Condesa de Montijo - History Lab

Women in history. The Enlightenment and women

ad_hlab_min — Sat, 19 Feb 2022 16:28:11 +0000

The century of the Enlightenment was the century of the master painter Francisco de Goya, José Cadalso and the musician Domingo Arquimbau, but it was also the century of women, not forgetting that it was the scene of the first Tonadilla divas and of many aristocratic ladies who practised artistic activities as entertainment. The chapter deals with the crucial role played by some well-educated women with an interest in culture and high social standing, such as María Josefa Alfonso Pimentel, María Francisca de Sales Portocarrero (Countess of Montijo) and Josefa Amar y Borbón, who favoured the creation of literary salons and social clubs or conversation houses, as Jovellanos called them. These salons challenged the patterns and models belonging to traditionally male spheres. This video documentary shows biographical sketches of the lives of these women and their drive to protect culture and the figure of numerous artists, writers and philosophers. Their lives were not easy, as they had to fight and defend themselves from constant attack by institutions, including the Inquisition.

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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.