Gijs Versteegen | Universidad Rey Juan Carlos (original) (raw)

Conference Organisation by Gijs Versteegen

Research paper thumbnail of Privacy in the Times of the Early Modern Spanish Monarchy

CfP open till 15 December 2023 Privacy in contemporary society is being constantly redefined by ... more CfP open till 15 December 2023

Privacy in contemporary society is being constantly redefined by technological developments and legislation. Yet, the root of the privacy phenomenon has a long historical path. Ever since the 1980s in which the five volumes of Histoire de la vie privée, edited by Philipp Ariès and Georges Duby saw the light of the day, the topic of privacy got some attention from the research community. In the early 2000s, several works on various aspects of privacy in the early modern period appeared, such as Privacy in Tudor London, by Lena Cowen Orlin (2007), and it was assumed that privacy as we know it nowadays has its roots in the early modern understanding of this phenomenon. More recently, much work on the study of early modern privacy was undertaken by the research team at Centre for Privacy Studies at the University of Copenhagen. Heuristic zones of privacy (soul/mind, body, bedroom/room, house/household, community and state) developed there can serve as a tool for better understanding of how privacy functioned at the time. This allows to both examine the positive and the negative qualities, as well as the different dimensions that privacy could have had, and allow for tracing instances of privacy not only on the level of individual, but also on the level of a group. Geographically, the West and North-European perspective on early modern privacy has received some consideration from researchers. At the same time, Southern Europe still deserves more exploration in this domain. Until now, much research has been conducted until now on predominantly Protestant lands-England, United Provinces, German States, to lesser extent Northern Europe. Research into Catholic countries focused primarily on Italy and France, although within the context of the Spanish Monarchy important research has been carried out by different projects on daily life and privacy, directed by Gloria Franco Rubio. This conference seeks to focus further on notions and practices of privacy in the times of the early modern Spanish monarchy, inviting scholars of various branches of the humanities to reflect on how it was thought of, written about and practiced in its territories.

Research paper thumbnail of The Smiling Virtue: Theory and Practice of Eutrapelia in the Early Modern Era

El seminario “The smiling virtue: theory and practice of eutrapelia in the early modern era” pres... more El seminario “The smiling virtue: theory and practice of eutrapelia in the early modern era” presenta un conjunto de estudios y enfoques metodológicos sobre las prácticas del humor y el entretenimiento en la cultura moderna. Los ponentes se centran especialmente en la relación mente-cuerpo dentro de la búsqueda del justo medio en la teoría y la práctica del ingenio y el humor. Intervendrá como keynote el filósofo pragmatista Richard Shusterman, de la Florida Atlantic University, fundador de la disciplina de la somaestética, que considera el cuerpo como centro de apreciación sensorio-estética, partiendo del supuesto de que el aumento de la conciencia corporal y el entrenamiento en técnicas de movimiento refuerza las capacidades perceptivas, emocionales y cognitivas. En línea con esta perspectiva, el seminario está planteado desde un enfoque teórico-práctico, incluyendo un taller de danza renacentista impartido por la historiadora y profesora en danza Diana Campóo. Para inscribirse en el seminario deben escribir un mail a gijs.versteegen@urjc.es.

The seminar "The smiling virtue: theory and practice of eutrapelia in the early modern era" presents a set of studies and methodological approaches on the practices of humor and entertainment in early modern culture. The speakers focus especially on the mind-body relationship within the search for the golden mean in the theory and practice of wit and humor. Keynote speaker is the pragmatist philosopher Richard Shusterman (Florida Atlantic University), founder of the discipline of somaesthetics, which considers the body as a center of sensory-aesthetic appreciation, based on the thesis that heightened body awareness and training in movement techniques reinforces perceptive, emotional and cognitive abilities. In line with this perspective, the seminar has a theoretical-practical approach, including a workshop on Renaissance dance given by the historian and dance teacher Diana Campóo. To register for the seminar, send an email to gijs.versteegen@urjc.es.

Research paper thumbnail of CONGRESO INTERNACIONAL VIRTUTI FORTUNA COMES Teorías sobre la excelencia entre el medievo y el liberalismo Jornadas Internacionales: La idea de nobleza en Europa:

PARA ALUMNOS: Se conceden 0,8 créditos Es necesario asistir a todas las sesiones y firmar la hoja... more PARA ALUMNOS: Se conceden 0,8 créditos Es necesario asistir a todas las sesiones y firmar la hoja. Los alumnos deberán realizar un resumen de las sesiones para poder obtener los créditos.

