Spanish Sundown

Every year, the villagers in the remote mountain town of Navalosa in the province of Ávila dress as cucurrumachos for Carnival. They don loud cowbells and wooden masks with curved bull horns that sprout from the temples. A fun game. Cucurrumachos don't really exist, after all. Dani is lonely. Like a quicksand sinkhole in his gut, his loneliness consumes him from the inside out. When Dani puts one of these bull horn masks on, it takes him back to 12th-century Spain. He meets the maker of the mask, a man from northern Spain who immigrated to Navalosa to repopulate the region after King Alphonse defeated the Moors. This man shows Dani that cucurrumachos are real. He teaches Dani how to cure his loneliness. A terrible, terrible cure. Because once you call the cucurrumacho...it never leaves. --- 1- See the location of Navalosa here. 2- Check out the Máscaravila webpage, the association that promotes this cultural tradition in many different villages all around the Gredos mountains in Ávila. If you're in the area during Carnival, right before Lent, you can see it in person. 3- I took some crazy video and photos of the festival while researching and recording for this episode. Still haunts my dreams. You can see it on Spanish Sundown’s webpage, or on Facebook or Instagram, where you can also join our online community. --- © 2025 Samuel Mattern. All rights reserved.

In 1915, Count José María del Palacio y Abárzuza stole a statuette of St. James the Greater from the grave of 15th-century Spanish royalty. In 1969, this figure appeared in the New York Met Museum. How did it get there? The answer lies with the Count’s mansion: Beak Cliff House, or Palacio del Canto del Pico. In today’s story, we meet David. David is a nice guy. Too nice. In a world where everyone always feels entitled to take, he gives. When his snotty boss makes him hide a mysterious USB drive from the police, he embarks on a mission of corporate intrigue that takes him straight to the Count’s abandoned mansion. There, he finds a statue of the Virgin Mary. The voices trapped inside show him the fate of the stolen Spanish artifact and introduce him to the Count, a weird little American man named Arthur Byne, and even William Randolph Hearst. He stops giving. Because David is entitled to take, too. ---------------------------- 1-A link to the New York Met page showing the catalog entry for the statuette of St. James the Greater, currently in the museum’s possession. 2-The official webpage of the Carthusian monastery in Miraflores where they recount the theft. 3-The location of Beak Cliff House or Palacio del Canto del Pico up on a cliff in Torrelodones, Madrid. 4-A picture of Arthur Byne with his weird little beard thing. 5-A picture of the Count as a young boy. 6-Los prodigios de Gillingham by José Francisco Rodil Lombardía. Our mansion, stolen loot, bribes to Francois collaborators and Nazi colluders all appear in this novel. See a summary here. 7-Check out video of the creepy mansion I took while recording and researching the episode. You can see it on Spanish Sundown’s webpage, or on Facebook or Instagram, where you can also join our online community. --- Subscribe to listen to friend podcast Counterbalance here! You can also check out their Facebook or Instagram. --- © 2025 Samuel Mattern. All rights reserved.

A strange little man is spying on Isa in Madrid's iconic Retiro Park. It's Valentine's Day. And Isa hates Valentine's Day. Because people are trash. When the tiny duende's hiding place is revealed, Isa is forced to join forces with a stranger and confront one of her greatest fears. The voices trapped in a magical flute take her on an action-packed journey to the 18th century, where she explores the Retiro when it was a private garden that belonged to King Phillip V. Why is this mad monarch turning into a frog? In this Valentine's Day special brought to you one day early, Isa learns that not all humans are garbage. Some of them are pretty cool. One of them...might even be worthy of love. --- 1-Remember that you can listen to Spanish Sundown on Apple! 2-The IMDb profile for La vida breve, a dramedy about King Phillip V's abdication to his son (hilarious). 3-The location of the duende in the Retiro. He sits on top of a cage that used to house live bears--a sort of "zoo" that I'm very glad doesn't exist anymore. 4-Check out video of the beautiful Retiro Park I took while researching and recording this episode (complete with the duende). You can see them on Spanish Sundown’s webpage, or on Facebook, Instagram or Reddit, where you can also join our online community. © 2025 Samuel Mattern. All rights reserved.  

“Normally, when you change the IV bag, you’re supposed to check the expiration date and contents, but in this case, well…we don’t really care now, do we?” A nurse decides which patients need to atone for their sins, and why. He’s on a righteous mission. Right? He’s doing the right thing. Isn’t he? Yeah, he’s definitely doing what needs to be done. For sure. After finding a cilice that belonged to Friar Pedro de Alcántara, the voices trapped inside bring him back to 1562. He joins the priest atop his donkey on a journey through the nighttime forest of Ávila, fighting off the demon of sleep. His only weapons are knotted cords of rope and prayers muttered through toothless gums. Is this guy insane…or on the fast track to sainthood? The voices teach our nurse that he might just be the one who needs atonement. --- 1. Visit the Museum of Salamanca official website here and their IG account here. 2. Check out images of San Pedro de Alcántara and the surroundings I took while researching and recording this episode. You can see them on Spanish Sundown’s webpage, or on Facebook, Instagram or Reddit, where you can also join our online community. © 2025 Samuel Mattern. All rights reserved.

