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Questions tagged [spain]

Spain is a country on the Iberian Peninsula. It is bordered by Portugal to the west, and France to the north.

2 votes
1 answer
474 views

What was the value of a late 16th century Spanish Ducat?

It is a book referring to Spain in the late 16th century! Spanish ducats, each one roughly equivalent in the later sixteenth century to one escudo, or crown and to two florins. About four ducats made ...
qazxcvbnm's user avatar
15 votes
3 answers
6k views

Why are Spanish cultures labeled as 'Latin' today, but Italian and eastern Europe cultures aren't?

Based on my limited understanding, I'm just wondering what had to have happened to make the area of the largest Latin speaking civilization (ancient Rome) no longer be later attributed to being 'Latin'...
hamstar's user avatar
  • 261
7 votes
1 answer
2k views

In the Spanish-American War (1898), who formally declared war first?

In particular, did Spain formally declare war on the US first? Britannica (without sources): April 24, 1898 Spain declares war on the United States. April 25, 1898 The United States declares war ...
user103496's user avatar
3 votes
1 answer
836 views

Why does the Spanish Military Medical Corps use the Amalfitan Cross?

The Cuerpo Militar de Sanidad of the Spanish Armed Forces uses the Amalfitan Cross (often known as the Maltese Cross) in its emblem. Why? According to Paloma Garrido González, the Cross was first ...
Rodrigo de Azevedo's user avatar
1 vote
0 answers
94 views

What was the ethnic composition of the Castilian army and Muslim Spain (al-Andalus) army in Middle Ages? [closed]

I have been searching for the ethnic composition of the armies of the Iberian Christian kingdoms (mainly Castile) during the middle ages but I couldn’t find any source mentioning anything about it. I ...
Amr Elmowaled's user avatar
5 votes
1 answer
491 views

Why did the Siege of Ceuta (1694-1720) take so long?

Why and how exactly did the Siege of Ceuta (1694-1720) take so long? I was reading on sieges, and I am aware they are basically used to force a city into surrender by draining them of resources and ...
DanceroftheStars's user avatar
15 votes
1 answer
6k views

Why was the Spanish kingdom in America called New Spain if Spain didn't exist as a country back then?

When the conquistadores arrived in America, the territory of current Spain was divided into multiple crowns/kingdoms but it wasn't what we know today as Spain. I understand at that moment the ...
Julio Bastida's user avatar
4 votes
5 answers
556 views

Why is there so much prehistoric art found in Spain and France?

I was reading a book about prehistoric art, and a map with dots indicating locations of caves and deposits shown a lot of concentration around the norther area of Spain and also southern region of ...
user avatar
8 votes
1 answer
336 views

Who is this monument near Huesca for?

Roadside monument about 1.1 KM east of Huesca. Location (within ten meters): 42°8'27.90"N, 0°22'23.16"W. According to Wiktionary, “requetés” could mean soldiers fighting for Carlos 1833–1840 ...
WGroleau's user avatar
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7 votes
2 answers
2k views

Is this anecdote about use of poison in guerrilla war mentioned by Schopenhauer based on facts?

In Schopenhauer's 1819 "The World as Will and Representation", volume 1, in the (only) footnote of chapter 64, we can read: “That Spanish bishop, who in the last war simultaneously poisoned ...
cipricus's user avatar
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2 votes
0 answers
97 views

Were there serfs in early 20th century in south of Spain? [closed]

So, here is the deal, My grandad fled Andalusia in 1934 when he was a little kid with his mother. For what he told me he and his mother they were practically serfs. Working for a rich man, sleeping in ...
RomainL.'s user avatar
  • 121
1 vote
0 answers
95 views

Did António de Spínola request a Spanish intervention in Portugal?