Research paper thumbnail of Virtue is a Woman: the Feminine Dimension in Moral Practices and Discourses in the Early Modern Era (15th -18th century) Jornadas Internacionales: La idea de nobleza en Europa:

Research paper thumbnail of Conference announcement: Magnificence in the 17th Century. Performing Splendour in Catholic and Protestant Context

Instituto Moll. Center for research in Flemish Painting in Spain organizes together with the Leid... more Instituto Moll. Center for research in Flemish Painting in Spain organizes together with the Leiden University and the Universidad Rey Juan Carlos the international conference “Magnificence in the 17th Century. Performing Splendour in Catholic and Protestant Contexts”, which will be celebrated on 7, 8 and 9 March 2019 in Madrid. The meeting will bring together more than 30 researchers from different European universities and institutions.

The conference reflects on the performance of the virtue of magnificence, defined by Aristotle as “a fitting expenditure involving largeness of scale”. The magnificent man had to spend according to the circumstances avoiding the vicious extremes of avarice and extravagance. Performing magnificence, therefore, was extremely difficult and was compared by Aristotle to the artistic process of creating a true work of art.

Along eight sessions, focused on ethics, politics, theatre, architecture, court ballet, painting and festivities, the conference participants will discuss how this virtue was expressed in 17th century Catholic and Protestant contexts.

The conference takes place on 7 March at the Fundación Mapfre (Paseo de Recoletos 23) and on 8-9 March at the campus of the Universidad Rey Juan Carlos (Calle Quintana 21).

Publication Name: Magnificence in the 17th Century. Performing Splendour in Catholic and Protestant Contexts

Research paper thumbnail of CONGRESO INTERNACIONAL VIRTUTI FORTUNA COMES Teorías sobre la excelencia entre el medievo y el liberalismo ORGANIZAN

PARA ALUMNOS: Se conceden 0,8 créditos Es necesario asistir a todas las sesiones y firmar la hoja... more PARA ALUMNOS: Se conceden 0,8 créditos Es necesario asistir a todas las sesiones y firmar la hoja. Los alumnos deberán realizar un resumen de las sesiones para poder obtener los créditos.

Research paper thumbnail of CALL FOR PAPERS: MAGNIFICENCE IN THE 17 th CENTURY Performing Splendour in Republican and Princely Contexts 1

submission deadline: 1 May 2018. Participants are asked to send the title, a short curriculum and... more submission deadline: 1 May 2018. Participants are asked to send the title, a short curriculum and a summary in maximum 250 words. A selection of the presented papers will be published prior peer review.

Research paper thumbnail of Call For Papers, Congress Habsburg Netherlands and its Institutions, Nijmegen, May 2016

Since the 1970s the institutional history of the Habsburg Low Countries has regained the interest... more Since the 1970s the institutional history of the Habsburg Low Countries has regained the interest of historians, chief among them Professor Hugo de Schepper, whose dissertation on the ‘Collateral Councils’ in the period 1579-1609 has influenced a generation of younger scholars. Professor De Schepper was also one of the organizers of the first Hispanic-Dutch Conference in 1984, which was followed by six more editions and included Belgian historians in the last meeting of 2007.
This conference intends to continue the tradition of the Hispanic-Dutch-Belgian meetings and will bring together a number of established and early-career researchers working in the field of the institutional history of the Habsburg Low Countries from the 16th to the 18th century. It aims to draw attention to a broad range of political, economic, religious and cultural institutions by focussing on the enriching approaches that have shaped historical research on institutional history in the past few decades. At the same time, it hopes to bring into the limelight some exciting new (and often interdisciplinary) perspectives that characterize current research in the field.
The conference will be held in honour of Prof. De Schepper at his former home institution, the University of Nijmegen (currently Radboud University). Prof. De Schepper is currently in the process of revising and updating his doctoral dissertation, which will be published by the Royal Flemish Academy of Belgium in 2016 and will be presented to the audience by the author himself.

Articles by Gijs Versteegen

Research paper thumbnail of "Bewondering, verwondering en verachting. De Beeldvorming omtrent Spanje en de Zwarte Legendes" in Theoretische Geschiedenis 24/3 (1997), pp. 260-278..

Research paper thumbnail of Nuevas perspectivas historiográficas sobre las Instituciones de los Antiguos Países Bajos New historiographical perspectives about Institutions at the former Habsburg Netherlands

El presente artículo, constituye una introducción al número monográfico que sobre las Institucion... more El presente artículo, constituye una introducción al número monográfico que sobre las Instituciones de los Antiguos Países Bajos publica la revista Philostrato. Revista de Historia y Arte. En el mismo, se analiza brevemente el tratamiento historiográfico que las dichas instituciones han tenido desde el siglo pasado hasta nuestros días.

Books by Gijs Versteegen

Research paper thumbnail of Guillén Berrendero, J., A., Versteegen, G. (2021). Studies on the Idea of Excellence in Europe (15th–18th Centuries). Berlin, Germany: Peter Lang Verlag.

