Stories and Fascinating Legends

Have you never thought about the why of an expression or a tradition? Learn about the history of Spain through stories and legends of interest. Fascinating Spain is the community that organizes this content.

  • civil war

    When the Civil War caused the largest prison break in Spanish history

    The most massive escape in the history of Spain took place on May 22, 1938. It took place on Mount Ezkaba, north of the city of Pamplona and only fifty kilometers from the French border. The protagonists of this escape escaped from the fort of San Cristóbal, an old fortress that had been used as […]

  • pope

    When the pope banned bullfighting on pain of excommunication

    Pius V is a pope known in history for several reasons. First of all, he was commissary general of the Inquisition, where he became famous for his severity. Then, as pope, he promoted with impetus the proliferation of the Holy League, a military coalition composed, among others, of the Spanish Monarchy and the Papal States […]

  • coco

    The monster that scares half the world: the Coco

    That parents sometimes become cruel is something repeatedly demonstrated. It must be the lack of sleep, the continuous battle to get them dressed or eat, the time investment, the yelling or who knows what. Children are a blessing, yes, but not always. If not, tell that to the smart guy or gal who first used […]

  • italian flags

    Italian flags instead of Spanish: the peculiar Hispanity Day in the USA

    Every year, on the second Monday of October, the streets of New York are filled with Italian flags. A huge parade fills the famous Fifth Avenue. Floats led by descendants of immigrants from this European country make their way through the Big Apple in small steps. As a holiday, many places close and workers enjoy […]

The fish man of Liérganes

In the beginning of the third decade of the eighteenth century a wise man called Father Feijoo told the story of the fish man of Liérganes; it seems he heard it from several of his acquaintances to whom he attributed great credibility. The truth is... Continue reading

The story of Hercules and Seville, a mutual crush
Why Ferdinand the Catholic was born in Aragon and not in Navarre
The ‘guru’ who made the first suicide attack
Atlantis, the underwater city “beyond the Pillars of Hercules”
The Battle of Atapuerca
Pedro Pardo de Cela, the marshal of Mondoñedo
The battle of Rande and the lost treasure
The miraculous rings of the Ribeira Sacra that reappeared centuries later
The legend of the txori of Puente La Reina
The yellow bird and the first aerial stowaway in history
The Basque-Icelandic language, a language with whales in between
Spain, a word with many meanings throughout history
Aliatar’s Horse
When the Civil War caused the largest prison break in Spanish history
The Pilgrimage of Louis VII from France
When lava ran for six years on Lanzarote
The ‘Passage of arms’ by Suero de Quiñones
Miracle and tragedy of the Virgen del Puy
Sisnando Menéndez and the landing of Catoira.
The Bispo Santo and the Normans
The castle of San Vicente de la Barquera, a defense from another era