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| Roma people outside their caves in Sacromonte . A vintage postcard issued by the celebrated editors Stengel & Co., Dresden, before 1905, and sent to Angers in France in June, 1908. - annotated, "Bon souvenir". |
Spain's first museum of Gysey women opens in Granada
It’s said that people are hostile to what they don’t understand, or in some cases simply what they do not know.
For many it’s the origin of racialism and perhaps over the years it could be the reason why Gypsies have been marginalised in Spain.
Therefore any initiative to help open up the mysteries of the Calé community in Spain must be congratulated. Sometimes the opening up comes from inside the community itself.
At the start of the nineties a group of Gypsy women from Granada formed themselves into an association called Romi. One of their main goals has been to set up a museum to explain the culture of the Gypsey woman, and now that goal has been achieved.
Three caves in the Sacromonte area of Granada now hold the very first museum to ‘La Gitana’ in Spain. Help from the regional government in the form of a 350,000 € grant has set up the centre, and the Mayor of Granada, José Torres Hurtado, has said that he hopes the centre will become a new tourist attraction for the city.
The first cave looks at the history of how the gypsies left India and were subjected to particular laws under the Catholic Kings here in Spain. For example a law in 1499 condemned them to a lifetime of slavery. In the 1800’s they were still forbidden to speak in Caló or even wear their traditional dress.
The second cave concentrates on the activities of the women’s group itself and looks at famous gypsies from history. You may be surprised to see references to Charlie Chaplin and Elvis Presley here.
The third cave has details of traditional gypsy health remedies handed down through the generations.
We send our congratulations to the Director of the Romi Association of Gypsey women in Granada, Loli Fernandez.
Asociacion De Mujeres Gitanas Romi
Pl. Rey Badis, S/N
18013 Granada
958 161 278
Source: typicallyspanishs
It’s said that people are hostile to what they don’t understand, or in some cases simply what they do not know.
For many it’s the origin of racialism and perhaps over the years it could be the reason why Gypsies have been marginalised in Spain.
Therefore any initiative to help open up the mysteries of the Calé community in Spain must be congratulated. Sometimes the opening up comes from inside the community itself.
At the start of the nineties a group of Gypsy women from Granada formed themselves into an association called Romi. One of their main goals has been to set up a museum to explain the culture of the Gypsey woman, and now that goal has been achieved.
Three caves in the Sacromonte area of Granada now hold the very first museum to ‘La Gitana’ in Spain. Help from the regional government in the form of a 350,000 € grant has set up the centre, and the Mayor of Granada, José Torres Hurtado, has said that he hopes the centre will become a new tourist attraction for the city.
The first cave looks at the history of how the gypsies left India and were subjected to particular laws under the Catholic Kings here in Spain. For example a law in 1499 condemned them to a lifetime of slavery. In the 1800’s they were still forbidden to speak in Caló or even wear their traditional dress.
The second cave concentrates on the activities of the women’s group itself and looks at famous gypsies from history. You may be surprised to see references to Charlie Chaplin and Elvis Presley here.
The third cave has details of traditional gypsy health remedies handed down through the generations.
We send our congratulations to the Director of the Romi Association of Gypsey women in Granada, Loli Fernandez.
Asociacion De Mujeres Gitanas Romi
Pl. Rey Badis, S/N
18013 Granada
958 161 278
Source: typicallyspanishs