my rambles through El Alcazar in Seville. It’s a royal palace that was originally a Moorish fort. It’s the most beautiful palace I’ve ever seen. There were peacocks roaming the gardens.
I sat in the sun for thirty minutes, listening to music and daydreaming of knees on mats on cobblestone.
Upon some later reflections, however, I remembered that history isn’t all beauty and tribute to higher beings. There was one section called “The Courtyard of the Maidens”, in English. Legend has it that the Moors would annually demand 100 virgins from the Christian kings in Iberia. This may all have been fluff and dander to spur the Reconquista movement, but besides the controversy, sexual abuse was common during this time, and women were used as pawns in the games and wars of men.
