| Home |
| About Diana |
| What's New |
| Shows & Events |
| Gallery |
| Ordering Info |
| Guest Book |
 |
| Search |
| Contact Us |
| Sitemap |
| Help |
Rosa de Castilla
My friend Isabelle Medina Sandoval wrote a poem called "Rosa de Castilla" (The Rose of Castile). I was inspired, so I researched the origin of the Rosa de Castilla, by conducting interviews and research in books. Although many sources said the rose was white, red or pink, I discovered that it is a yellow flower brought by the Spanish colonists to New Mexico in the 16th and 17th centuries. It was brought by the Moors from Persia and was cultivated in the monastery gardens in the Iberian Peninsula. In Chimayo, New Mexico, a place where many of Isabelle's family live, I was shown this yellow rose in bloom and was told that the rootstock was brought by the first Spanish settlers of the area. I heard that the province of Castile was a stronghold for Jews before the Expulsion in 1492. The border includes towers or "torres" to symbolize Castile and the medieval architecture there. Towers are used in many medieval Jewish illustrated manuscripts. The center of the painting is in New Mexico. A young woman is thinking about her ancestors from Spain and reflecting on the family secrets that keep the Jewish faith alive from generation to generation. My friend Judy Frankel, internationally known singer of Sephardic Ladino songs, has put Isabel Sandoval's words to music and created an exquisite song entitled "Rosa de Castilla" from the poem. -Diana Bryer
|
 |
