It’s no surprise that the Iberian Peninsula is a firm favorite setting for many of our customers. It is a picturesque trove of archeological sites, magnificent buildings and infrastructures, and documents, all of which reflect the region’s intricate and active history.
Its past reveals a complex sequence of settlers and settlements, from the ancient Iberian dwellers to the Phoenician and Greek coastal establishments. Not to mention its period as a privileged Province of the Roman Empire, followed by the barbarian tribes setting soil over Western Europe, and the Arab rule. All of these events, over thousands of years, have shaped Iberia’s ancient heritage. The many vestiges left behind provide Viabo with ample segues into an amazingly graphic and narrative experience of Iberia’s fascinating origins and evolution.
Largely as a result of the protracted wars for dominance fought by the Old Kingdoms, which led to shifting borders from the 8th to the 15th century, the area boasts an extraordinary density of Roman sites to discover.
At the time, Hispania had fallen almost entirely under Arab rule, and an extended period of military skirmishes and campaigns ensued. These battles initiated in Northern Asturias and expanded southwards. The colonization tactics of the time included developing a network of castles, churches and monasteries to attract and ascribe people to the newly won no-man’s land.
Within this timeframe, from the 11th to the 14th century, all the Christian Kingdoms across Europe – mobilized by trade, a common faith and many religious Orders – took to carving in stone a vast and enduring legacy. Iberia was strongly connected to and part of this trend.
Later, as the economies of some of those regions shifted away or stalled after this active period, a lot of the structures were left untouched. Much to the delight of travelers today, the striking structures seem frozen in time – the majestic witnesses of past societies, belying tales of their creators’ beliefs and social dynamics.
This epoch is one of the mainstays in Viabo’s offering. We have time to thank for the splendid Romanesque edifices that still color the Spanish countryside today, often laid out along old war borders, or pilgrimage and trade routes.
While Spain, Portugal, France, and Italy are within Viabo’s direct areas of operation, if you have a particular interest in a country outside of this scope, we can customize a program in that country according to your cultural and epicurean preferences (and dependent upon the reach of our trusted network of guides and expert lecturers).
