Biografías - History Lab

The powers of a corregidor: the case of Ramírez de Villaescusa, 1492-1501

ad_hlab_min — Sat, 19 Feb 2022 16:29:56 +0000

As royal officials, the corregidores were responsible for justice, mediation and government. They were one of the most important figures in the defence of the interests of the monarchy in the large towns. The case presented by the author is the attributions of the corregidor of Valladolid, Alonso Ramírez de Villaescusa, between 1492 and 1501. A compilation of 60 systematised documents gives evidence of his actions: the majority were executions in acts of concord or justice (28% of cases), followed by acting as mediator (25%), management of the office (18%), taxation (13%), or information and enquiries (7%). He was answerable to the Crown, and it was he who looked after the interests of the Crown in the city of Valladolid, although he also used privileged information and legal means to his advantage: he denounced Enrique de Dueñas, who was condemned for usury as a possible Jewish convert; however, the lawsuit did not prosper in favour of the corregidor and Enrique was acquitted. However, the corregidor’s aim was not to strip the accused of his property and defenestrate him socially, but to obtain part of the penalties imposed and to improve his own wealth.

The post The powers of a corregidor: the case of Ramírez de Villaescusa, 1492-1501 first appeared on History Lab.

Child vaccinators: the feat that brought the smallpox vaccine from Spain halfway around the world

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

Short 5.11 minute video produced by the Department of Microbiology of the University of Seville on the Philanthropic Vaccine Expedition that managed to bring the smallpox vaccine, transported by children, from Spain to different areas of America and Asia as part of the then Spanish empire. It was the first expedition of its kind in human history. The expedition, also known as the Balmis Expedition after the doctor from Alicante, Francisco Javier Balmis, who led it, took place between 1803 and 1806 under the auspices of King Charles IV with funds from the public treasury. In order to preserve the vaccine sample for the duration of the voyage, it was decided that it should be carried by children who were successively inoculated arm in arm during the course of the voyage. Thus, the protagonists of this story were 22 foundlings aged between 3 and 9 from the Foundling Homes in A Coruña, Santiago de Compostela and Madrid, all of them accompanied by Isabel Zendal Gómez, rector of the A Coruña home and mother of one of the children. With the aim of reaching the general public, the narration is particularly clear in its presentation, with visual resources very suitable for primary and secondary school pupils. In addition, this video aims to raise public awareness of the importance of vaccination, as well as to debunk the myth of ‘anti-vaccination’ and its lack of scientific rigour.

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Isabel Zendal: the unsung heroine of the vaccine expedition

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

A 1 hour and 30 minute video in which, with the participation of different specialists and the contribution of period documents, the figure of Isabel Zendal Gómez is discussed in the context of the Royal Philanthropic Smallpox Vaccine Expedition. Commonly known as the Balmis Expedition, it left the port of A Coruña on 30 November 1803. With the aim of eradicating the disease in the Empire and the overseas colonies, the Spanish monarchy, with Charles IV as king, sponsored this ambitious and pioneering scientific and medical project. At its head was Dr Francisco Javier Balmis y Berenguer. Twenty-two foundlings and orphans travelled with the medical team, led by Isabel Zendal, the rector of the Casa de Expósitos in A Coruña. The children, aged between 3 and 9 years, carried the vaccine in their bodies and it was kept in good condition until their arrival in America. The method consisted of injecting the vaccine into one child and, when it matured, the pulp was extracted and inoculated into another; in this way, a chain was established that ensured the vaccine fluid. After the American phase, the expedition continued to the Philippines, also with 26 children. The World Health Organisation recognised Zendal as the first nurse in history on an international mission. Her professional activity in the philanthropic expedition lasted for the ten years it took to bring the smallpox vaccine to the Spanish overseas territories.

The post Isabel Zendal: the unsung heroine of the vaccine expedition first appeared on History Lab.

Isabel Zendal

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

2.12 minute video produced by the Mexican Society of Public Health on the figure of Isabel Zendal Gómez in the context of the Royal Philanthropic Smallpox Vaccine Expedition (1803). It is commonly known as the Balmis Expedition because it was led by Dr Francisco Javier Balmis y Berenguer. Twenty-two foundlings and orphans travelled with the medical team, led by Isabel Zendal, the rector of the Casa de Expósitos of the Hospital de la Caridad in A Coruña. They, aged between 3 and 9 years, were the ones who carried the vaccine in their bodies and so it could be preserved in good condition until its arrival in America. With the aim of being accessible to the general public, the narration is particularly clear in its presentation, with visual resources very suitable for primary and secondary school pupils. Isabel Zendal was recognised by the World Health Organisation as the first nurse in history on an international mission.

The post Isabel Zendal first appeared on History Lab.

The Countess of Montijo (1754-1808)

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

who was Mª Francisca de Sales Portocarrero y Guzmán (1754-1808), VI Countess of Montijo? The answer is offered by Gloria Franco Rubio, Professor of Modern History at the Complutense University of Madrid, in a presentation lasting just over 13 minutes. The video, hosted on the website Recursos Didácticos para la Historia Moderna y Contemporánea de las Mujeres y las Relaciones de Género en España, focuses on her figure as one of the most brilliant women of enlightened Spain. Translator of French works, salon conductor, active secretary of the Junta de Damas, she was also a suspect in religious matters. Her life trajectory shows a strong and free personality, unconventional in the society of her time and contrary to the model of the traditional domestic woman. Involved in the problems of her time, she wanted to contribute to the attainment of public happiness by getting involved in the search for solutions, developing activities and contributing initiatives that led her to adopt a personal commitment to the reformist tendencies of the enlightened governments, almost always acting with great solidarity towards women

The post The Countess of Montijo (1754-1808) first appeared on History Lab.

The history of women in the Prado Museum. Educational guide

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

According to the presentation made by the Museo del Prado itself, the Didactic Guide is based on the need to promote the association of museums and educational institutions to create joint strategies to overcome gender inequalities through a critical approach to the history and theories of art. The project is part of “Didactics 2.0 Museums in Feminine”, a project that is the result of joint work between a team from the Feminist Research Institute of the Complutense University of Madrid, the e-Women Association and the teams from the Museums participating in the project: Museo del Prado, Museo Nacional Centro de Arte Reina Sofía, Museo Arqueológico Nacional, Museo del Traje and Museo Nacional de Cerámica González Martí. The itineraries prepared by Antonia Fernández Valencia, Marián López Fernández Cao and Asunción Bernárdez Rodal address two basic themes: Women and power and Women’s jobs. According to these authors, although they are clearly related to each other, we can say that they have a profoundly complementary character from a social point of view, since the first one basically includes the works and biographies of women from royal and noble houses, while the second one, even including some examples of women from these groups due to their political activity, focuses essentially on the works of women from the middle and working classes. Both itineraries choose different works that put us in contact with different aspects of women in history and can lead us in turn to different themes of the History of Spain in the Modern Age. They are divided into several blocks: Discourse on motherhood, devotion, power and women’s knowledge; Queens and regents in Hapsburg Spain; Our daily work; Family portraits; and Women with their own name. With a clear methodology in terms of objectives and content, as well as the keys to analysis that are of most interest, in each section there is a section of proposed activities and complementary activities for students. And at the end, a series of appendices are added which deal with aspects related to the portraits, questioning the social situation or abounding in lines of conceptual work which can be expanded on later by resorting to other primary sources or historiography.

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I saw it: Goya, the modern look at art

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

Audio of the programme Documentos RNE on Francisco de Goya. This 55-minute documentary by Ana Vega Toscano explores one of the most singular figures of universal art. It stresses the absolute modernity of his work and the transcendence it has had in the evolution of contemporary art. The extensive and original production of this brilliant painter, with his technical innovations, is explored in parallel with his life and the context of his time, addressing both the myth and the artist. Between the 18th and 19th centuries, through the different phases of his painting, his work reflects the complex process of evolution of the crisis of the Ancien Régime. Although he cannot be considered either an 18th or 19th century painter, he is in fact a contemporary painter in his own right, a precursor of later trends in art such as Impressionism, Expressionism and Surrealism. The documentary features the participation of art historians Manuela Mena Marqués and José Manuel Matilla Rodríguez, curators of the exhibition “Goya. Solo la voluntad me sobra” held in 2019. Also included are contributions by the historian Miguel Artola, the art historian Natacha Seseña and the art historian Alfonso Pérez Sánchez. The programme is completed with a selection of texts and letters by the author and his entourage. A short video clip https://www.rtve.es/alacarta/videos/documentos-rne/documentos-rne-goya-mirada-moderna-del-arte/5440766/ is also available

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Ferdinand VII, a bad reign of a lousy king

ad_hlab_min — Sat, 19 Feb 2022 16:27:35 +0000

Radio documentary on Ferdinand VII and his reign. Described in his time as “The Desired One” by a people who saw him as a victim of Godoy, first, and Napoleon, later, he is considered one of the worst kings in the history of Spain. Born in 1784, he was the son of Charles IV and Maria Luisa of Parma. A conspirator against his father, Napoleon took advantage of the weakness and division of the royal family to force the abdication of the crown and hand it over to his brother Joseph. Exiled in France during the War of Independence, he returned to Spain in 1814. As absolute monarch he annulled the Constitution of Cadiz and persecuted the liberals. After Riego’s uprising, he had no choice but to swear the Constitution in 1820 during the so-called Liberal Triennium. Three years later the absolute monarchy was imposed once again, ushering in the Ominous Decade until his death in 1833. In the absence of a son, he repealed the Salic Law so that his daughter, the Infanta Isabella, could accede to the throne. With the Pragmatic Sanction, the Carlists, supporters of the Infante Carlos María Isidro, saw their hopes of succession collapse, provoking a civil war that would continue throughout the 19th century. Modesta Cruz’s documentary features contributions by Emilio La Parra and Juan Francisco Fuentes, as well as Miguel Artola Gallego, a former Prince of Asturias Award winner.

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Cervantes and 17th century Madrid

ad_hlab_min — Sat, 19 Feb 2022 16:27:35 +0000

Interactive viewer which, based on Pedro Texeira’s map of 1656 – the most detailed, meticulous and extensive of its time – allows you to explore the Madrid of the 17th century, where Miguel de Cervantes and other characters of the Golden Age lived. It is a map with different layers of information superimposed on the current map of Madrid, with different options (white background, street map, image), with the possibility of marking areas and points of interest, obtaining images or locating the houses of characters of the period (Cervantes, Velázquez, Lope de Vega, Góngora, Calderón de la Barca, Quevedo, Tirso de Molina…). Also parishes, convents, hospitals, fountains, parks, streets, squares, orchards and landscapes, city gates, the Royal Palace and other buildings of the nobility (Duke of Osuna, Maqueda, Pastrana…), among other information. By clicking on it, for each of the points indicated, a brief description of the place, the building, the spot, the personage, etc. is given, as well as a list of the references or bibliography from which this information has been obtained.

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