up to visitors during the 14-day festival. That means long queues outside homes like Rafael Cordoba’s — but the wait is well worth it.

Courtyard Visitor, One: “We’re here for the first time, and we like it. We’ve only seen three or four. I didn’t expect it to be this nice.”

Courtyard Visitor, Two: “It’s rather unique. You really have to be in the patios to understand the colors, the scents, and the light. It’s wonderful.”

Not just locals and tourists visit the courtyards; the festival is also a contest, so a judging panel stops by to cast their votes for the best patios. There are different categories for historical patios and more contemporary ones.

This year, 47 courtyards are in competition.

One of the judges is a biologist, and for her, it’s about more than just the lovely colors.

Lourdes Arroyo Rosa, Jury Member: “Of course, the variety of flowers plays a role, but it’s the atmosphere that really matters—the water, the music, and what we can smell as we come in. It’s all about that initial emotion.”

The first courtyard festival was celebrated in 1918, dating back to a time when large single-family villas were turned into multi-family homes. The rooms were so small that people spent a lot of time in the courtyards.

Miguel Angel Roldan, Cordoba Courtyards Friends Association: “Residents would decorate their entrances, painting the flowerpots as they liked. And because it was particularly delightful in the springtime, they decided to open their doors to visitors, so they could see all the beauty on display.”

The crowds have been coming ever since.

Locals like Rafael make a huge effort to make their prized patios even more beautiful to win over the judges. He’s won countless awards, but his real motivation is the memories.

Rafael Cordoba, Courtyard Festival Contestant: “There were flowers here when I was a kid. My grandparents have since died. I want to keep the patio and flowers alive in their memory.”

Every year, people come from far and wide to witness this unique spectacle when the courtyards of Cordoba spring into bloom.

Questions

 
Rose. The Patio Festival takes place in October. True or false? Does the festival involve bands, dancing and feasting?

Geranium. Do the owners just leave their flowers and plants in their natural state?

Lavender. All the homes and courtyards were built in the late 1800s. Is this right or wrong? Are all the owners descendants of the original owners?

Iris. Are the architecture, layout and decor strictly Spanish?

Marigold. Are the patio courtyards popular among guests and visitors? Are they impressed?

Tulip. Cordoba has 47 courtyards and all are open to the public. Is this correct or incorrect?

Daisy. Are the flowers the only criteria in the courtyard contest? Do the judges only take the flowers into consideration?

Carnation. Only local Cordobans tour the city’s courtyards. Do you agree?
 
 
 
Orchard. I was born in Spain. I am from Spain. I live in Spain. I come from Spain. I have visited Spain. Yes or no?

Lily. Flowers, plants and gardens are very popular in my town, city and nation.

Sunflower. Are there floral gardens, parks and botanical gardens?

Chrysanthemum. Are flowers, decorative plants and gardening a “big industry” or important business?

Azalea. What might happen in the future?

Violet. Cities should tear down buildings and other structures to provide more greenery. What do you think?