The English Language Wikipedia article on the Iberian Pact claims that "In March 1975, after the Carnation Revolution in Portugal, António de Spínola attempted to invoke the pact to demand ...
Pere's user avatar
  • 3,801
3 votes
1 answer
116 views

Where can I find information about Spanish soldiers in Porto? 1596-1598

Currently I'm doing a research on early-modern History in the city of Porto, Portugal. I'm very interested about demography- emigration- and what I wanted to do was to find Spanish people during the ...
Bárbara Correia's user avatar
2 votes
0 answers
129 views

How did Incas chroniclers learn to draw?

I came across the magnificent work of an Inca chronicler named Waman Puma de Ayala -- or Felipe Guaman Poma de Ayala -- and I wondered: how did he learn to draw his codex? Resources for viewing his ...
atrefeu's user avatar
  • 803
2 votes
0 answers
53 views

Where can I read Andrés Segovía's original autobiographical manuscript?

I'm reading an autobiography of the celebrated guitarist, Andrés Segovía (worldcat). The book is listed in some places (such as Amazon) as "English/Spanish edition", but the text is only ...
Nate Glenn's user avatar
6 votes
1 answer
1k views

What was the expected retirement age for men in Spain in 1936?

I am trying to find out what the expected age of retirement was for men in Spain in 1936. I tried searching the Internet but the results I found were for recent years and not time past.
Andrew Truckle's user avatar
1 vote
2 answers
201 views

Was there the concept of paternity leave in Spain in 1913?

I have tried to google for info but can’t find any. As the question says, I am trying to find out if there was the concept of paternity leave in Spain during 1913 and, if so, how long for?
Andrew Truckle's user avatar
3 votes
2 answers
402 views

Were Ferdinand and Isabella the most important royal couple?

Ferdinand and Isabella ruled Aragon and Castile jointly from 1474 to 1504, a thirty-year period during which the modern country of Spain was born, ships they commissioned discovered and explored the ...
davo's user avatar
  • 81
57 votes
1 answer
11k views

What fueled the street lights in 13th-century Cordoba?

Córdoba, Spain is often said to have had street lights in its Muslim period, which ended in 1236. How did those street lights work? In Lawrence of Arabia, Prince Faisal was dramatized as having said ...
Matt F.'s user avatar
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1 vote
1 answer
998 views

When did Spain first come to exist as a country called Spain (Espana)?

Inspired by the question: What would the Wikipedia page for Spain have said in 1490?. In 1490, what we currently refer to as Spain was a number of kingdoms: Castilla, Aragón and Navarra. The Wikipedia ...
Fred's user avatar
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1 vote
0 answers
78 views

Did military politically participate and intervene in the Second Spanish Republic? [closed]

I'm currently studying Spanish Civil War. It seems that it was a tradition, that the military had power to intervene politics in Spain, at least before the establishment of Second Spanish Republic. ...
Sin Hai-fan's user avatar
7 votes
3 answers
2k views

Did Franco ever refer to his regime as Fascist?

Italy certainly started out using the term, which is derived from Senatorial regalia. Hitler's Germany can also pretty safely be classified as such, that's the regime most people have in mind when ...
Italian Philosophers 4 Monica's user avatar
0 votes
0 answers
200 views

What was General Franco's disposition towards Islam?

What was General Franco's disposition towards Islam? He did fight against some rebels in Morocco in the 19-teens, gaining valuable military experience. During the Spanish Civil War, many of the ...
amphibient's user avatar
  • 1,153
19 votes
3 answers
4k views

Did the Allies try to "bribe" Franco to join them in World War II?

At a meeting in Hendaye, Spain, Franco presented a list of demands to Hitler that the latter would have to meet in order for Spain to formally join the Axis. This included the right to capture and ...
Tom Au's user avatar
  • 104k
4 votes
1 answer
252 views

Why was the morale of El Cid's troops always so high?

It seems like in every battle El Cid fought his troops had very high morale and fought above and beyond their abilities. Why did El Cid's troops have such high morale? I would understand the high ...
Max Young's user avatar
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0 votes
1 answer
415 views

How did 15th century royals identify themselves in England/Spain?

