|
|
|
|
| |
| THE CONCEPT: UNDERSTAND AND EXPERIENCE THE EQUESTRIAN ARTS |
|
From the remotest of times Andalusia has produced a special communication between Man and the Horse. This communication is best summarised by the logo of the Equestrian Art Museum which depicts a centaur and acquires the category of an EQUESTRIAN ART in the show "How the Andalusian Horses Dance".
The main scientific argument is supported by archaeological remains which highlight the importance of the horse in the area of the Guadalquivir River during the times of the Iberians and Tartesians, going on to discover the rather unique game of cañas which horsemen from Jerez played during the Middle Ages as training for the war. From the Renaissance violent game of cañas developed and turned into an exhibition of equestrian skills which took place in the central Arenal Square under the title "Bueltas de escaramuza de gala a la gineta". Although such exhibitions fell into disuse over the years, these skills were kept alive by the garrochistas in the countryside and the rejoneadores in the bull rings. In the 20th Century, the Royal School purified and systemised these traditions, taking as its inspiration the grand European schools such as the Spanish Riding School of Vienna, originally formed with Andalusian horses.
The Equestrian Art Museum is a living museum, multimedia and interactive, which invites us to experience first hand the origins and evolution of the equestrian art in Andalusia and the rest of the world, offering the keys which will enable us all to fully enjoy our visit with all five senses.
Not only the new exhibition rooms, but every single one of the equestrian facilities of the Royal School form a part of the Museum because they all have a part to play in maintaining the equestrian art alive.
2004 was declared the year of Museums and Intangible Heritage by the International Council of Museums (ICOM). The Museum of Equestrian Arts falls within this category of museum as, though it has many interesting pieces on display, it is really dedicated to the art of riding, its understanding, appreciation, preservation, study and promotion.
|
| A MUSEUM OPEN TO ALL |
|
All the interactive and audiovisual systems are offered in four languages (Spanish, English, French and German) and, in addition, include the option of subtitles in Spanish for those visitors who are hard of hearing.
All the texts on display in the museum are in Spanish and English.
In accordance with the guidelines published by the National Blind Organization (ONCE), a tiflological scale model of the Recreo de las Cadenas Palace has been built so that visitors with impaired sight may obtain an accurate concept of the place they are visiting.
|
| A BRIEF ITINERARY |
|
The itinerary of our visit to the Museum of Equestrian Arts includes the main facilities of the Royal School so that all visitors may fully appreciate the art and also the facilities themselves, such as the Recreo de las Cadenas Palace which is a work of art in its own right designed by Garnier, the renowned architect who designed the Paris Opera House, and built by his disciple Ravel.
BOTANICAL GARDEN AND HISTORY OF THE HORSE
|
|
Strolling through the Botanical Garden, visitors will be able to find in the future a pleasant surprise as they will be able to see live Przewalski horses, a breed which is over 12,000 years old and which provides a fundamental link in the evolution of the horse. This species is the only wild horse currently in existence as other technically wild horses, are really cimarrones (descendants of domesticated horses then turned wild).
|
|
HARNESS WORKSHOP
|
|
The Harness Workshop of the Royal School Foundation has been prepared to form an integral part of the museum's facilities, an authentic laboratory of restoration, research and creation of the traditional harnesses that become a second skin for the horse. The Harness Workshop is also a school dedicated to preserving and promoting craft skills which are essential to the equestrian world.
|
|
RECREO DE LAS CADENAS PALACE
|
|
The Palace is where we find the main interpretative areas which enable us to experience and understand the concept of equestrian arts, and at the same time we enjoy the Recreo de las Cadenas Palace itself. The spectacular living quarters and chapel are opened to visitors and also used to house temporary exhibitions and other activities related to the Museum.
During the creation of the Museum of Equestrian Arts the work of Garnier has been thoroughly documented, given that certain discrepancies existed regarding the true authorship of the building. The report which was carried out by Mr Manuel Antonio Garcia Paz has been conclusive: Garnier was the author of the project and the execution of the same was carried out by his disciple Ravel. On the other hand, whilst researching Garnier it was discovered that, curiously, he designed a riding school in France which was never built. The coincidences of time have meant that one of his buildings has since been converted into a riding school and equestrian centre many years after his death.
After the Recreo de las Cadenas Palace the tour allows the public to visit the rest of the Royal School's facilities: riding ring, stables, training area, etc… and attend "How the Andalusian Horses Dance" when scheduled, a live performance of equestrian art, and visit the Carriage Museum which also forms a part of the Royal School of Equestrian Art Foundation.
|
| THE MAIN THEMES |
- The origins of equestrian art in Andalusia.
