Simon Sebag Montefiore on The Making of Spain

Last night on BBC4 Simon Sebag Montefiore presented the first part of his early history of Spain.

I can claim a family connection as I was at university with his brother Rupert and historian brother Hugh, whose wife Aviva regularly appears as a forensic art expert in BBC’s 4 previous programme Fake or Fortune.

There is no doubting Simon Sebag Montefiore’s scholarship as a historian.

In this programme he covered Spain from Roman times, when Scipio defeated Hannibal, whose father – a Carthaginian – had conquered Spain, to the time of the Caliphate of the Moors that created the sumptuous architecture of Córdoba – notably the Mesquita which was to become a cathedral after a mosque.

It was all interesting stuff as no European country could claim such diversity.

Spain was colonised by the Romans, Vizigoths and Muslims after the Carthaginian rule.

My only complaint was the manner of presentation.  Simon Sebag Montefiore was filmed walking through Seville or Córdoba, stopping to deliver an incisive comment, then dashing on.

Alright once, but after a while it began to grate.

Andalusia is one of my favourite parts of the world for its history, which Simon Montefiore animated, and for its food.

I learned that one Muslim ruler – apart from having an extensive harem of boys and girls and a menagerie of lions to whom those that crossed him were fed – also had in his employ a singer and foodie who discovered asparagus and created the three course meal.