Alfredo Alvar facts for kids
Alfredo Alvar Ezquerra is a famous Spanish historian. He was born in Granada, Spain, in 1960. He is a research professor at the Spanish National Research Council (CSIC), which is a big science and research organization in Spain. Professor Alvar is an expert in modern history. He also teaches at the Complutense University in Madrid.
His father was Manuel Alvar, who was also a very well-known Spanish expert in language.
Contents
What Professor Alvar Studies
Professor Alvar mostly studies the Modern Age in Spain. This period covers the 16th and 17th centuries. Early in his career, he focused on the time of King Philip II. He also studied how Madrid became the main city for the Spanish royal court.
How He Studies History
Professor Alvar looks at many different areas of history. He studies historiography, which is the study of how history is written. He also researches "arbitrismo." This was when people suggested ideas to fix problems in the kingdom. These ideas often focused on the royal treasury, which was the government's money. It was like early economic thinking.
He also writes biographies of important people from the 16th and 17th centuries. When he studies, he uses ideas from sociology and economics. He believes in finding new information and sources. For example, he looked at old letters and records. He also studied the meeting notes from Madrid's town hall in the late 1500s.
His Teaching and Work
Professor Alvar has worked on many science projects. He has led 14 of these projects himself. Besides teaching at the Complutense University, he also helped start a history program in Quito, Ecuador. He was a visiting professor there.
He is also very active in sharing historical knowledge. He works with different history journals. He also gives many courses, talks, and seminars. These events are a regular part of Madrid's cultural life.
Books by Alfredo Alvar
Professor Alvar has written almost twenty books. Here are some of his most important ones:
- The birth of a European capital city. Madrid between 1561 and 1606: This book won a special prize in 1989. Professor Alvar was only 31 years old then.
- Caesar Charles: from Ghent to El Escorial: This is a biography of Emperor Charles V. It won awards for its design and was a top book in 1999.
- The dossier of the errant courtier: This book was a special gift from Madrid's Mayor in 2006.
- Isabella I of Castile. A triumphant queen, a defeated woman: This book tells the story of Queen Isabella I.
- Cervantes. Genius and freedom: This was the first biography of the famous Spanish writer Miguel de Cervantes written by a historian.
Professor Alvar has also helped put together many history book collections. He has edited important historical texts. For example, he edited the Accounts and Letters by Antonio Pérez when he was just 25. He also edited a Spanish translation of De Materia Medica by Dioscorides. This book was about medicines and plants.
He also worked on the Topographical Accounts of Phillip II. This was a huge effort to learn about the different villages in the kingdom. Before Professor Alvar's work, people thought it was just about taxes. But he showed it was a much deeper study of the kingdom.
See also
In Spanish: Alfredo Alvar Ezquerra para niños
