The series is a fascinating look at the difficult journey Isabella of Castile endured on her way to the throne.
The Jewish Physician in Medieval Iberia: New Directions
September 15, 2013 By
We are thus in a far better position to capture the range and characteristics of those Jews who engaged in medical practice in medieval Iberia.
Girls Gone Wild: Medieval Spain Edition
September 8, 2013 By
Since its publication in 1499 at the evening of the medieval era and the dawning of the early modern one critics have poured over the pages of this seminal text, hoping to shed more and more light on its various intricacies and complexities.
Catalonia’s Mediterranean Expansion: An Instance of Colonialism?
July 22, 2013 By
It is apparent that not all historians agree on what Catalonian expansion means, and what expansion meant to Catalonia.
The Participation of the Military Orders in Truces with Muslims in the Holy Land and Spain during the Twelfth and Thirteenth Centuries
June 10, 2013 By
Although the military orders’ primary function was to fight against the infidel, warfare in the Middle Ages was never continuous, as armies could not be kept in the field indefinitely, and when there was an imbalance of power between Christians and Muslims it was in the interests of the weaker side to seek truces, even at the expense of concessions.
Crisis and Regeneration: the Conversos of Majorca, 1391-1416
June 10, 2013 By
This dissertation investigates the economic, social and political factors that promoted Jewish identification among the first two generations of conversos in Majorca following their baptism in 1391.
Converso Identities in Late Medieval Spain: Intermediacy and Indeterminacy
May 21, 2013 By
In late medieval Spain, Christian leaders and missionaries developed conversion campaigns to bring Jews into Christianity. Some converts appear to have fully assimilated with their new religion. Those who did not effectively assimilate are known as conversos, members of a group whose beliefs and actions grew increasingly suspect. Historians disagree about conversos. Did conversos want to become Christian despite continued Jewish practices, or were they ‘secret Jews’ who knowingly engaged in the practice of their former religion?
The Symbolic Meaning of Sword and Palio in Late Medieval and Early Modern Ritual Entries: The Case of Seville
April 16, 2013 By
If I have spend some time establishing the semantic field in which these terms appear, it is because I wish to emphasize the malleability of concepts such as symbols and rituals, particularly when applied to the articulation of powers Moreover, these meanings and intents depend often on the context, temporal and geographical location.
The Roots of Rhythm: The Medieval Origins of the New Orleans’ Mardi Gras Beignet
April 15, 2013 By
This paper argues that the beloved Mardi Gras beignet, eaten in advance of the Lenten fast, derives from deep-fried pastries used to break the Ramadan fast by medieval Muslims living in Spain.
“Of Arms and Men”: Siege and Battle Tactics in the Catalan Grand Chronicles (1208-1387)
April 9, 2013 By
What was the nature of combat as then practiced by the Aragonese? Who and what was involved? How were the practicalities of battle realized on the field?
Here there be no dragons: Maravilla in Two Fifteenth-Century Spanish libros de viajes
April 1, 2013 By
Monsters, anthropomorphs, and marvels are common ingredients in medieval travel literature, and even narratives of real medieval journeys include these creatures, to the delight of the reading audience.
Delivering stability: Primogeniture and autocratic survival in European monarchies 1000-1800
March 27, 2013 By
Although the dominating position of primogeniture at the end of the period might seem natural given primogeniture’s many advantages for the monarch and the ruling elite it was first rather late in history that the principle came to dominate Europe.
Images of Rodrigo: The construction of past and present in late medieval Iberian chronicles
March 26, 2013 By
A return to late medieval narrative accounts of the events surrounding the invasions of 711 suggests that most medieval chroniclers saw the fall of Visigothic Spain in a different light
Licit and Illicit Sexuality in Medieval Iberia: A Survey of Las Siete Partidas
March 22, 2013 By
This thesis examines Las Siete Partidas, a thirteenth-century Castilian legal code of laws, including on marriage and illicit sexual behaviors.
Hunting and Hunters in Medieval Aragonese Legislation
March 18, 2013 By
Our research on hunting in the kingdom of Aragón in the 12th-15th centuries is based on the information provided by two groups of legal texts: those for local or regional areas and those that were applied to all the kingdom after the 13th century.
The Price of Alfonso’s Wisdom. Nationalist Translation Policy in Thirteenth-Century Castile
March 10, 2013 By
First, how can we say where and when translation began in any country? The origins of translation are surely to be associated with the first evidence of trade, and trade was certainly carried out in the Spain of the Romans, the Visigoths, and of course the centuries of Islamic domination.
The Scientific World of the Crown of Aragon under James I
March 3, 2013 By
This article seeks to provide a general overview of the cultural landscape during the reign of James I, with a particular focus on science.
Thieves of Pleasure: A vicious fraternal war rewards Alfonso VI with the artistic and poetic treasures of al-Andalus
February 19, 2013 By
As the balance of power began to shift from Muslim to Christian, a power struggle erupted among Christian rulers that would continue for generations, even as the light of Arabic poetry burned bright enough to influences centuries of Western verse.
Was there Race before Modernity? The Example of ‘Jewish’ Blood in Late Medieval Spain
January 20, 2013 By
Less than a lifetime ago many scholars agreed that racial concepts offered reasonable explanations for the differences they perceived between certain human populations.
Islamic Monuments and National Patrimony in Modern Spain
January 20, 2013 By
In Spain, the Islamic past usefully differentiates Iberia from the rest of Europe, and its monuments—particularly the Great Mosque of Cordoba and the Alhambra—are a source of pride. However, the Islamic past is treated as ‘distant.’
Creating and Recreating Jean d’Arras’ Mélusine from the Hundred Years’ War to Isabelline Spain
January 3, 2013 By
Melusine enjoyed great success in France, even inspiring imitations commissioned by lesser nobility, and spread throughout Europe, eventually reaching Spain fifteen years into the reign of Isabella I of Castile.
The Crusades Go Global: Crusading in the 16th Century
December 26, 2012 By
Today I will argue that the crusades, an already well-established, world-historical movement went global in the 16th century.
A Moorish Sheet of Playing Cards
December 9, 2012 By
Examining medieval playing cards from Spain and Italy.
“We Have Met Devils!”: The Almogavars of James I and Peter III of Catalonia-Aragon
December 9, 2012 By
Who were these Almogavars, who were able to defeat these heavily-armed and highly-trained knights? Why were they consistently effective against all who came before them? How were they utilized by James I the Conqueror (1213-1276) and his son Peter III the Great (1276-1285), count-kings of Catalonia-Aragon, to further the interests of their realm? These are the questions that this paper will attempt to answer.
Juana “The Mad”: Queen of a World Empire
December 9, 2012 By
It was not until the mid-nineteenth century that scholars discovered new material about Juana in the Spanish and Austrian archives that gave another side to the person of the woman who had been con- sidered “la loca.”
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