Pintxos, Part VI

An art-themed dinner series in Madrid, a creative refuge in Extremadura, David Chipperfield's new community hub & kitchen in Santiago de Compostela, and more

A Creative Refuge in Extremadura

Image courtesy of Casas del Naval

I’ve been dying to visit Cáceres ever since writing about the city’s burgeoning Atrio hospitality empire for NYT. With its sophisticated hotels, restaurants, and world-class museums including the Helga de Alvear Collection, the small city packs a major punch. Recently, I discovered another center of gravity in the province of Cáceres: La Vera, a smattering of hamlets situated around the base of the Sierra de Gredos mountain range, a 90-minute drive northeast of Cáceres city (and a 2.5-hour drive from Madrid). The region is wild and green, characterized by gorges, waterfalls, olive farms, and fields of pimentón de la Vera, a highly prized pepper variety native to the area.

Casas del Naval; the library at Los Confites

So many creatives call this place home — the landscape designer Jesús Moraime, the ceramicist César Rivas, the artist Mónica Sánchez-Robles. In 2021, Sánchez-Robles converted an abandoned tobacco drying shed into a cultural space, Ras de Terra, which hosts public programming such as film festivals, operas, and workshops (on ceramics, medicinal plants, etc.) along with artist residencies. A short drive away is Los Confites, a community hub centered on a vast organic farm. There, visitors can take part in activities ranging from soap-making classes and truffle hunting to natural dyeing workshops — plus, enjoy weekend lunches throughout the year.

Ras de Terra cultural space; the Parador de Jarandilla de la Vera

The region has a stunning parador (from €117/night), the former hideout of the emperor Carlos V. Personally, though, I can’t think of a more beautiful place to stay than Casas del Naval estate (from €230/night)—the brainchild of the aforementioned landscaper Jesús Moraime—comprising a trio of country houses decorated with wooden beams, locally sourced antiques, and French doors that open to rose gardens and private pools.

A Change-Making Cultural Festival Comes to Barcelona — Giving Visitors One Last Chance to Tour Architectural Landmark Casa Gomis

Casa Gomis (left) and the headquarters of Gustavo Gili Publishers (right) are among the festival's participating venues

From September 9 to November 24, Barcelona will host the 15th edition of Manifesta, the traveling European Biennale of Contemporary Art. In previous years, the festival has popped up in lesser-known cultural hotspots such as Murcia (Spain), South Tyrol (Italy), and Nicosia (Cyprus). In Barcelona, the programming will extend to 11 locations in the vicinity of the Catalan capital, with site-specific projects that respond to the biennial’s overarching themes of climate change, social injustice, and economic inequality.

One such location is the 923-hectare Delta del Llobregat wetlands on the edge of Barcelona, which faces habitat and biodiversity loss due to encroachments by the neighboring, ever-expanding Barcelona Airport. A haven for birdwatching and hiking, the delta is also home to Casa Gomis, a rationalist house turned private museum designed by architect Antoni Bonet i Castellana. Public tours will be offered there as part of the festival, stirring up debates about the tension between private and public interests.

The Delta del Llobregat wetlands; Casa Gomis by @marcheldens

More information will be released in the coming weeks, but if you’re planning to attend the festival (entry from €15.00), be sure to nab tickets to Casa Gomis well in advance. According to PR, public tours may be discontinued in 2025, making this one of the last opportunities to tour the architectural landmark.