In the Duero Valley lie the ruins of a 4th-century Roman villa. In what used to be the home's entrance, there is an impeccably preserved mosaic of Pegasus. But Pegasus has no wings. Why? This episode's character is a Latin translator who travels to the villa with his boss (and clingy romantic partner) for a work assignment, all while dealing with abnormal back pain. When he discovers a tablet with an ancient inscription, his boss strangely insists on ignoring it. He also insists on our character never taking off the shiny black bracelet he gave him when they made things official. Even though it hurts his wrist.  It turns out the voices are trapped inside this bracelet. They take us back to 409 AD, where we meet the final owner of the villa, at a time when the Alans, Visigoths, and Suebi are overrunning Hispania. But the owner of the villa isn't concerned. Because Rome is unbeatable...right? The power of the Roman god Mars, Christian beliefs and AI collide in a story spanning millennia. Discover with our character the true nature of the black bracelet he is not allowed to remove, where his back pain comes from, and why Pegasus doesn't have any wings.   --- 1. Visit the Museo de las villas romanas website here. 2. Take a look at the series filmed at the reconstruction of the villa, El Corazón del Imperio. IMDb here. 3. I took images of the museum, the archaeological dig with the wingless Pegasus mosaic, and the reconstruction of the villa while researching and recording this episode. You can see them on Spanish Sundown’s webpage, or on Facebook, Instagram or Reddit, where you can also join our online community. © 2025 Samuel Mattern. All rights reserved.

Lori Gerson voices our main character in Spanish Sundown's Episode 9 - María Pita: Swamp Breath. Have you ever wondered what it's like to be an American immigrant to Spain? With so many listeners asking what it’s like to live abroad, we wanted to give you this special bonus episode where we chat about Lori's journey as a writer, translator, actress and model. Join our discussion on cultural differences (like, personal space does not mean the same thing in Spain!), finding your voice in a different language (and what that means if you curse!), how to mingle with the locals…and some creepy Spanish traditions. --- 1. Listen to the story starring Lori Gerson, Ep. 9 - María Pita: Swamp Breath here. 2. Check out Lori Gerson's modelling and acting work on her Instagram profile here. 3. Watch the Voice of Hind Rajab. IMDb page here. 4. Read about the history of the Church of San Nicolás. Wikipedia article in English here. 5. Listen to the creepy knife sharpener's tune on YouTube! 2-See the official webpage here. Remember to follow our Spanish Sundown community on social media and join the conversation. spanishsundown.com Facebook, Instagram, Reddit © 2026 Samuel Mattern. All rights reserved.

Who was María Pita? In today’s episode, we travel to the city of A Coruña, in foggy, mystical Galicia. After purchasing an antique comb from a young immigrant man, Josefa witnesses a situation of injustice. She is horrified to discover that a dark magic sludge has paralyzed her, preventing her from righting the wrong. The voices trapped in the comb take her back to 1589, when Sir Francis Drake laid siege to the city. With the English forces outnumbering the townspeople by almost 30 to 1, even the women had to fight in a conflict that they were sure to lose. Except that one of those women was María Pita, who singlehandedly changed the tide of this Anglo-Spanish War battle. Her story teaches Josefa how to finally break free from the cursed muck. And how to right the injustice. --- 1. Special thanks to guest star Lori Gerson for breathing life into multiple characters. Check out her other modelling, acting and language work on her Instagram profile here. 2. I hope you enjoyed the authentic sounds of A Coruña and the Galician Atlantic recorded while researching this episode in person. You can see original images of this on-site recording on Spanish Sundown’s webpage, or on Facebook, Instagram or Reddit, where you can also join our online community. 3. See the location of María Pita square here. © 2025 Samuel Mattern. All rights reserved.

"I take a deep, enraged breath and whisper back: 'Miguel, I cannot wait to wish you a Merry Christmas.' He looks confused. 'What?' Oh, Miguel. You'll see what I mean." Carla feels a lot of anger and pain. Go caroling with her this holiday season through San Lorenzo de El Escorial’s life-sized monumental Nativity Scene (or as she calls it, an LSD dream) and discover King Phillip II’s massive monastery, palace and royal crypt and why he had them built in this precise location (hint: it has to do with a door to the underworld). Carla finds an old saw used in the original construction. The voices trapped inside tell her the legend of the red- and yellow-eyed black dog that has been terrorizing the townspeople for the past 500 years. And she meets characters not quite living…but not quite dead. Carla channels her anger and pain to into a Christmas from hell. -- 1-See the location of the monastery here. 2-See the official webpage here. Join our Spanish Sundown community. For original images of the monastery and Nativity Scene: spanishsundown.com Facebook, Instagram, Reddit © 2025 Samuel Mattern. All rights reserved.

