Description
Glimpses from the Middle Ages
Book Summary
This book offers a renewed and profoundly human vision of the medieval history of Álava through nineteen biographical portraits. The reader will discover the life experiences of men and women of diverse social origins who lived between 1300 and 1550, ranging from farmers to international merchants, as well as clerics, doctors, and nobles. The work combines academic rigor with a clear outreach mission to reveal the daily aspects, social conflicts, and cultural practices of a fascinating era, providing a richer and more nuanced understanding of the Alavese past.
What is it about?
The work delves into the history of Álava during the Late Middle Ages and the beginning of the Modern Age through nineteen life stories. Each chapter focuses on a real person, whose personal and professional experiences serve as a thread to explore the social, political, and cultural themes of the era. Through these biographies, the author examines daily life, power relations, religious beliefs, and social tensions, offering a complex mosaic of a society in transformation. Issues such as manorial abuses, the persecution of Jewish converts, gender-based violence, medical practices in the face of epidemics, intellectual thought, and family and marital dynamics are addressed, all contextualized within the Alavese territory.
Main themes
- Social and biographical history of Álava during the Late Middle Ages (1300-1550).
- Analysis of power relations between lords and peasants, and social conflict.
- Study of professional diversity and social groups: farmers, merchants, clerics, nobles, notaries, and doctors.
- Inquisitorial persecution and the situation of Jewish converts.
- Women's history: rape, witchcraft, consensual abductions, and spousal abuse.
- Daily life, religious practices, material culture, and private libraries.
- Family history and genealogy as tools for understanding the past.
Who is it recommended for?
This book is aimed at readers interested in the medieval history of Spain, with a particular interest in the local history of Álava and the Basque Country. It is also of great value to students and professionals in history, genealogy, and the social sciences who are looking for a biographical and social approach. Likewise, anyone attracted to life stories from the past, microhistory, and rigorous historical dissemination will find this work an enriching and accessible read.
What this book contributes
- A renewed and intimate perspective of Alavese medieval history through concrete human experiences.
- A rigorous and well-documented analysis that combines scholarship with an informative and engaging narrative.
- Knowledge of little-discussed aspects of daily life, mentalities, and social conflicts of the era.
- A useful tool for those researching their family roots or the local history of the region.
Technical specifications
- Author: Ernesto García Fernández
- Publisher: Sans Soleil Ediciones
- Language: Spanish
- Topic: History, European History, Medieval History, Social Groups, Social Classes, Álava Local History, Family History, Genealogy
- Collection: Álava Medieval
- Publication date: October 2023
- Number of pages: 466
- Weight: 1039 g
Editorial review
This is a work of social history that stands out for its biographical focus and its ability to humanize the medieval Alavese past. The author achieves a commendable balance between academic rigor and accessibility, offering the reader a nuanced vision free of clichés. The breadth of topics covered and the diversity of the characters portrayed make this book a valuable reference for those wishing to delve into local history from a rich and plural perspective.