Coinciding with the 8th centenary of the birth of Alfonso X, the Fundación Tres Culturas del Mediterráneo wishes to pay tribute to the Wise King by participating in the programme of activities designed by different public and private institutions around the monarch on the occasion of this event.
To this end, Tres Culturas has prepared a series of lectures as part of the "Cátedra al-Andalus" project, as well as the re-publication of a book, with the aim of raising awareness of various aspects of the reign and work of one of the most important figures in our history.
The first session of the cycle of lectures, entitled Alfonso X the Wise. The man before the king. Lights and shadows of a universal monarch.will be held on Thursday 25 November at 19:30h. The conference will be given by Manuel García FernándezProfessor of Medieval History at the University of Seville.
The second presentation, entitled "Muslims and Jews in the cultural and political work of Alfonso X". will be held on Tuesday 14 December at 19:30h and will be given by Francisco García FitzProfessor of Medieval History at the University of Extremadura.
In addition to this series of talks, the Fundación Tres Culturas, in collaboration with the Seville City Council, will publish a new edition of the work Crossroads of Cultures: Alfonso X and his Time. Tribute to Francisco Márquez Villanuevapublished by Tres Culturas in 2024 under the coordination of Professor Emilio González Ferrín.
More information:
- Conference Thursday 25 November at 19:30h. Wisdom and illness: the two destinies of Alfonso X the Wise, in charge of Esteban Moreno Toral, Professor at the University of Seville.
- Conference Tuesday 14 December at 19:30h. Muslims and Jews in Alfonso X's cultural and political work, in charge of Francisco García FitzProfessor of Medieval History at the University of Extremadura.
Relations between Christians, Jews and Muslims - although characterised for centuries by their fluctuating, contradictory, never easy nature - were particularly complex during the reign of Alfonso X. The Wise King carried out transcendental work in areas such as the promotion of the translation of Arabic works on astronomy, astrology, mathematics, philosophy, literature, religion and history. In other areas such as education, Alfonso X ordered the construction of a school of higher learning in Murcia where classes in logic, engineering, mathematics, music and philosophy were taught under the direction of the philosopher Abu Bakr Muhammad ibn Ahmad al-Riquti. These facts have contributed to the monarch's being known as the ruler "of the Three Religions" because of his perceived compromise attitude towards the Muslim and Jewish minorities. Professor Francisco García Fitz questions the absolute validity of this premise, considering that "(...) both the general conclusions about the coexistence of the three communities during the reign of Alfonso X and some assessments or interpretations referring specifically to intercultural relations are impregnated with a good dose of optimism that does not always find support in historical reality". How much was there state pragmatism or genuine interest in the followers of the other two great monotheistic religions in Alfonso X's cultural work? Is it possible to speak of a period of special coexistence between confessions? And, if so, would the use of concepts such as multi-confessionalism or coexistence between religions be a historical anachronism?
- Reissue of the work Crossroads of Cultures: Alfonso X and his Time. Homage to Francisco Márquez Villanueva.
Published by the Fundación Tres Culturas del Mediterráneo in 2014 under the coordination of Professor Emilio González Ferrín, Crossroads of Cultures: Alfonso X and his Time contains more than twenty works on the figure, time and work of the Wise King. The book also devotes several chapters to analysing the transcendence of The Alphonsian cultural concept by Francisco Márquez Villanueva to whom it pays tribute, including an interesting interview with the author. From the artistic frontiers of the reign of Alfonso X, to Jewish participation in the continuity of the Alphonsine cultural model or the transmission of knowledge in the societies of the 11th to 13th centuries, this work offers a multidisciplinary overview of one of the most important figures in our history by renowned national and international specialists.
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