“I take a swig of wine from my Don Simón box and whisper at the woman: ‘God’s trying to punish me.’” A man lives on the Madrid metro. He is convinced that God wants him to confess to something he didn’t do. He discovers a macabre secret hidden behind the subway walls. This secret takes him back to 1619 and introduces him to Tirso de Molina, author of Trickster of Seville, and reveals the history of the square that bears the writer’s name. A history shaped by political chaos, the desamortización de Mendizábal with his government seizure of Church property, technological progress and the first underground train line…and Franco’s thin skin. It all leads back to the macabre secret behind the walls. And our character’s forced confession to a sin he didn’t commit. Or maybe he did? -- 1. See the location of the Tirso de Molina square here. 2. Read Trickster of Seville in English or in Spanish. Special thanks to Revé Fisher for fact checking. See the website and social media for original images of the recording locations: spanishsundown.com FB, IG, Reddit: @spanishsundown © 2025 Samuel Mattern. All rights reserved.

-"HAMMER THE SYSTEM, KILL THE SYSTEM." -Men, women, and children in white hoods and robes. Swaying to the beat of drums. Is she a terrorist? -A priest betrayed. A bloody hammer. What has the king done?   A woman attends a secret meeting in a 500-year-old dungeon beneath the streets of Madrid. There, her leader gives her both a symbol and a tool to destroy the people they hate. This object teaches her the story of Matías Vinuesa, a mercenary priest in cahoots with King Ferdinand 7th whose tragic fate played a pivotal role in ending the trienio liberal progressive government and ushered in the década ominosa of political absolutism in 19th-century Spain. It all has to do with a bloody hammer. And somehow, the Americans. Both our characters pay the highest price for betrayal. ------ 1. See the location of the retirement home where the Cárcel de la Corona is hidden here. 2. Check out Benito Pérez Galdós' book El grande oriente here. See the website and social media for original images of the recording locations: spanishsundown.com FB, IG, Reddit: @spanishsundown © 2025 Samuel Mattern. All rights reserved.

-"Don't cry. It makes me cry." -19th-century bandits fighting the Spanish government. -A cave with dark power. After yet another fight with her self-absorbed boyfriend, photographer Clara escapes to her family's mountain cabin in San Rafael to clear her head and take some wildlife shots. There, she discovers a mysterious hidden cave, la Cueva Valiente. Inside is a glowing red necklace, hundreds of years old. She learns its connection to bandoleer Juan Plaza's demise after his attack on a government convoy in the pass between Madrid and Segovia. It turns out, this necklace has magical power. And it changes her life with its power. Its dark, beastly power. ------- Link to the hiking trail to the cave here.   See the website and social media for original images of the recording locations: spanishsundown.com FB, IG, Reddit: @spanishsundown © 2025 Samuel Mattern. All rights reserved.

-Love your mommy or it’ll hurt. Stuffed animals come to life. -Cognac. Ouija boards. Killer pet felines. A monster’s tendrils in the throat. -SUICIDE…OR MURDER? A six-year-old boy with a secret and his plush lion take a tour of the Coracera Castle. He discovers its last owner: Juan Fernández Ganza, an alcoholic grifter obsessed with the occult who believed himself to be the reincarnation of a king. And his grisly, bloody (and brainy) death. ----------- 1. See a portrait of King Charles II here. 2. See an original press article about the story here. 3. See the location of the castle here and the official webpage here. 4. Watch La Marca del Hombre Lobo horror film here. 5. And a photo of Juan with his pet tiger here (he looks absolutely insane). spanishsundown.com FB, IG, Reddit: @spanishsundown © 2025 Samuel Mattern. All rights reserved.

-Gay drama. Tight white pants. Thirst for revenge. -A philandering King Philip II. A member-shrinking witch. Magic powdered herbs. -13 coins. Skeletons in walls. Ghosts on rooftops. -ARMIES OF WASPS.   You can find the House of the Seven Chimneys here. spanishsundown.com FB, IG, Reddit: @spanishsundown © 2025 Samuel Mattern. All rights reserved.

-A washed-up actress. Sequins. Hair spray. Short shorts. -Roaring 20s. A scheming aristocrat. An obscene playwright. A sex worker. -A revolver under a floor tile. -MURDER.   -See Avenida Alfonso Vidal y Planas in Tijuana here. -See the current location of the brothel featured in Isabel de Ceres here, right on today's Calle Libreros in downtown Madrid. -The Isabel de Ceres play itself here. -The original article covering the murder here. -Link to the modern-day Joy Eslava nightclub here.   spanishsundown.com FB, IG, Reddit: @spanishsundown © 2025 Samuel Mattern. All rights reserved.

-A modern-day American immigrant to Madrid. -A centuries-old severed ram’s head. -A murdered priest (with a stupid haircut). They all share a story.   Check out a picture and the location of Calle de la Cabeza here. spanishsundown.com FB, IG, Reddit: @spanishsundown © 2025 Samuel Mattern. All rights reserved.

Spanish Sundown, coming September 23rd. Subscribe now. spanishsundown.com FB, IG, Reddit: @spanishsundown  © 2025 Samuel Mattern. All rights reserved.