#608 Spain...Thanks Pedro!

#521 Spain...Thanks Ricardo!

#384 Spain...Thanks Aguado!

The five 0.15€ stamps are from 2001 Letter Writing series depicting Spanish history in 16th Century.

Conquest of Mexico by Hernan Cortes,1519

Circumnavigation by Juan Sebastian Elcano,1522

Compaign against Incas by Francisco Pizarro,1532

Ascension to the throne of King Philip II,1566

Saints John of the Cross,Teresa of Jesus and painter El Greco,1580

The 0.62€ stamp is from 2009 Flora series showing Geranium which belongs to the family of the Geraniaceae and the genus Pelargonium.

Confusingly, "geranium" is also the common name of members of the genus Pelargonium. Geranium is a genus of over 400 species of flowering biennial, perennial and annual plants. These attractive flowers and their various colours make them very popular in gardening. They are grown throughout the temperate regions of the world and the mountains of the tropics, but mostly in the eastern part of the Mediterranean region. Propagation is by semi-ripe cuttings in winter and early spring or by seed. They are normally grown in part shade to full sun, in well draining but moisture retentive soils.

#383 Spain...Thanks Jose!

The 0.34€ stamp was issued in May 2010 commemorating the Jubilee Year of Compostela or Xacobean Year depicting the silhouette of a pilgrim facing the cathedral of Santiago de Compostela.

The Jubilee Year of Compostela was established in the 12th century and occurs whenever July 25th, feast day of the apostle St. James, falls on a Sunday. The cult of St. James originated when word spread that his remains were buried in the small Roman necropolis of Campo Stellae. A church was buried on the site and it soon became a pilgrimage centre on which a plenary indulgence could be earned. Santiago de Compostela, as Rome and Jerusalem, is one of the most important holy places for Christianity.

During the Middle Ages, the Way of St. James was a transmitter of culture as it was traveled by pilgrims from all over Europe who brought along new styles and influences in architecture, handicrafts and general culture. Along the way and over the years, towns and villages were built with hospitals, monasteries, churches and inns where pilgrims took refuge, fed, and healed if they fell ill. From the XIV century, St James’s path was scarcely traveled through and only very few pilgrims dared to reach Santiago de Compostela.

The Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela preserves its original barrel-vaulted cruciform Romanesque interior. The construction of the present cathedral began in 1075 over the remains of the former basilica and was finished in the XII century. It has been embellished and expanded in later centuries. The crypt houses the silver reliquary covered in semi precious gems, which according to tradition, must be embraced by pilgrims who arrive at the Cathedral.

The Way of St. James has been declared a World Heritage Site by the UNESCO, European Cultural Itinerary by the Council of Europe and has received the honorific title of Calle Mayor de Europa (Main street of Europe). Since the Xacobeo 93, the Way has been promoted as a tourist resource, restoring the routes and hostels and indicating the Way along which thousands of pilgrims travel every year aiming to reach their final destination.

The 0.45€ stamp is from 2010 The Nature Reserves of Spain series featuring the Garajonay National Park which occupies 3.986 hectares and is located in the centre of the island of La Gomera.

As the rest of the Canary Islands, La Gomera has volcanic origins and thus the characteristic rocks that are found along the island. These are former volcanoes whose shape has been sharpened by erosion. The park provides the best example of laurisilva, a humid subtropical forest with many species of evergreen leaves that need a high level of humidity. More than 50 species of endemic flora can be found in the island the most common being the laurisilva, beech and heather. With regards to the Fauna, there are over 150 autochthonous species such as the Laurel Pigeon, the owl, hoopoe, sparrowhawk and kestrel. It has been declared National Park in 1981, World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1986 and Special Protection Area for Birds and Site of Community Importance.

#379 Spain...Thanks Guillermo!

The 0.31€ stamps on the left and right are from 2008 Architectures issue showing The Agbar tower and The Auditorium of Tenerife.

The Agbar tower, inaugurated in 2005 Barcelona, is a 144m high skyscraper designed by French architect Jean Nouvel .It has a pinnacle shape and is made of concrete covered with a façade of glass. It has a total of 50.693 metres of above ground office space.

