Travelogue which visits various Spanish cities, paying particular attention to the production of traditional mantilla lace in the country. The film opens in Spain, with a woman leading a horse past a stone castle building, followed by another woman making traditional lace. Title – Iberian Fabrics Title – Photographed, recorded, edited by J. Eric Hall On a map of Spain, the names of towns are seen close-up, including Burgos, Valladolid, Salamanca, Avila and Granada. In the town of Burgos,...

Travelogue which visits various Spanish cities, paying particular attention to the production of traditional mantilla lace in the country. The film opens in Spain, with a woman leading a horse past a stone castle building, followed by another woman making traditional lace. Title – Iberian Fabrics Title – Photographed, recorded, edited by J. Eric Hall On a map of Spain, the names of towns are seen close-up, including Burgos, Valladolid, Salamanca, Avila and Granada. In the town of Burgos, a bridge over the river leads to the 14th century Arco de Santa Maria, or St Maria Gate, through which the city is entered. The large gothic cathedral is noted in the commentary as the spiritual home of El Cid, the national hero of Castile. In the courtyard of the cathedral is a statue of the Virgin Mary carrying the baby Jesus, both of whom wear large crowns. The interior is ornately decorated with stone carvings and a high golden dome which lets in light. The town of Valladolid is indicated on the map. A motto over the doors of the imposing military academy reads “Todo por la patria” or “All for country”. The small castle of the town, the commentary notes, is one of hundreds across the Iberian Peninsula. In Salamanca, the cathedral is surrounded by pleasant gardens. On the walls and above the doors are fantastically detailed stone carvings. A woman sits in a doorway producing lace by hand with great dexterity, and examples of her work hang around her. The 11th century city walls of Avila run along the hillside, and inside the town three women sit together making lace. Inside the city’s cathedral hangs a large wooden crucifix. Outside the city is a large colony of caves in the hillside, many of which, the commentary notes, have been converted into comfortable homes. Various plants and produce growing in the semi-tropical conditions are seen, including prickly pears, dates and pomegranates. In Granada, at the foot of the Sierra Nevada mountains, the Alhambra Palace dominates the landscape, and the square white houses of the town sit close together on the hillside. From the arcaded windows of the palace the whole city and the landscape beyond can be seen. Inside, the buildings are decorated with complex stucco work, and the gardens are full of cypress, oleander, myrtle and other trees and flowers. A courtyard known as the Court of Lions has at its centre an impressive fountain formed of twelve stone lions on which rests a large stone basin. Outside a house, a woman sits making mantilla lace, which has been produced here since the days of the Moors. Using a fine silk thread, she works a floral design onto a piece of thin net fabric. A younger woman is also seen doing this work. Title – The End