Para los europeos de su tiempo no hubo sombra de duda: durante más de ciento cincuenta años, entre 1534 y finales del siglo XVII, los tercios españoles fueron las mejores unidades militares del mundo. Tres siglos después de su desaparición, todavía los especialistas de la actualidad de los tercios de infantería española con las legiones romanas y las falanges macedónicas.

Los tercios fueron las grandes unidades de infantería, generalmente española, de los ejércitos del Rey Católico. Representaban solo un porcentaje pequeño de los ejércitos multinacionales de los Austrias, pero encarnaban su núcleo duro, la herramienta decisiva que forjaba la victoria o …

In the past decade, Berlin has become the construction site of a new Reichstag, image of the German democracy, of futuristic buildings and incredible museums like the Pergamon or the Charlotteburg. Mythical sites such as the Alexanderplatz, the Unter den Linden, the arch of Brandeburg, the favourite esplanades of the Berliners, the Kurfürstendamm, breathe a new life and are illuminated once a year for the joyful celebration of the Love Parade. For these festivities, young people from all over the world come to express their passion for the city that has now become a symbol of joy and love. “Ich …

Like so many other cities of South America, Rio is an urban sprawl containing some truly stunning contrasts. Yet Rio comes alive, really, for only two things – soccer and the samba. According to tradition, founded by the Portuguese navigator André Gonçalves on 1 January 1502, declared the capital of Brazil by King John in 1763, Rio underwent major reorganization under President Alvarez at the beginning of the 20th century. Avenues and boulevards were laid out in a logic that added overall cohesion to the city. The greatest architects of the time and place were invited to make use of …

At the beginning of the XXth century, there was an unprecedented explosion of creativity in all artistic fields. Overwhelming both Europe and North America, the Russian Ballet revolutionized theatrical design with their stage sets and their costumes that were ablaze with colour yet refind in effect, bearing much of the mystic of the Orient yet also visually influenced by the work of the Persian miniaturists. Together with Diaghilev, Léon Bakst showed himself to be the most talented of the theatre group designers of his time. The costumes he devised with exclusive art seemed to shimmer with a thousand colours. Dazzled …

Among the best-known ancient cities in our time, the capital of Greece contains much that is fascinating, including many archaeological treasures like the Acropolis and its temples. Athens remains a city both picturesque and dynamic. One third of the Greek population lives here, while its port, Piraeus, holds half of Greece's industry. So, once you have visited the city's temples, why not go round the flea markets or walk to the centre of the old town with its traders and traditional festivities? The return of the Olympic Games to their origins constitutes a major event for the town, providing the …

Saigon is the city known for the unexplainable languidness that possessed the “French and American” Europeans that lived in Vietnam. At night, in front of a drink, the memories of flowery young girls in their traditional costumes surrounded by the thick smells of the ngoc man, the feverish sounds of the city's motion piercing through the humid heat of the Asian nights hauntingly reappear. A city of contrasts, Saigon has lived through dramatic changes: the turbulence of the South for which it was renowned was replaced by the terrible coldness of the North and the joyfulness of the city was …

Bangkok by night draws its lifeblood from the realms of the steamy and the seamy. The capital of Thailand is world-famous for its innumerable massage parlours, yet at the same time the city is rich in historical treasures. Some of its Buddhist temples are more than 400 years old, and contrast strangely with Bangkok’s otherwise cutting-edge modernity. Its unique charm stems also from the winding presence of the Chao Phraya river, a waterway that can hardly be seen due to the multitude of small vessels that ply up and down it daily carrying a vast horde of passengers and goods, …

Consolidated by the Norsemen in 841, Dublin became the capital of the Republic of Ireland (Eire) when the country gained formal independence in 1922. It is primarily an industrial city, and boasts distilleries, breweries and flour-mills among the more scenic delights that include the Tobacco Factory, the Customhouse, the 13th-century St Patrick's Cathedral and the Gothic-style Catholic church of St Audoen. As shown by the author, Ingo Latotzki, Dublin remains a city that is both poetic and tragic. It was here that Irishmen determined to achieve national independence instigated the Easter Rising of April 1916, an attempt at a revolt …