The Auditorium of Tenerife in Santa Cruz,Canary Islands is also the work of Calatrava and was built between 1997 and 2003, It has a surface area of 6.471 square metres distributed in two halls, the Symphonic and the Chamber Hall besides other secondary rooms. It is an avant-garde building crowned with a grand dome and a striking cover.

The 0.31€ stamp in the middle was in 2008 on occasion of the 400 Anniversary of the Foundation of the University of Oviedo.

On the 21st of September 1608, the University of Oviedo started teaching Law, Canons and Theology. It was founded by archbishop Fernando Valdés Salas who left it written in his will that this university be founded. Fernando Valdés had been chairman of the Council of Castille, archbishop of Seville and general inquisitor during the reigns of Charles I and Philip II. Moved by his cultural and humanistic interests, he had previously founded the Recoletas School for orphan girls and the San Gregorio school for teaching boys grammar and Latin.

The university began its educational activity aiming at reinforcing the old education but improving the organization with rules based on the “Old Rules” (“Estatutos Viejos”) which remained unchanged until 1707. During the French invasion, the building was occupied by Napoleon’s troops and all academic activity was cancelled until they were expelled.

Many famous characters such as Benito Feijóo, Pedro Rodriquez Campomanes, Leopoldo Alas “Clarin” and Aniceto Sela y Sampil have studied in this university.

The historic building was the work of Architect Rodrigo Gil de Hontañon. Sober and with a square floor, it has a central renaissance style courtyard where stands the statue of the university founder. Amongst the scarce ornamentation on its façade, stands out the coat of arms of the Valdés family.

The stamp depicts the main corner of the university building and the commemorative logo of the 400 Anniversary of the University of Oviedo (IV Centenario Universidad de Oviedo 1608-2008).

#378 Spain...Thanks Herminia!

The 0.32€ stamp is from 2009 Popular Characters series honoring famous English naturalist Charles Darwin.

Charles Darwin (1809-1882) studied in Edinburgh and Cambridge where he became acquainted with Henslow, the prestigious Botanic professor who offered him to participate as a naturist in the brig-sloop “Beagle” expedition to explore the coasts of South America and the Pacific islands. During the five year trip, he increased his studies on nature and he carried out the scientific observations that led him to publish his trip notes. In 1859 he published his masterpiece “The Origin of Species” which was translated simultaneously to other languages and lead the way to a new vision of natural history known as Darwinism. He was the author of many other works on the evolution of living species and was fought by religious and classic minded movements.

The central 0.34€ stamp is from 2010 Popular Charaters series honoring Julián Gabino Arcas Lacal,who is considered to be the best Spanish guitar player of late XIX century.

Julián Gabino Arcas Lacal (1832-1882), known as Julián Arcas, began his musical studies with his father and later on in the school of Dionisio Aguado in Málaga. In his early years he successfully performed in the most important Spanish and European cities. In 1862, on a trip to England, he performed in the palaces of the Duques of Wellington and Cambridge. He was teacher to the famous guitar player Francisco de Tárrega as well as other prominent pupils from the Conservatorio de Música de Madrid of which he was named Honorary Professor. He wrote more than 50 pieces and adapted passages of Operas and Zarzuelas for guitar besides re-elaborating themes inspired in popular music. His native town, Almeria, organizes every year the Julián Arcas International Classical Guitar Contest.

#375 Spain...Thanks Beatriz!

The 0.34€ stamp is from 2010 Popular Character series honoring Gregorio Marañón ( Madrid 1887-1960),who was an eminent doctor and writer.

He studied medicine at the University of Madrid and obtained a Phd in 1910. After a year of study and investigation in Germany, he returned to Madrid in 1911 where he studied endocrinology. In 1922 he became a member of the Academy of Medicine and years later founded the Institute of Medical Pathology of which he became director. He became university professor of endocrinology and published a large number of scientific works on this subject as well as the ageing process, the human behaviour and the vital processes of man besides publishing historical essays and biographies of great literary richness. He was elected Mp during the Republic but soon gave up on politics and moved to Paris during the Civil War. He returned to Madrid in 1943 and gradually resumed his medical work as well as his university and literary activities.