I'm studying the customs of medieval Europe to gather information for a novel I'm writing and a question has arisen about how the nobles, especially the royal family, identified themselves. Did they ...
marieanneseren's user avatar
8 votes
1 answer
296 views

How did encasillado work?

El Turno Pacifico alternated Conservative and Liberal rule of Spain during the Bourbon restoration. There were elections, but the practice of encasillado ensured "the outcome of elections was ...
J.G.'s user avatar
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4 votes
0 answers
128 views

Did Spain have a strategic plan for its navy in the Spanish–American War?

Admiral Cervera y Topete is cited in many places as having thought that the Spanish couldn't defeat the Americans in war due to the dilapidated state of the Spanish Navy. The position of the Spanish ...
gktscrk's user avatar
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8 votes
2 answers
634 views

How did philosophical and scientific knowledge in Christian Europe in 1085 compare to the body of knowledge contained in the library of Toledo?

In 1085, Moorish Toledo was conquered by Alfonso VI. According to prof. Robert Sapolsky (he is a primatologist and neurobiologist, but usually all information he gives is very reliable), at the time ...
Yulia V's user avatar
  • 1,541
3 votes
2 answers
250 views

Why did the Spanish government award a decoration to Chiang Kai-Shek?

In 1936 the republican government granted Chiang the Order of Isabella the Catholic.1 Why did they do that? The Wikipedia article on Chiang is where I got this from.
Ne Mo's user avatar
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7 votes
1 answer
281 views

Is there basis in saying Venezuela was Aragonese?

So... This sounds like a silly question even to me, but this is the background. In the recent TV show, Bolivar, there is an Inspector of Weights and Measures for Caracas who comes in to weigh a ...
gktscrk's user avatar
  • 10.8k
2 votes
1 answer
190 views

Did the "loss" of the American territories in the first third of the 19th century have any impact on Spanish intellectual discourse?

The defeat in the war against the USA in 1898 and the subsequent loss of Puerto Rico, Cuba and the Philippines had an enormous, long-term impact on Spanish intellectuals (Generation of 98). However, ...
Marcos Gonzalez's user avatar
7 votes
2 answers
2k views

Why was Saturnino Martín Cerezo honored by the Spanish government?

Saturnino Martín Cerezo (page not available in English) a lieutenant in the Spanish army, was involved in the famous Siege of Baler, in which a small contingent of Spanish soldiers held out against ...
Obie 2.0's user avatar
  • 406
5 votes
0 answers
469 views

What was Pope Innocent VIII's reaction to the Edict of Expulsion of the Jews in 1492?

What was the reaction of the Pope of the Catholic Church to the Edict of Expulsion of the Jews of Spain on March 31, 1492? Did Pope Innocent VIII (d. July 25, 1492) condemn publicly Spain's decree? ...
Polk's user avatar
  • 143
3 votes
1 answer
1k views

Until when did Castile consider all Basques to be noble?

According to J. I. Israel's Race, Class, and Politics in Colonial Mexico: 1610-1670 (pp. 112-113), Basques in the Spanish empire had a special universal claim to nobility: Perhaps the most ...
user avatar
-1 votes
2 answers
577 views

What is this consistent symbol in the Spanish coat of arms? [closed]

I have been reading Spanish history today, and have noticed a very distinct commonality in the flags and coat of arms for various periods, but I haven't been able to find precise explanations of the ...
Adam Ledger's user avatar
7 votes
1 answer
382 views

Were Jews cut off from the Babylonian Geonim?

This is the view that I'm familiar with about the decline of the Geonim: The Mesopotamian Gaon reached the height of its prestige in the 10th century- with Saadia Gaon (d. 945), but the ...
John Dee's user avatar
  • 3,328
4 votes
0 answers
87 views

Are these two images of Juan Diez Porlier or Francisco Espoz y Mina?

