our courses
The Attingham Study Programme
Zuloaga y Bonetta, Daniel, El Salón Gasparini del Palacio Real de Madrid, 1875, Oil on canvas, 58 x 72cm (P006884). Madrid, Museo Nacional del Prado. Credit: © Photographic Archive Museo Nacional del Prado.
The Attingham Study Programme 2025
From Granada to Madrid
12 – 18 October 2025
‘To be ennobled by learning and enlivened by every kind of pleasure’[1] is the spirit that pervades the Alhambra palace complex in Granada, where this intensive seven-day course will begin. Built in a spectacular setting from 1238 for the Nasrid rulers of Al-Andalus, the last independent Muslim state in western Europe, it continued as a royal palace for Spanish monarchs Ferdinand and Isabella and the Holy Roman Emperor Charles V, who commissioned a new Renaissance-style palace on the site in 1526. Renowned for its architectural and decorative beauty, the Alhambra also provides contextual background for the later architecture and decorative art that we will study in Madrid, especially for the great collections of the Habsburg monarchs during the 16th and 17th centuries.
En route from Granada to Madrid we plan to explore more Spanish Renaissance architecture of the 16th century, including the palace of the Marqués de Santa Cruz in Viso, with its outstanding Mannerist frescoes. In Madrid the Study Programme will offer a mix of architecture, interiors and works of art, with a focus on the exceptional European decorative arts in Spanish royal and aristocratic collections. In the company of curators from the Patrimonio Nacional, we shall spend time examining the stunning new Royal Collections Gallery, opened in 2023 to showcase the highlights of the collection, such as the world-class tapestries, furniture, sculpture and paintings that were assembled by successive Habsburg and Bourbon monarchs.
Visits will include the Royal Palace, built for Phillip V from 1738 by Italian architect Filippo Juvarra and his pupil Giovanni Battista Sacchetti, with its magnificent interiors enriched with paintings, textiles, furniture, clocks and porcelain reflecting the taste of his son, Charles III, and subsequent monarchs until the abdication of Alfonso XIII in 1931. Outside Madrid, planned visits include El Escorial with its sumptuously furnished Bourbon apartments; former royal hunting lodge, El Pardo, and its exquisite garden pavilion, the Casita del Príncipe; and the eighteenth-century summer palace and celebrated gardens of Aranjuez. During the week, Spanish private collecting will be studied through lectures and visits to houses and, as with all Attingham courses, the course will be supported by local curators and experts and will include visits with privileged access.
[1] Jan Morris, Spain (2008)
Course Directors
Course Coordinator
ENROLMENT AND FEES
NB. Much of the information below is applicable to non-US applicants only. US-based applicants for the Study Programme must apply and enquire about scholarships through the course page on the American Friends of Attingham website.
The cost of the course is £3,900. This includes standard accommodation, breakfast, most lunches and dinners. Tuition, admissions and travel by private coach during the course are also included. All bedrooms are for single occupancy and have en-suite facilities. The cost of flights to and from Spain is not included.
Applications
The deadline for applications is Friday 14 February 2025. All candidates will be notified by the end of March 2025 if they have been awarded a place. Payment of fees in full will be due by Wednesday 30 April 2025, and should be made by bank transfer.
Participants are strongly advised to insure against cancellation, as no refunds will be made following payment unless the place can be filled by another suitable candidate. In such a case, an administrative fee of £150 will be applied.
Scholarships for applicants from countries other than the USA or Australia
Applicants who are unable to meet the fees are first encouraged to approach their institutions for full or partial financial assistance before applying for the course. Some scholarship funding through The Attingham Trust is available thanks to the generous support of various individuals and charitable foundations. Any candidate wishing to apply for a scholarship must complete the scholarship application at the bottom of the application form and provide details of their current salary.
Any queries can be directed to Cristina Alfonsín,
Scholarships for applicants from the USA
US Applicants seeking scholarship support should apply directly to the American Friends of Attingham using the specific scholarship form, available online at: www.americanfriendsofattingham.org/courses/study-programme
Scholarships for applicants from Australia
For applicants from Australia seeking scholarships, please refer to: www.coplandfoundation.com.au by Thursday 28 November 2024
Please note that The Attingham Trust is a registered educational charity. Our courses are provided occasionally, on a not-for-profit basis and to a limited group of participants. This trip does not, therefore, constitute a ‘package holiday’ for the purpose of the Package Travel Regulations
The Attingham Trust reserves the right to adjust fees if there is a substantial change in the exchange rate, as these were assessed on the basis of assumptions made in October 2024. Should this prove to be necessary, members will be informed by April 2025.
Image: Zuloaga y Bonetta, Daniel, El Salón Gasparini del Palacio Real de Madrid, 1875, Oil on canvas, 58 x 72cm (P006884). Madrid, Museo Nacional del Prado. Credit: © Photographic Archive Museo Nacional del Prado.