Imperio - History Lab

Charles V at the Battle of Mühlberg

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

Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor, was portrayed by the Italian artist Titian after his victory over the Smalkada League, led by Protestant nobles. Faced with the religious rebellion that had arisen in the imperial states in the heart of Europe following the reformism proposed by Luther years earlier, Charles V took action to prevent the break-up of one of his territories over politico-religious issues. Although the significance of the emperor’s victory is political in nature, the religious connotation should not be forgotten, in which Catholicism defeats Protestantism. Thus, in the image, Charles shows the Virgin with the child on her breast in a clear allusion to the fact that God is on his side. The meaning of this painting is to show Charles not as a victor, but as an emperor capable of ruling over the different and diverse states and religions that made up the Hispanic Monarchy. Artistically, it is a novel work for the European imagination, as it synthesises the Roman equestrian portraiture begun in the Renaissance period, which would reach its apogee in the second half of the 16th century.

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Gonzalo Pizarro and the great encomendero rebellion

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

11-minute video analysing the figure of Gonzalo Pizarro (Trujillo, Spain, ca. 1510 – Cuzco, Viceroyalty of Peru, 10 April 1548) Spanish conquistador, younger paternal brother of Francisco Pizarro and one of the main actors in the conquest of Peru and the civil wars between the conquistadors. He led the great encomendero rebellion of 1544 against the Spanish crown in protest at the passing of the New Laws.

The post Gonzalo Pizarro and the great encomendero rebellion first appeared on History Lab.

Conquest and plunder

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

The documentary series The History of the World, “History as adventure, as drama, as destiny”, produced by the British channel BBC, shows with great realism some of the key events in world history, such as the arrival of Christopher Columbus in America, the atomic bomb or the death of Julius Caesar. Special attention has been paid to details such as clothing, city settings, etc. Specifically, chapter 5 deals with the conquest of the New World. Without doubt, the contact between the Spanish colonists and the natives of America and the repercussions of the gold plundering are depicted. Thus was born the extensive network of sea routes by which the English and Dutch controlled the world’s maritime trade in spices, furs and luxury goods such as tulips. Meanwhile, Europe was in the midst of terrible religious conflicts after the Protestant Reformation.

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The Balmis Expedition – RNE Documents

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

Audio documentary 55.45 minutes long, which deals with the Royal Philanthropic Smallpox Vaccine Expedition. Commonly known as the Balmis Expedition, it left the port of A Coruña on 30 November 1803 and lasted for three more years. The vaccine, developed by the Englishman Edward Jenner in 1796, proved to be an effective remedy to contain the spread of the virus. 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-medical project. At its head was Dr. Francisco Javier Balmis y Berenguer. The video provides a well-documented account of the expedition. Twenty-two foundlings and orphans travelled with the medical team, led by Isabel Zendal Gómez, 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 so would be preserved 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. In Venezuela, the team split up: one group, led by Balmis himself, went to Cuba and Mexico, while the other, led by deputy director José Salvany, went to South America. The former reached the Philippines and returned to the Peninsula in 1806, while the latter died before their return. With a script by Elisabeth Norell, Documentos RNE rigorously exposes one of the main milestones in the history of medicine with the participation of prestigious historians and experts in public health and epidemiology.

The post The Balmis Expedition – RNE Documents first appeared on History Lab.

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.

Álvaro de Bazán, the “undefeated” and other heroes of the Empire

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

54-minute video that takes us to the figure of Álvaro de Bazán y Guzmán (1526-1588), 1st Marquis of Santa Cruz, a 16th century Spanish military officer and admiral, famous for his use of galleons, for using for the first time marine infantry to carry out amphibious operations and for never having been defeated. Known as “the undefeated”. At the same time, it also shows other figures linked to the Spanish Monarchy’s navy

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Against the Black Legend in America

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

30-minute video on the Black Legend of the Empire. The 12th of October, the day Christopher Columbus set foot in the New World, is Spain’s National Day. It is the official national day. However, it is not merely a regional celebration, but a remembrance of the encounter between two different worlds, which is why it is a Universal day. It is not only a day of celebration in Spain, but also in America. From 12 October 1492 onwards, the social and political configuration of the world was transformed forever. Nowadays, there is fierce ideological opposition expressed mainly with the resounding sentence “nothing to celebrate” in reference to 12 October. Eduardo Galeano is frequently quoted to give a literary patina to the black-legendary ideological message. It is also common to come across the term “genocide” to describe Spain’s relationship with America. The spread of this perspective is so widespread and so vehemently stated that it seems to have become a majority opinion. But is this perception accurate, does it correspond to the Spanish imperial reality, was there plundering and destruction of the indigenous people, was there miscegenation and a civilising action worthy of celebration?

The post Against the Black Legend in America 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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Viceroyalty cities of the Hispanic monarchy in the 16th century

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

This programme deals with the foundation of viceroyal cities during the 16th century and the capacity for control and expansion by the monarchical institution in those colonies of the New World. Aspects of the position of the viceroy and his involvement in the different regions of Italy and the Indies are explained in detail. In addition, urban transformations are analysed, such as the structure of streets and water supply in the capitals of the viceroyalties, often linked to the direct action of the Spanish viceroys who had to deal with the local powers. Different examples are cited, such as the Italian viceroyalties, with Naples and Palermo as other cases in Europe, and the American viceroyalties, comparing the cases of Lima and Mexico.

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