This sketch and this miniature clearly derived from it occur on the web in several places as both an image of Francisco Espoz y Mina and Juan Diaz Porlier. Both were well known and recognized ...
Pieter Geerkens's user avatar
-1 votes
1 answer
225 views

Is still Spain legally the Spanish State (apart from the Kingdom of Spain)? [closed]

To the extent of my knowledge, the Spanish transition to democracy was not at all revolutionary, but a sequence of actions overseen (at least partially) by/from the State. After the Spanish Bourbon ...
38876's user avatar
  • 49
11 votes
2 answers
509 views

Why did Al-Andalus become cosmopolitan?

I have been watching some BBC documentaries on the history of Spain recently. 'Blood and Gold: The Making of Spain with Simon Sebag Montefiore', and 'The Art of Spain' (Episode 1: The Moorish South). ...
user avatar
4 votes
1 answer
188 views

Did Charles IV of Spain legally change Spanish succession law in 1789?

In 1713, Salic law was introduced to Spain. In 1830, Ferdinand VII who did not have any sons declared that his daughter Isabella was the next in line, instead of his brother Carlos. Carlos and his ...
Jacob Harrison's user avatar
29 votes
3 answers
3k views

Why does a Star of David appear at a rally with Francisco Franco?

In this web page, a photo from a repertory of photos from the Spanish Civil War, at the website of the archive of Italian Istituto Luce, shows a rally with Francisco Franco within a theatre. From the ...
DaG's user avatar
  • 677
4 votes
3 answers
1k views

Why didn't Spain and Portugal become industrial powerhouses in the 20th century?

Although Spain experienced a gruesome civil war, neither Spain nor Portugal participated in either the first or the second world wars. Despite their losses of millions of people, widespread ...
Matthaeus's user avatar
  • 1,377
9 votes
1 answer
338 views

Is (or was) there a version of the Maltese Cross with the right arrowhead missing? Does it have a name?

I'm trying to answer a question (link in Spanish) in the Spanish language site about a funny definition a user found in the Royal Spanish Academy's dictionary. It follows: martillo m. Cruz ...
Charlie's user avatar
  • 191
2 votes
1 answer
361 views

Perceptions and relationships of 14-15th century Spaniards / Romani / Moors

What perceptions of the Romani people were held by the Moors who occupied Granada around the time of the Reconquista? What were the relationships like between the Moors, Romani and the Sephardic Jews ...
Robert's user avatar
  • 29
6 votes
4 answers
1k views

What is the basis of the Spanish claim to Gibraltar?

I looked at resources in English, particularly here. Whilst I expected some bias, it seemed strange that it was not able to identify anything in the Spanish argument that looked like a case to answer. ...
David Robinson's user avatar
4 votes
1 answer
619 views

What would the Wikipedia page for Spain have said in 1490?

I'm trying to understand the Spanish empire prior to the discovery of America - I'm not looking for a book length answer, just a broad summary like what would have been on a Wikipedia page at that ...
Samid's user avatar
  • 2,174
15 votes
3 answers
3k views

Why isn't there a single trace of Germanic influence in Iberian Languages?

In this question, I would like to make a comparison between two settlements that occurred in the Early Middle Ages in Europe, that seem to be very similar, however they had very distinct outcomes ...
embedded_dev's user avatar
14 votes
3 answers
3k views

Did any Moors accompany Hernando de Soto in his exploration of Mississippi?

I was reading about Hernando de Soto and saw William Powell's painting (Relevant bit cropped and added below): The odd thing (Marked with a red arrow) is the man who looks Moorish and is dressed in ...
NSNoob's user avatar
  • 8,195
5 votes
1 answer
2k views

What is the approximate value of a Spanish ducat in 1557?

In the text of "A narrative of the expedition of Hernando de Soto into Florida published at Evora in 1557" the anonymous author states that de Soto "... gathered a hundred and four score thousand ...
sdav's user avatar
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