The 0.62€ stamp is from 2009 Lighthouse issue showing the lighthouse of Punta Arinaga,which is set in the eastern coast of the island of Gran Canaria and is under the port authorities of Las Palmas. It stands in the mountain of Arinaga and the building is a white cylindrical tower with red stripes. Its light is white-red and in use. Its focal plane is 47m high and 13m the support.

#372 Spain...Thanks Luciano!

These stamps are from 2003 Landscape Paintings issue by Chico Montilla who is a comtemporary Spanish artist, featuring "Early Flowers","The Color of Vento" and " Tornos Gorge" (from left to right).

#367 Spain...Thanks Roberto!

The souvenir sheet on the left was issued in 2006 celebrating Victory of Spanish Team at 2006 World Basketball Championships.

The 0.25€ stamp was issued in 2002 celebrating Spain's Presidency of European Union.

The 0.24€ stamp was issued in 2001 celebrating World Book Day on 23 April,which is organized by UNESCO to promote reading, publishing and copyright. The Day was first celebrated in 1995.

The connection between 23 April and books was first made in 1923 by booksellers in Spain as a way to honour the author Miguel de Cervantes who died on that day. This became a part of the celebrations of the Saint George's Day (also 23 April) in Catalonia, where it has been traditional since the medieval era for men to give roses to their lovers and since 1925 for the woman to give a book in exchange. Half the yearly sales of books in Catalonia are at this time with over 400,000 sold and exchanged for over 4 million roses.

In 1995, UNESCO decided that the World Book and Copyright Day would be celebrated on this date because of the Catalonian festival and because the date is also the anniversary of the birth and death of William Shakespeare, the death of Miguel de Cervantes, Inca Garcilaso de la Vega and Josep Pla, the birth of Maurice Druon, Vladimir Nabokov, Manuel Mejía Vallejo and Halldór Laxness.

Although 23 April is often stated as the anniversary of the deaths of both Shakespeare and Cervantes, this is not strictly correct. Cervantes died on 23 April according the Gregorian calendar; however, at this time England still used the Julian calendar. Whilst Shakespeare died on 23 April by the Julian calendar in use in his own country at the time, actually he died ten days after Cervantes, because of the discrepancy between the two date systems. The apparent correspondence of the two dates was a fortunate coincidence for UNESCO.

#365 Spain...Thanks Margarita!

The 0.78€ stamp is from 2009 Civic Values issue with the theme "Fighting against Climate Change".

The fight against climate change is one of the challenges that faces mankind and the United Nations has made an appeal to us all to change our consumer habits and reduce the CO2 footprint. The European Union is one of the international organizations committed with the environment and has implemented obligations to the member states to control green house emissions and reach the following objectives: use less polluting energy sources, use alternative means of transport, make companies responsible for an efficient use of energy and their CO2 emission without jeopardizing their competitiveness, place town planning and agriculture at the service of the environment and create favourable conditions for research and innovation.

The 0.60€ stamp is from 2008 Fauna & Flora series depicting the Dahlia which comes from Mexico where it is considered to be the national flower.

It belongs to the family of the Asteraceae, and the Dahlia genus. It was first described by Spanish botanist Francisco Hernández. The plant did not reach Europe until 1780 and it was Spanish naturist Antonio José Cavanilles who began its cultivation and named a variety of this flower, the “dalia variabilis” in homage to botanist Andreas Dahl. The Dahlia is a genus of bushy, tuberous, perennial plants. They can be a few centimeters high or as tall a one meter. The native forms are quite simple and daisy-like, but breeding has resulted in some wonderful flower forms and colours. They are planted in spring and they bloom at the beginning of the summer until late autumn. There are over 30 species and 20.000 varieties of dahlia.

The 0.31€ stamp was issued in 2008 aiming at collaborating in the eradication of gender violence and the promotion of 016, the phone number for information and help for abused women.

Despite the measures undertaken to fight gender violence, official information confirms that formal complaints on women abuse have increased in the last years and that abuse on women continues to be exercised. The 016 phone number joins the many media campaigns, awareness plans, protection measures and new laws that have been undertaken, offering information to victims as well as their families, neighbours, friends and anyone who might be in need of it. It is attended by specialised personnel 24 hours a day and leaves no traces of having being used, that is, it doesn’t appear on any invoice or on the phone screen after hanging up.

