Maribel Verdú

María Isabel "Maribel" Verdú Rollán (Spanish pronunciation: [maɾiˈβel βerˈðu]; born 2 October 1970) is a Spanish actress. She is known to English-speaking audiences for playing Luisa in Alfonso Cuarón's 2001 film Y tu mamá también and Mercedes in Guillermo del Toro's 2006 film Pan's Labyrinth. In Spain she is known for films such as Lovers (Amantes), Belle Époque, The Blind Sunflowers (Los girasoles ciegos) and Blancanieves.

Early life

Verdú was born in Madrid, Spain. She began acting at 13, appearing in various commercials. She left school at the age of 15 so she could fully devote herself to her acting career. Verdú has appeared in more than 60 movies since 1984, the majority of them in Spanish. She has also been in numerous TV shows.

Career

Her first experience was as a model in spots and fashion magazines by known commercial firms. Her first television opportunity was given to her at the age of 13 by Vicente Aranda in The Crime of Captain Sánchez.

It was 27 Hours, by Montxo Armendáriz, about a girl who is a drug addict, that was one of the most powerful experiences in her life up to that point. It was the film where others started to notice her. A little after this film other more important films started coming her way, which included La Estanquera de Vallecas by Eloy de la Iglesia and El Año de las Luces by Fernando Trueba.

Verdú

Verdú is a village and municipality in the province of Lleida, in Catalonia, Spain. It is traditionally associated with the Segarra region, but in 1936 was transferred to the comarca of Urgell.

The municipality covers 36 km². The landscape consists of rolling hills with valleys and plains cultivated with grain, vineyards, and olive and almond trees. Small forests of pine and oak are scattered throughout the area. The Segarra-Garrigues canal and the Montblanc-Tàrrega highway both bisect the municipality, passing to the west of the town.

Today Verdú is known for wine, pottery, its historic buildings such as its Castle and the Church of Santa Maria, its notable native St. Peter Claver, and recently its toy museum.

History

The town is mentioned in a document from 1273. It is believed the name is derived from a Celtic name like Virodunum, meaning a fortress. It was subject to the Poblet monastery until 1835. The population of the municipality reached a peak of 2185 in 1887, but has since declined to 1002 in 2013.

Verd

Verd (in older sources also Vrd,German: Werd) is a settlement south of Vrhnika in the Inner Carniola region of Slovenia. The Verd Viaduct on the A1 motorway from Ljubljana to Koper runs above the settlement.

Geography

Verd is a ribbon village between the foot of Ljubljana Peak (Slovene: Ljubljanski vrh, 819 meters or 2,687 feet) and Retovje Springs. It includes the hamlets of Janezova Vas, Pritiska, Podgora, and Gradar. The soil in the lower part of the settlement is composed of marsh humus, and in the higher parts is brown loam. There is a large quarry on the slope of Javorč Hill (605 meters or 1,985 feet) where limestone is extracted and crushed for use by the railroad. The nearby hills, with a predominantly limestone composition, are heavily forested. There are many karst sinkholes in the area.

Name

Verd was attested in written sources in 1260 as Werde (and as Werd in 1369 and 1370). The name is of German origin, derived from the Middle High German common noun wert 'island, peninsula, higher dry land in or near a wetland'. The name thus refers to the geographical location of the settlement. In the past the German name was Werd.

Verdú (surname)

Verdú is a surname. Notable people with the surname include: