This course is an introduction to various aspects of life in Spain, from early times to the present. The main focus is on Spain’s social, political, and cultural development and its experience of diversity within its European context. Typical topics for study include: The Reconquista and the Arab influence in Spanish culture, the Spanish monarchy, its evolution into a democracy, the development of modern politics, the importance of the Spanish Civil war, and the influence of writers (such as Federico Garcia Lorca), painters (such as Pablo Picasso), and art in general in modern Spanish culture. This course is taught in Spanish. This course will be offered in 2021-22, and in alternating years thereafter. This course satisfies the Inquiry Practicum requirement.