This number, besides assisting in gender violence situations, also gives information on abused women’s rights and unemployment benefits, social and economic assistance, shelter homes and specialised legal counselling. For a smooth communication, these services are available in the four national languages: Spanish, Catalonian, Galllego and Euskera as well as in English and French.

#359 Spain...Thanks Aguado!

The 0.34€ stamp is from 2010 Sports issue to celebrate the XIV Ibero-American Athletics Championship,which is held in San Fernando (Cádiz) from the 3 to the 6 June. Nearly 500 athletes from 29 countries participated in the 22 male and female disciplines. The competition took place in the Bahía Sur stadium recently restored.

The B stamp is 2010 Spanish Tourism issue depicting a painting by J. Carrero featuring a Spanish beach with a horse galloping on the shore and a woman facing the sea, holding carnation flowers and wearing a Manila shawl.

The beach, the Spanish horse, the carnations and the Manila shawl which illustrate this issue are all representative elements of Spanish tourism and often feature in press and television advertising. Spain is one of the most important and sought after tourist destination with its sunny beaches, handicrafts, beautiful and skilled horses, fiestas and traditional rituals, with carnation flowers adding their colourful stroke and the warmth of the Spanish people. All these elements have contributed in making Spain an attractive tourist destination.

Our many wonderful beaches with an exceptional climate, the beauty and skill of the Spanish horse forever present in festivals and shows all over Spain, the colours and aroma of our rich flora, represented in this stamp by carnations and finally the Manila shawl are all characteristic elements of tourism in Spain. The Manila shawl is an accessory for dresses very popular amongst the court ladies in the XIX century and was used as a complement and as a way of keeping warm. It has always been a key element in Spanish costumbrism painting and a much treasured piece of handicraft.

It is therefore with great skill that artist J. Carrero has depicted in one painting all these visual icons characteristic of tourism in Spain.

#348 Spain...Thanks Nestor!

The 0.45€ stamp is from 2001 Famous People issue honoring Rafael Alberti (1902-1999) who was a Spanish poet and was awarded the Premio Cervantes in 1983.

The 0.72€ stamp was issued in 2001 celebrating 150th Anniv.of Infantry College,Toledo.

#316 Spain...Thanks Antonio!

Featuring all members of the national team,this souvenir sheet was issued in 2008 devoted to the Spanish National Football team on occasion of its victory in the Eurocup 2008, which was held in Switzerland and Austria from the 7th to the 29th of June and in which took part 16 national teams.

The final match was played in the Ernst Happel stadium in Vienna against Germany’s national team who had already won the cup three times. After a thrilling match and having previously beaten 5 national teams, Spain won 1-0 with an audience of 50,000 spectators. To show their support, a large number of dignitaries were amongst the supporters such as the Prince and Princess of Asturias, members of Government, and in the final match the King and Queen of Spain and the Spanish Prime Minister.

It’s the second time the Spanish national team wins this cup having beaten 44 years ago the former Soviet Union in 1964.

According to a large number of national and international experts, the Spanish team played the best football in the championship and was proclaimed the best national team in the world in 2008.

#306 Spain...Thanks Jose!

The two stamps is from a strip of four stamps depicting pieces of Spanish ceramics belonging to the Ruiz de Luna Museum in Talavera de la Reina (Toledo, Spain). The stamps depict a polychrome inkwell, a XVIII century pitcher, a plate and an amphora both from the XX century.

The plate (left) is the work of Andalusian artist Enrique Guijo and baked in the pottery oven “El Carmen” in the town of Niveiro. It dates back to 1970 and depicts the profile of a warrior with a renaissance style helmet rimmed with a border and surrounded by two feminine figures holding each a horn of plenty. The main colours used are blues and yellows and the word Talavera featuring in a heraldic device.

The amphora (center) is a sample piece made by the Ruiz de Luna pottery workshop in the XX century. It is a small piece as it was used for showing clients. It is lavishly decorated on both sides in blue, yellow and white. The name of Talavera also features in this piece and in its handles there are two anthropomorphous figures.