- The history of equestrian art in the world.
- The history of the Royal School.
- The outstanding architecture of the Royal School.
- Horses Speak.
- High School Dressage.
- Professions related to the world of the horse.
- The origins and evolution of the Horse.
- Mythical Horses.
- An equestrian dialogue with a virtual horsewoman.
- Interactive games related to the equestrian art.
- The horse over five continents.
- World championship equestrian events.
|
| TRADITION AND INNOVATION |
|
So that everybody may enjoy and fully comprehend the equestrian art the Museum uses the latest museographic techniques, but always in such a way as to enhance the content of the same:
- State of the art interactive multimedia technology so that each visitor may investigate the equestrian art, for example by speaking to a virtual horsewoman who will supply an answer to all those simple questions we all ask, but which only experts know the answer to.
- High definition digital images which depict the historical landmarks of equestrian art with the quality thus far only to be found in the cinema and with a high degree of scientific accuracy. All the images have been recorded in high definition and use solid state hard disks in order to produce a much higher professional quality than would a DVD.
- Holographic simulations upon real scale models allow for detailed explanations of the Recreo de las Cadenas Palace combining the real and the virtual.
- Scale models which show exactly how the Arenal Square used to look in the 18th Century when it played host to the equestrian exhibitions entitled "Bueltas de escaramuza de gala a la gineta" and how the square was decorated at the time. A representation of equestrian art of the age is performed upon the scale model, using miniature figures of both horses and their riders. The square is decorated with coats of arms, pennants and other decorative elements of the times.
- Reproductions of works of art which give testimony to the importance of the horse in Andalusia, such as a fragment of Tertesian harness from the 7th Century BC which was found in the lower Guadalquivir, Iberian and Punican coins depicting horses and horsemen or tiles with a distinctly equestrian air uncovered at the nearby Charterhouse in Jerez or a scene from the choir of Toledo cathedral perfectly depicting the way in which the Moors rode their horses (a la jineta) and the Christians (a la brida) in the 15th Century.
- Miniature figures designed and hand-made by the local Jerezano artist Bartolomé Macias, which are authentic sculptures and used as a support to illustrate the whole historic development of equestrian art and the main equestrian dressage movements and different equestrian disciplines. For example: the climax of a cabriole, so that visitors may observe the movement in audiovisual format and at the same time see the decisive moment frozen for them in the miniature figure.
- Large format digitally printed panels containing information in both text and photographic format which guide the visitor step by step through the history of equestrian art, like a time-line of five metres in length which displays in parallel general historic events, landmarks in the equestrian world and the most outstanding events concerning the horse here in Andalusia.
|
| EXPLANATION OF THE MUSEUM ROOM BY ROOM |
|
HISTORY OF THE HORSE IN REAL LIFE
|
|
An area of the grounds has been especially reconditioned so that the visitor, as mentioned before, receive a pleasant surprise as they can see some real live Przewalski horses, a breed which is over 12,000 years old and which provides a fundamental link in the evolution of the horse. This species is the only wild horse currently in existence as other technically wild horses, are really cimarrones (descendants of domesticated horses which later turned wild).
|
|
HARNESS WORKSHOP
|
|
The Harness Workshop has been made into a part of the museum so that visitors may understand the important work being carried out there and where they can actually see the craftsmen at work. A small exhibition explains the steps taken in order to make up specific pieces of harness, such as a cowherd's saddle, and an audiovisual programme illustrates the basics of the restoration and creation of harness and tack. In addition, the importance of touch is stressed in order to physically discover the feel of those noble materials used by the saddle and harness makers. And most interestingly of all, we can watch the daily work being carried out and see the young apprentices learning their trade.
|
|
RECREO DE LAS CADENAS PALACE
Exhibition Room 1. The origins of equestrian art in Andalusia and the World
|
|
This exhibition room in the Palace is dedicated to the origins of equestrian art.
Here we see reproductions of the first equestrian remains to be discovered in Andalusia: Tartesian harnesses, Iberian coins...
The Iberian horses were so fast that their mothers were said to have been conceived by the wind, their horsemen so skilful and brave that they were held in awe by all who came to Andalusia.
