El Torreón de Lozoya houses an accessible gallery in one of the most special squares of this Castilian town: surrealist Granell's works will be exhibited until end of November.

Segovia is a city that has captured the past not only through the arches of its renowned Roman aqueduct but within the stones of its magnificent palaces, fortresses, temples and nobles houses. There are places in this town where even the air and the clear light are so seductive that one must take a break, breathe deeply and look around as if expecting Spring to suddenly sprout round the corner. One of these so special areas is La Plaza de San Martín (San Martin's Square) where the Torreón de Lozoya ( Lozoya Tower ), prominent among the surrounding ensembled buildings (actually it's a defence structure built in the 14 th century), houses exhibitions halls in two areas: Sala de Caballerizas and Salas de Palacio. Main entrance to the building is on street level and access to the "patio" (courtyard) is ramped. While Salas del Palacio is accessible to people with reduced mobility, existing an adapted toilet, Sala de Caballerizas is located at the cellar and can be accessed just by staircase. Mind that the ancient stone pavement in the square is quite uneven , so that wheelchair users might need some help.

The exhibition "The Image of the woman in the work of Eugenio Granell" is being shown from the 15 th September until the 27 th November on the walls of the nearly 400 square metres of Salas del Palacio. Eugenio Fernández Granell (Coruña 1912-Madrid 2001) was a man of strong political convictions that led him to exile in the Dominican Republic at the end of the Spanish Civil War. It was there that he met André Breton, the patriarch of Surrealism, and realized that he had been "born a surrealist", thus his identification with this movement happened soon after having met Breton. He lived in Guatemala and Puerto Rico until 1956, when he moved to New York City where he was professor of Spanish and Spanish Literature at Brooklyn College until he retired in 1985 and returned to Spain . Best known as a painter, Granell was also engaged in literary activities, collaborating in journals and writing short stories, plays and novels. The main theme in the current exhibition (comprising more than seventy works) is the subject of women, as it meant the main link between love emotions and creative emotions for the surrealists. In spite of the vague ideal of women among most of his colleagues in that movement, Granell chose to offer us a more real image of the woman, especially when portraying his partner, Amparo Segarra. Still, other Surrealist concepts that identify women with nature and its forces can be found in his paintings and sculptures.

Guided visits for groups should be booked in advance (by calling +34 921 463 418): these visits take place on weekdays (closed on Mondays) from 10.30 to 13.30. There are daily guided sessions at 20.00 for which no booking is required.

Torreón de Lozoya belongs and is managed by Caja Segovia (a Savings Bank) and this exhibition has been arranged collaborating with Eugenio Granell Foundation ( www.fundacion-granell.org ) which lent most of the works.

Don't miss the facades of the buildings around the square, many of which display impressive plaster decoration (esgrafiado) and shields displaying coats of arms. This area comprises some more exceptional buildings like the Romanesque church of San Martín, la Casa del Siglo XV (15th Century House), and the palace of King Henry IV, which houses at present the Esteban Vicente Museum (one of the most important centres of contemporary art in Castilla-León), an accessible venue worth a visit.  You can learn more about it and its accessibility in another article of this bulletin.

There's a ramped way avoiding steps from the Torreón to the Museum along José Canalejas street.

TORREÓN DE LOZOYA. Salas del Palacio.
Obra Social y Cultural Caja Segovia
Plaza de San Martín, nº 5. Segovia
Opening Times:
Weekdays: from 17.00 to 21.00.
Saturdays, Sundays and holidays: from 12.00 to 14.00 and 17,00 to 21,00. Closed on Mondays
www.cajasegovia.es

Rebecca Arce

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