The polychrome inkwell (right) is a piece influenced by the town of Alcora and was made in the XVIII century. It is white with lavish plant decoration and baroque shapes. There are a number of elements typical of the pottery from Alcora and especially from “chaparro”, the name of the person for whom it was made. The inkwell has four holes around the central well.

#297 Spain...Thanks Antonio!

Within the series devoted to Musical Instruments, the 0.34€ stamp issued in 2010 features the trumpet, a wind instrument belonging to the family of brass-wind instruments as it is made of a metal alloy.

The trumpet has a cup shape mouthpiece with brass tubing bent twice into an oblong shape. The trumpet has a roughly cylindrical bore which results in a bright, loud sound. The bore is actually a complex series of tapers, smaller at the mouthpiece receiver and larger just before the flare of the bell begins; careful design of these tapers is critical to the intonation of the instrument. As with all brass instruments, sound is produced by blowing air through closed lips, producing a "buzzing" sound into the mouthpiece and starting a standing wave vibration in the air column inside the trumpet. Trumpets also have three piston valves, each of which increases the length of tubing when engaged, thereby lowering the pitch. The first valve lowers the instrument's pitch 2 semitones, the second valve 1 semitone, and the third valve 3 semitones. Used singly and in combination these valves make the instrument fully chromatic.

The origins of the trumpet, as those of the flute, go back as far as the history of Humanity. The trumpet and the bugle are believed to derive from the ox’s horn which is still in use in hunting. The first trumpets were made out of bamboo, hollow plant tubes and of sea fish shells. Later on, with the discovery of metals, they began to be made out of bronze or thin sheets of steel up to this day when they are made of an alloy of metals.

The piston trumpet was first used in 1835 by composer Helévy in his opera “The Jew”, and since then it has been used in all its variations and musical styles.

The next 0.45€ is the first stamp in the Musical Intrument series featuring Saxophone.

The saxophone is named after Antoine Joseph Sax, best known as Adolphe Sax, a Belgian-born instrument maker. He invented the saxophone in 1840 when attempting to improve the sound of the clarinet. The saxophone, belonging to the family of the woodwind instruments, was intended to form a tonal link between the strength of the brass instruments and the quality of the wooden ones. The tenor saxophone, like all saxes, is in essence an approximately conical tube of thin metal, usually brass. The mouthpiece of the tenor saxophone is very similar to that of the clarinet. Due to the sound it makes, it was classified under the woodwind instruments rather than under the brass wind ones since its acoustic resonances are made by a vibrating reed and by the different sounds made by pressing a number of keys. It was first introduced as an orchestra instrument by French composer Jules Massenet in some of his operas. The saxo, as other musical instruments, has developed with time and became very popular to the general public through its frequent use in jazz music since the 20s and 30s.

Amongst the simple reed instruments are the clarinet, the bugle, and the bagpipe. The saxophone, depending on the sound it produces can be: soprano, alto, baritone and tenor this latter featuring in the stamp. It is a XX century piece belonging to the Museo Interactivo de la Música (MIMMA) in Málaga.

#282 Spain...Thanks David!

These two stamps were issued in Apr.2010 devoted to the towns of Ubeda and Baeza in the province of Jaén, which were declared “World Heritage” sites in 2003. This declaration is an important acknowledgement by the UNESCO, and is part of the list of 41 World Heritage sites in Spain. The stamp depicts the renaissance style patio of the Casa de las Torres in Ubeda and the gothic façade of the Jabalquinto palace in Baeza.

The urban frameworks of Ubeda and Baeza date from the period of the Arab domination (IX Century) and the Reconquest ( XIII century). With the Renaissance, both towns underwent an important urban planning transformation motivated by the arrival of new architectural and Humanistic influences from Italy.

Ubeda was an important bastion during the Muslim rule and there are many architectural remains of this period such as the Losal door and other parts of the city wall beside vestiges of the Romanic and Gothic periods. However it was during the XVI century when this town reached its maximum splendour under the reigns of kings Charles I and Philip II. Many of Ubeda’s most impressive renaissance buildings are the palaces of the Condestable Dávalos, Cadenas, Bussianos, Marqués de Mancera, Vela de los Conbos, Camarero Vago and Conde de Guadiana and churches and convents such us the Sacra Capilla del Salvador and the Hospital de Santiago besides other relevant baroque and Plateresque style monuments and buildings.