An spectacular audiovisual programme revives the old game of cañas in Jerez. In the Middle Ages, horsemen from Jerez rode with short stirrups (a la jineta) and without armour as the Arabs and they are coached for the war practicing dangerous game of cañas. Fernández de Andrade, in his book of 1580 The Nature of the Horse, explains that the local horsemen were the only ones to practice the game of cañas face to face. He chooses not to describe these games, arguing that only the local horsemen are able to play due to their strength and skill in the art of riding a la jineta:
"It is better to be a master of wounding
than to flee shielded, cautious and skilful"
From the Renaissance, these games evolved into elegant exhibitions of equestrian art systematised by Morla and Melgarejo in their essay published in 1738 and entitled "Libro nuevo, bueltas de escaramuza, de gala a la gineta". The carrousel depicted in the scale model of the Arenal Square is, in fact, taken from the pages of this book.
An abundance of graphic material from the 16th and 17th Centuries, taken from the leading essays on riding to be found in the Royal Library in the Royal Recreo de las Cadenas Palace in Madrid and the National Library, help us to attain a better understanding of the times. Most of these documents are on public display for the first time ever.
Although the practice of skirmishes and carrousels fell into extinction in the public squares of Jerez, during the 19th Century the garrochistas, working from horseback in the fields, still practised their own type of "skirmishes" and complicated equestrian movements as they handled and tested the bulls in open country.
A huge five-metre time line summarises the history and evolution of the equestrian art in both Andalusia and the world at large.
|
|
Exhibition Room 2. The Royal School
|
|
This exhibition room summarises the history of Royal School by use of graphic documentary evidence, audiovisual presentations, outstanding awards, autographs and photographs of important visitors, horsemen and founding horses... from its foundation in 1973 to the present day.
In 1973, on the occasion of the presentation of the prestigious award of the "Caballo de Oro" to Mr Alvaro Domecq Romero, the latter designed and performed an exhibition of equestrian skills in the presence of the King and Queen of Spain (at that time Prince and Princess). The Monarchs became interested in the project to consolidate these exhibitions in order to make the equestrian art accessible to all levels of society, in order to improve the selection and training of the horses and in order to train High School dressage riders as well as specialists in other trades and skills related to the horse.
Thus was born the Escuela Andaluza del Arte Ecuestre specialising in Classical Dressage and Doma Vaquera. In 1987 HRH King Juan Carlos I bestowed upon it the denomination of Royal School. The Andalusian Regional Government, by means of the Tourism, Commerce and Sports Department, lends constant support to the Institution. The School also counts on the support of the Cadiz Provincial Council, Jerez Town Council, the Ministry of Defence and the Departments of Culture, Agriculture and Fisheries, and Employment of the Andalusian Regional Government.
An audiovisual system invites the visitor to discover its main areas of occupation: training, selection and enhancement of breed, creation and preservation of equestrian equipment, competition and promotion of the equestrian art.
|
|
Exhibition Room 3. Architecture and the Horse
|
|
In this exhibition room, scale models of the Recreo de las Cadenas Palace, Riding School and Carriage Museum are populated by virtual characters to help the visitor better understand these architectural jewels placed at the service of the equestrian art.
|
|
The main protagonist is Charles Garnier, designer of the Paris Opera and the Recreo de las Cadenas Palace. The Palace was inaugurated in 1864 in the presence of His Majesty King Francisco María de Asís, husband to Isabel II, and was granted the privilege of adding chains above the entrance to the gardens, hence the name "Recreo de las Cadenas Palace".
|
|
The findings of this research were, as previously mentioned, that Garnier did in fact design the project and that one of his disciples, Ravel, carried out the construction.
|
|
Exhibition Room 4. Horses Speak
|
|
"Horses Speak" and in Exhibition Room 4 we learn how to understand them.
From time immemorial mankind has endeavoured to make horses understand our language; on the other hand, we have made little effort to understand theirs.
Horses speak and we must learn to listen to them. They are noble animals who transmit their sentiments to people in the same language they use to communicate with each other.
Horses always give warning of their behaviour and understand very well the tone used by their trainer to calm them, praise them, encourage them or call for a change of step (walk, trot or gallop ). Above all it is necessary to observe their attitude, theirs ears, look into their eyes and speak to them.
|
|
Exhibition Room 5. High School Dressage
|
|
In this exhibition room, seven monitors simultaneously project the different exercises o9f high school dressage being demonstrated by horses and horsemen from the Royal School:
- Pasagge
- Piaffe
- The Spanish walk
- Pesade
- Levade
- Courbette
- Capriole
These complex exercises of high school are the paradigm of dressage and the equestrian art. The visitor is able to visually compare them and admire the crowning point of each movement as depicted in miniature figures.
|
|
Exhibition Room 6. Professions with Art
|
|
This exhibition room pays homage to the different professionals and craftsmen of the equestrian world who dedicate their lives to the equestrian art: "Professions with Art".
