A Secret Realm: Current Trends in Spanish Medieval Studies

Jaume Aurell, University of Navarra

For a long time the history of Spain has been a truly secret realm—fascinating, but more suitable for a novel than history. The history of Spain has always been attractive for its originality and unpredictability. However, scholars have allowed themselves to be too easily carried away by the tourist slogan "Spain is different," which has given rise to quite a few errors. The following report is useful for demystifying the supposed singularity of the history of Spain while helping to air an academic sphere which, for far too long, has been encumbered by a chronic isolationism.