1789 - History Lab

The storming of the Bastille

ad_hlab_min — Sat, 19 Feb 2022 16:30:09 +0000

The Bastille was considered a symbol of the despotism of the French monarchy because it was a prison for many victims of monarchical arbitrariness. At the time of its fall, this medieval fortress barely housed any prisoners within its walls, yet it had great symbolic value for what it signified as a representation of absolute power. Its seizure by the Parisian people marked the beginning of the French Revolution and still stands today as a milestone in the history of revolutions.

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The French Revolution in 15 minutes

ad_hlab_min — Sat, 19 Feb 2022 16:28:06 +0000

This 14-minute video deals with the French Revolution as one of the most important political and social transformations in Europe at the end of the 18th century. It is one of the most tense and violent periods in which the Ancien Régime was overthrown, leading to the establishment of a new regime in which the bourgeoisie, sometimes supported by the popular masses, became the dominant political force.

The post The French Revolution in 15 minutes first appeared on History Lab.

Teresa Montalvo a salonnière. Calle de la Luna (Madrid)

ad_hlab_min — Sat, 19 Feb 2022 16:27:41 +0000

Teresa Montalvo was a Cuban intellectual whose literary and political salon shone in Madrid at the end of the 18th century, located in an estate that no longer exists on Calle Luna and the old Calle Panaderos. Married to the Count of Jaruco, Teresa’s life changed when she moved to Madrid in 1789. In the capital, her intelligence, personality and social skills turned her house, where she had a large library, into a political, economic and cultural centre that was frequented by Goya, Moratín and other writers and intellectuals of the time. Despite her personal difficulties, such as the death of her husband in 1807 or the rumours that identified her as the lover of José I during the War of Independence, her figure is considered a catalyst of Enlightenment ideas, a facilitator of projects and business – especially between Spain and Cuba – and an intelligent person who knew how to make the most of the Spanish court customs of the time. The video, 4.48 minutes long, is part of “Madrid, Ciudad de las Mujeres”, a cultural and touristic application where the traces of women in the city of Madrid are recovered http://madridciudaddelasmujeres.es/ and to which we refer for this description.

The post Teresa Montalvo a salonnière. Calle de la Luna (Madrid) first appeared on History Lab.