How a Barefoot Queen Became My Tour Guide in Seville
A novel can give you the best travel experience
Dear Reader,
Reading a historical novel set in the country or city you are about to visit can be magical.
I have always preferred to read fiction instead of watching movies. It gives me an opportunity to take a break from the real world, and disappear into a fantasy full of heroic characters and exciting locations.
A couple of years ago, I went to a beautiful wedding in Seville. Before I left for Spain, I bought ‘The Barefoot Queen’ by Ildefonso Falcones.
“Seville was a singing school, a music university, a workshop where all styles came together before heading out into the world.”
— Ildefonso Falcones: "The Barefoot Queen"
The Dance of Passion and Pain
‘The Barefoot Queen’ by Ildefonso Falcones takes place in Spain in 1748.
On the first page, you meet Caridad, a former slave who arrives by ship from Cuba.
Caridad’s master passed away on the journey. Now she is wandering about, dehydrated, and lost in the streets of Seville. Caridad meets a Romani named Melchor, who takes care of her and introduces her to his world of music, dance, art, strong familial bonds, and family fights.
Melchor’s grandchild Milagros and Caridad become friends and share a passion for singing and dancing flamenco in an unkind world full of violence and harassment.
Milagros and her family live in the Triana district of Seville. Triana has a big Romani community where fortunetellers are respected, and freedom is invaluable. Everyone has a role to play to keep the business and community going.
“She sang danced suggestively, as Caridad had taught her, to incite the crowd’s desire.”
— Ildefonso Falcones: "The Barefoot Queen"
Milagros’ and Caridad’s lives change in a heartbeat when the Romanies are declared outlaws by the royal council, changing the community they call home forever. Families and loved ones are separated, with some going to prison while others hide or flee. The Romanies are forced to fight for their lives, culture, history, and freedom.
“What up until then had been nothing more than upbeat ditties, sung with a misunderstood passion, became pure pain and heartbreak: for the imprisonment of her parents and her love for Pedro García; for her grandfather’s disappearance; for Caridad’s rape and for Alejandro’s death; for the constant fleeing amid the payos’ gobs of spit; for the hunger and the cold; for the injustice of the rulers; for the past of persecuted people and their uncertain future.”
— Ildefonso Falcones: "The Barefoot Queen"
Milagros’ and Caridad’s adventure transports readers into a dramatic time in Seville, where they are immersed into the origin story of the flamenco, a dance the outlaw Romanies used to express their pride, pain, and passion.
Meetings with History
When I explored the colorful Triana, it was like Milagros and Caridad were by my side the whole time. At my visit to the former Royal Tobacco Factory, now a part of The University of Seville, I imagined how Caridad made cigars out of tobacco leaves. When I attended my friends’ romantic wedding ceremony in the beautiful San Jacinto Church, I thought about how the Romanies had celebrated happy family events in the same neighborhood.
My friends and I also went to the famous flamenco festival (Bienal de flamenco) to have a few drinks and get an authentic experience of the atmosphere, where beautiful flamenco dancers and singers celebrated their history with passion and joy. Men dressed up in shiny suits, traditional hats, ties, and golden rings were chatting up the women wearing colorful shawls and gitana dresses, armed with fans to hide behind and send signals to their secret loves. It all reminded me of Milagros’ performances, where she danced and sang in Seville’s bars, palaces, and streets in the book I was reading.
Final Thoughts
I hadn’t been to Seville before, and I wanted to know more about the city. Of course you can get valuable historical information from tourist guides to prepare you for your trip, but I don’t remember facts like that very well. I remember stories.
My experience is that when I go to places I know from a well-written novel, I get so much more out of my visit. I get a better understanding of the culture, the people, and their history in a way I wouldn’t if I hadn’t been immersed in an exciting and heartbreaking story.
Do you read fiction located in the places you visit?
This essay was originally published on Medium.
About the Creator
Lone Brinkmann
I am a published Danish writer who finds inspiration for my books, articles, and fiction about ethics, love, life choices, and identity in Kierkegaard’s existential philosophy.
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