Aurov, O. V.
Medieval Iberian city in Spanish and Portuguese romantic historiography, in: Proslogion: Studies in Medieval and Early Modern Social History and Culture. 2026. Vol. 9(1). P. 63–87.
Oleg Valentinovich Aurov, Doctor Habil. of History, Associate Professor, Institute for Social Sciences, Russian Academy of National Economy and Public Administration (RANEPA) (119571, Russia, Moscow, Vernadskiy av., 82-1).
olegaurov1@yandex.ru
aurov-ov@ranepa.ru
Language: Russian
This article explores concepts of the history of the medieval Iberian city that emerged within the framework of Romantic historiography (early to mid-19th century), the origins of which are primarily associated with the names of the French historians O. Thierry and F. Guizot. In medieval studies, representatives of the Romantic tradition attached great importance to the urban history of the Middle Ages, seeing in it the prehistory of the liberal liberties of the 19th century. Many Romantic historians (like their like-minded counterparts in the Iberian countries) were active liberal politicians. In Spain and Portugal, their ideas were shared by F. Martínez Marina, A. Herculano, M. Colmeiro, J. P. de Oliveira Martins, M. Lafuente, and others. All these historians proceeded from the idea of the Roman origins of the free Iberian city model, linking the origins of medieval urban liberties to the freedom of the Roman civic community-municipality. According to them, medieval local communities (concejos) which encompassed a city and its surrounding countryside were direct successors to the tradition of Roman municipalities, and their characteristic system of governance was defined as «municipal». According to Romantic historians, in medieval society, it was the concejos that represented the principles of freedom, while the principles of order were associated with royal power, creating a unique balance characteristic of the political systems of the Iberian Middle Ages. The relevance of the ideas of Spanish and Portuguese Romantic historians stems from the fact that it was within the framework of Romantic historiography in the first half to mid-19th century that a set of historiographical ideas was formed. Although they have undergone significant transformations, they have retained their significance to the present day.
Keywords: Medieval Studies, Medievalism, Romanticism, Romantic Historiography, Spain, Portugal, medieval city, local community (concejo), municipium
URL: http://proslogion.ru/91-aurov/
20466842PDFOCR