Baeza is a nearby town with a valuable artistic and architectural ensemble. The Santa Cruz church is of a late Romanic style and the beautiful Jabalquinto palace is from the Flemish gothic period. The town reached its maximum splendour in the XVI century with the Renaissance with the Antigua Carnicería, the squares of the Mercado Viejo and the Antigua Universidad and other buildings such as the Plateresque Casa del Pópulo and the baroque Balcón del Concejo, besides other remarkable monuments.

#279 Spain...Thanks Adolfo!

This FDC was issued on March 4,2010 devoted to the two Cathedrals of Plasencia with a stamp depicting an image of the old chapter house (Sala Capitular), nowadays a chapel, whose tower, known as the Melón tower is profusely decorated with tambours such as those found in the cathedrals of Zamora and the Gallo tower of the old cathedral of Salamanca. The main façade of the New Cathedral of Plateresque style, features in the Souvenir Sheet.

Plasencia is one of the main towns of the province of Cáceres. It is located on the bank of the Jerte river in the Ruta de la Plata (Silver Route) and very near the National Park of Montfragüe. Plasencia shares a common privilege with Salamanca: they both have two cathedrals: The old and the new.

The Old Cathedral of Plasencia, also known as Santa María, was made, as most Spanish cathedrals, throughout a long period of time and as a result, these constructions are of different architectural styles. The Old Cathedral, begun in the late 12th and early 13th century, is made in a transitional Romanesque to Gothic style of the 14th century. It has three naves, an old chapter house and the cloister which is next to the New Cathedral. The Old Cathedral now houses the Cathedral Museum where Works of Morales the Divino and Pompeo Leoni are kept.

The New Cathedral was begun in 1498 but the works were interrupted and did not begin again until the 18th century. It has two Plateresque style façades, one by Juan de Alava y Gil de Hontañón and the other attributed to Diego de Siloé. The main altarpiece holds wooden carvings by Gregorio Fernández and paintings by Francisco Ricci. There are also altarpieces by Churriguera and Luis Fernández.

#278 Spain...Thanks Luciano!

The left m/s is from 2003 Constitution 25 Anniv. issue with inscription "Government and Administration" in lower left corner.

The Constitution of Spain is regarded as the culmination of the Spanish transition to democracy. It was enacted after a referendum on 6 December 1978 after approval by 88% of voters.

After the death of dictator Francisco Franco in 1975, a general election in 1977 convened the Constituent Cortes (the Spanish Parliament, in its capacity as a constitutional assembly) for the purpose of drafting and approving the constitution.

The Constitution came into effect on December 29, the day it was published in the Official Gazette. Constitution Day on December 6 has since been a national holiday in Spain.

As a result, Spain is now composed entirely of 17 Autonomous Communities and two autonomous cities with varying degrees of autonomy, to the extent that, even though the Constitution does not formally state that Spain is a federation (nor a unitarian state), actual power shows, depending on the issue considered, widely varying grades of decentralization, ranging from the quasi-confederal status of tax management in Navarre and the Basque Country to the total centralization in airport management.

The Spanish Constitution is one of the few Bill of Rights that has legal provisions for social rights, including the definition of Spain itself as a Social and Democratic State, subject to the rule of law (Sp. Estado social y democrático de derecho) in its preliminary title.

The right m/s is from the second series of Spanish Fashion issued in 2008 depicting haute couture outfits by the well known designer Pedro Rodriguez.

