Although i am extremely honored by the doctorado honoris causa bestowed upon me today by this venerable university which I am well aware is one of the oldest of its kind in Europe, I am conscious of the ironies of fame. It is difficult on occasions such as these not to be reminded of the ignominious fate of that professorial buffoon who was the anti-hero of Josef von Sternberg’s notorious film The Blue Angel. In the final analysis, despite strong personal ties of one kind or another, I can only account for my presence here on the grounds of my admiration for and involvement with the architecture of the Iberian continent over the last four decades...