COMUNICATION

Yuste Foundation Presents a Book in Seville that Analyses the Multifaceted Figure of Hernán Cortés

The European and Ibero-American Academy of Yuste Foundation has presented the book Hernán Cortés en el siglo XXI. V Centenario de la llegada de Cortés a México at the Ateneo de Sevilla. The book gathers the conferences and papers of the international congress that was given the same name and was held in the Extremaduran towns of Medellín and Trujillo in 2019. It brought experts in the multifaceted figure from Medellín from both sides of the Atlantic together, such as Christian Duverger, Esteban Mira Caballos, Rodrigo Martínez Baracs, Alicia Mayer, María del Carmen Martínez Martínez, Ramón Tamames Gómez or Martín Almagro Gorbea, among many others. (21/09/2021)

The Director of Yuste Foundation, Juan Carlos Moreno, assured that what is known about Hernán Cortés is reflected in this book “for the memory of those who, within a long time, find that five hundred years after Cortés’ arrival in Mexico, there were men and women who knew how to delve into the study of our shared history, on both sides of the ocean, giving their opinions and debating without judging, and even less without condemning or sanctifying, but who did so with care and pride instead, which we needn’t hide”.

Moreno Piñero stressed the role of Extremadura, “undoubtedly the most American region of Europe, which looks both to the West, which is Europe, and to the extreme West, which is America”.

The presentation was also attended by the president of the Extremadura Histórica Federation, José Ángel Calero Carretero; the president of the Historical Association of Medellín, Tomás García Muñoz, and the president of the Ateneo de Sevilla, Alberto Máximo Pérez Calero.

Likewise, the professor emeritus of the University of Extremadura César Chaparro offered the lecture “From military and political to evangelising action: Hernán Cortés and the Franciscan Diego Valadés”, where he analysed the assessment that Diego Valadés – from Barcarrota -, a Franciscan evangeliser in New Spain, makes regarding the figure of Hernán Cortés in his work “Retórica Cristiana”.

Hernán Cortés en el siglo XXI. V Centenario de la llegada de Cortés a México

This book delves into historiographic knowledge concerning the figure of Hernán Cortés in the context of the 16th century, and attempts to disseminate and make the knowledge on the historical transcendence of the polyhedral personality of Cortés known, according to his origin, youth, education and his colonising, administrative and expeditionary tasks. His concerns as a businessman and as a tireless fighter for the recognition of his legitimate rights are also studied. The objective is to know, understand, contextualise and disseminate the valuable historical, social, cultural and economic legacy that Hernán Cortés left Modernity.

The President of the Extremadura Histórica Federation, José Ángel Calero Carretero, and the President of the Historical Association of Metellín, Tomás García Muñoz, have been in charge of coordinating the edition.

Hernán Cortés en el siglo XXI. V Centenario de la llegada de Cortés a México is the 6th volume of our book collection “Entre dos mundos: América y Europa desde Extremadura”, which is part of the European and Ibero-American Academy of Yuste Foundation’s editorial initiative.

For further information, as well as to purchase Yuste Foundation’s different publications, contact us at: libros@fundacionyuste.org