The debates on Renaissance in Spanish historiography of the XX - early XXI centuries

Abstract

The article is devoted to the history of Renaissance studies inSpain. Its aim is to outline the main stages of the development of this branch of knowledge in Spanish historical science and to define their characteristic features. Various sources of information, including the works of Russian, European and American researchers, were used in the analysis of the problem. The evolution of the studies is traced from the first references to the phenomenon of Renaissance in Spain in general works of the XIX century to the latest research papers dedicated to the detailed analysis of the epoch in Spanish culture (including some interdisciplinary works on the issue). The first problem raised in the article is the beginning of Renaissance studies inEuropeand its further development as it was interpreted by Russian and European historians. The author presents a brief historiographic analysis of works on the Middle Ages, as the era which chronologically includes the Renaissance epoch, and the principal spheres of interest in those investigations. The author also examines the research concerning directly the phenomenon of Renaissance in Spanish culture and distinguishes three main generations of historians, in accordance with the recent Spanish studies. Special attention is paid to the fact that the first two generations of Spanish Renaissance historians generally focused on artistic aspects of Renaissance studies and mostly ignored the influence of the phenomenon on social, political and economical development of the country whereas in the latest studies there is a clear link between culture and historical evolution of the nation. Therefore though there is the abundance of works on the Renaissance art in general, just few research concern the historical aspect of the phenomenon. The author concludes that the phenomenon of Spanish Renaissance is an ambiguous and controversial issue in contemporary historical science and needs more detailed and thorough investigation.