- Blacksmiths
- Veterinary Surgeons
- Stable hands
- Harness makers
- Stable managers
- Horsemen
|
|
Exhibition Room 7. The Origins and evolution of the Horse and Mythical Horses
|
|
In this exhibition room are depicted some of the mythical horses who were either real companions of famous characters or the fruit of the imagination of poets. As poetically expressed by Rubén Dario: "It is impossible to imagine Alexander the Great without his Bucefalo; El Cid without Babieca; nor walking the Santiago pilgrimage route on foot, Quixote without Rocinante, nor poet without Pegasus".
Together with these mythical horses, a large diagram displays the origins of the horse, the main breeds and their evolution over the centuries.
|
|
Exhibition Room 8. The equestrian artist. Dialogue with a virtual horsewoman
|
|
In this exhibition room, an interactive system allows us to converse with a horsewoman.
The horsewoman responds to our questions about the daily life of the horses here at the Royal School, artist horses who star in the show "How the Andalusian Horses Dance".
|
|
Exhibition Room 9. Equestrian Games
|
|
In this exhibition room, an interactive game puts the visitors' knowledge to the test, to see how well they remember the information they have been given concerning the horse and the equestrian art during their visit to the Museum.
On an interactive game board with three levels of difficulty questions are selected concerning the Horse and the contents of the Museum.
In addition to pitting ourselves against the person or group next to us, we also compete against the visitors who have gone before or those that follow. The system will notify those who merit a place of honour.
|
|
Exhibition Room 10. The Horse in all five continents
|
|
This exhibition room invites us to take a visual tour of the equestrian world in all five continents.
A huge planisphere holds five monitors with images representing the equestrian world and riding in different parts of the world. A world tour which ends in Jerez to admire and understand more of Doma Vaquera, which the Royal School develops into an equestrian art during the performance of their exhibition "How the Andalusian Horses Dance". With Doma Vaquera the Royal Andalusian School of Equestrian Art Foundation pays homage to all those schools and individuals who love the world of the horse in all the distant corners of the Earth.
|
|
Exhibition Room 11. Events in the Equestrian Games
|
|
In this exhibition room the visitor may see all the different events included in the World Equestrian Games held here in Jerez in 2002, and is invited to learn more about each of the six specialities of the equestrian games. Admire, understand and experience the equestrian art as seen in competition:
- Classical Dressage
- Jumping
- Eventing
- Endurance
- Driving
- Vaulting
- Reining
|
|
OTHER FACILITIES
|
|
The visit continues through the rest of the facilities of the Royal School, an authentic and complete living museum where visitors are able to enjoy the equestrian art with all their senses.
All the different facilities of the Royal School are integrated into the Museum of Equestrian Arts, a truly unique museographic project.
The nucleus of the Museum is located on the ground floor and basement of the Recreo de las Cadenas Palace, but the remaining facilities of the Royal School are also placed at the service of the equestrian art.
In the Botanical Garden we may observe how indigenous plant species grow alongside exotic plants: Palms, Jacarandás, Hackberry Trees, Mulberry Trees, Sophoras, Lames, Eritrinas Cristagallis, Lagunarias, Beautiful Shade Trees, Fire Trees, Trees of Love...
In the Covered Riding Ring the exhibition "How the Andalusian Horses Dance" is performed: an equestrian ballet with choreography taken from the reprisses of Classical Dressage and Doma Vaquera, Spanish music and costumes inspired in 19th Century fashions.
Next to the riding ring are five Stables, each with twelve boxes, laid out in an octagonal form around the Tack Room, where the different pieces of riding equipment and harnesses are kept ready for each performance.
This equipment is created and restored in the Harness Workshop of the Royal School, an authentic laboratory for the conservation and restoration of the different equestrian elements.
In addition to the exhibition ring, the Royal School Foundation also has a Competition Ring, where important events are held, such as the Spanish Classical Dressage Championships.
Horse Exerciser, warm-up track... excellent facilities for both training and teaching.
The Carriage Museum, located in an old sherry warehouse belonging to the Royal School, exhibits an excellent collection of carriages and harnesses with the support of state of the art interactive systems, virtual reality and a three-dimensional stereoscopic system.
|
|