Considered to be a sculptor of fashion and one of the most famous couturiers of the XX century, Pedro Rodriguez (Valencia 1895- Barcelona 1990) devoted his long life to the art of dressing. As a boy he learned to make his first stitches in the best tailor’s shop in Barcelona and later on went on to work in Rabaseda’s atelier where he learnt all about women’s couture. In 1919 he set up his own atelier with his wife Ana María, a professional couturier and began his career in the world of haute couture setting up in 1924 his atelier in the Paseo de Gracia in Barcelona. In 1929 he showed his collections in the Palacio Nacional de Montjuich, coinciding with the Feria Internacional de Muestras and became the most important couturier of his time. In 1937 he opened a showroom in San Sebastián and two years later in Madrid. His collections were showed in the most important catwalks in Europe and America obtaining international recognition and his showrooms were visited by the high bourgeoisie, the aristocracy and famous American film stars. The arrival of the industrial quality clothing industry in the late 60’s began to slowly displace haute couture and forced Pedro Rodriguez, as well as other couturiers, to close down his atelier.

The souvenir sheet depicts, from left to right, a chiffon dress with dots and flowers with a V-neck and a bow at the nape,and a dress and coat in pink crepe. The coat has an embroidered strip with geometric motifs at the neck and cuffs. The images have been provided by the Museo del Traje (Dress Museum) in Madrid.

#276 Spain...Thanks Guillermo!

The 30p stamp is from 1995 Archaeology issue showing Ruins of Torralba,Minorca,which is an archaeological site in northern Spain where large mammal remains and stone tools from 400,000 years ago suggest early hominid hunting or scavenging

The 5p stamp is from 1970 Tourism issue showing The Gate of Vitoria,which is located in northern Spain and is the second largest Basque city, after Bilbao.

The 25p stamp is from 1978 Famous People issue honoring Pio Baroja.

Pío Baroja (1872–1956) was a Spanish Basque writer, one of the key novelists of the Generation of '98.he is best known internationally by the trilogy entitled La lucha por la vida (The Struggle for Life, 1922–1924) which offers a vivid depiction of life in Madrid's slums. Ernest Hemingway was greatly influenced by Baroja's work.

The 0.34€ stamp was issued in 2010 celebrating Spanish Presidency of European Union during the first six months of 2010.

Since Spain joined the EU in 1986, it is the fourth time that it holds the Presidency of the European Council, also known as Council of Ministers. On previous occasions, the Spanish presidency was held in the first half of 1989, second half of 1995 and first half of 2002. The primary responsibility of the presidency is the functioning of the European Institutions and the task is undertaken by an entire national government. The presidency is rotated between European Union (EU) member states every six months, from January to June and from July to December. On December 1st 2009, the Treaty of Lisbon entered into force altering the structure of the EU’s institutions and how they work and amending the periods of tenure in office.

The EU is made up of democratic European countries and its aim is to provide peace, prosperity and stability for its peoples; overcome the divisions on the continent; ensure that its people can live in safety; promote balanced economic and social development; meet the challenges of globalisation and preserve the diversity of the peoples of Europe; uphold the values that Europeans share, such as sustainable development and a sound environment, respect for human rights and the social market economy. Important institutions and bodies of the EU include the European Commission, the Council of the European Union and the European Parliament.

The stamps depict the logo of the Spanish Presidency with the letter “eu” in italics. This design was the result of a public contest amongst design students in Spain, Belgium and Hungary, the three countries that will successively preside over the EU from January 1st 2010 to June 30th 2011. The winner was Belgian born Antoine Durieux. This is the first time in the history of the EU that the same logo will be shared by various countries during their presidency, the only difference being the colour of the logo which will be in the colours of each country’s national flag.

#251 Spain...Thanks Klara!

The 0.34€ stamp is from 2010 Fauna series showing a moth (Artimelia latreillei),which, from the order of the lepidopetrans, belongs to the family of the Arciidae and the genus ocnogyna.

This moth is endemic to the Iberian Peninsula and its colonies, although scattered over Spain and Portugal, are geographically isolated in mountainous areas (up to 1.500-1.800 high) as well as lower regions and the coastline. The males are very active during the day, even during the hottest hours in the morning and with their low, fast and erratic flight chase the females which remain still on the ground or on low branches. They are very active and polyphagous butterflies feeding in May and June from plants and petals from different species. Its hibernating chrysalis is of a reddish colour and barrel shaped and remains on the ground protected by a lightweight silky cocoon. The image is based on a photograph by Enrique Aguilar Gil depicting a female species belonging to the collection of entomologist Tomás Latasa.