About the illustrations and their characters

The two figures in the pictures represent "Don Quixote and Sancho Panza". They are the two main characters of the most famous novel writen in Spanish in all times: "The Ingenious Gentleman Don Quixote of La Mancha". This book was written by Miguel de Cervantes Saavedra in 1605 (part I) and in 1615 (part II).

The Ingenious Gentleman Don Quixote of La Mancha tells about the greatness and the misery of the human condition. In Spain, this book is studied in primary school, but one only understands when is old enough. The story is driven by Don Quixote, who behaves like a crazy person but who often argues with admirable common sense. Cervantes unveils the importance of the ideals and shows the value of freedom and justice. He also warns about the very subtle distinction between reality and appearance in most circumstances. The unfortunate adventures of Don Quixote teach about life and brim with generosity, absurd situations, loyalty, and imaginary heroic deeds of a high spirit. Don Quixote represents the "high spirit and idealism" and Sancho on the other hand reflects the "pragmatism and realism". A balance which in Particle Physics is always a milestone to be reached for our projects.

The illustrations on the web have been produced by Javier Lacasta and the poster by Joan Verdú.