Guillén Berrendero, J., A., Versteegen, G. (2021). Studies on the Idea of Excellence in Europe (15th–18th Centuries). Berlin, Germany: Peter Lang Verlag. , 2021

Studying the different forms of socialization of the concept of virtue during the early modern ag... more Studying the different forms of socialization of the concept of virtue during the early modern age is currently one of the most complex and cross-cutting topics in the field of history and related disciplines. The work Studies on the idea of excellence in Europe (15th–19th centuries) Virtus vera nobilitas est brings together essays by historians and philosophers that set out to show the problems posed by the concept of virtue in the early modern era.

Research paper thumbnail of Las ideas políticas y sociales en la Edad Moderna

En la Edad Moderna la sociedad se organizaba social y politicamente a través de la Corte. Ésta er... more En la Edad Moderna la sociedad se organizaba social y politicamente a través de la Corte. Ésta era contemplada como una comunidad moral y política, cuyo fundamento filosófico era el conjunto de las disciplinas ética, oeconomica (proveniente de oikos o casa en griego) y política heredado de la Antigüedad clásica; por lo tanto, había una continuidad entre los ámbitos doméstico y político.
Es desde este punto de vista de la Corte desde el que contemplamos en este libro las ideas políticas y sociales de la Edad Moderna, con un lenguaje dirigido tanto a estudiantes como profesionales y amantes de la Historia y de otras disciplinas cercanas. Para ello, comenzamos con una explicación de la organización política de la Corte (compuesta por Casa Real, Tribunales y Consejos, Cortesanos y Sitios Reales), para abordar en los capítulos siguientes el debate sobre las ideas políticas y sociales que legitimaron el gobierno cortesano, como fueron la oeconomica, la libertad política, la virtud y la educación.

Research paper thumbnail of Corte y Estado en la historiografía liberal. Un cambio de paradigma

Corte y Estado en la historiografía liberal. Un cambio de paradigma, 2015

Edited volumes by Gijs Versteegen

Research paper thumbnail of Magnificence in the Seventeenth Century. Performing Splendour in Catholic and Protestant Contexts

Intersections 72, Brill, Leiden, 2020

A multidisciplinary international group of scholars study the concept of magnificence as a social... more A multidisciplinary international group of scholars study the concept of magnificence as a social construction in seventeenth-century Europe. Although this period is previously described as the ‘Age of Magnificence’, thus far no attempts have been made to look how the term and the concept of magnificence functioned. The authors focus on the way crucial ethical, religious, political, aesthetic, and cultural developments interacted with thought on magnificence in Catholic and Protestant contexts, analysing spectacular civic and courtly festivities and theatre, impressive displays of painting and sculpture in rich architectural settings, splendid gardens, exclusive etiquette, grand households, and learned treatises of moral philosophy.

Contributions to Volumes by Gijs Versteegen

Research paper thumbnail of Continuity and change in courtly and Enlightenment discourse on education in Spain: Gaspar Melchor de Jovellanos and the moral regeneration of the nobility

Enlightenment at court. Patrons, philosophes, and reformers in eighteenth-century Europe, 2022

This chapter analyses Jovelanos's ideas on moral education as part of a critical reflection on th... more This chapter analyses Jovelanos's ideas on moral education as part of a critical reflection on the long tradition of courtly aristocratic ethics. That
tradition interpreted virtue and excellence as being expressed in refined and elegant manners, with an appropriate display of luxury in accordance with the decorum of the nobility. In early modern anti-court discourses, this aristocratic behavior and display of luxury was frequently criticized as outward appearance, and contrasted with Christian virtues based on contemptus mundi. Jovellanos echoed this critical tradition, but did not place the display of luxury and decadent manners in opposition to a life of renunciation. According to him, the aristocracy had to fulfill its duties in society by contributing to moral regeneration through exemplary behavior, and by contributing to public prosperity through increasing economic productivity. In this way, Jovellanos introduced Enlightenment ideas into the critical discourse on the moral decadence of the aristocracy.

Research paper thumbnail of "Común conveniencia de alma y cuerpo". La dimensión corporal de la virtud en Juan Eusebio Nieremberg y Baltasar Gracián

"De señal y prerrogativa de nobleza". Heráldica, honor y virtud, siglos XV-XIX, 2022

La relación entre cuerpo y mente en la Edad Moderna es interpretada frecuentmente en términos de ... more La relación entre cuerpo y mente en la Edad Moderna es interpretada frecuentmente en términos de represión de lo corporal. Sin embargo, la realidad de la concepción de su vinculación es mucho más matizada e, incluso, prefigura algunos conceptos actuales, como el de la incorporación o embodiment. Después de una breve reseña de lagunas perspectivas tomadas de la cultura popular, el arte y la ciencia actuales, pretendo demostrarlo a través de dos perspectivas expresadas por los jesuitas españoles del siglo XVII, Juan Eusebio Nieremberg y Baltasar Gracián.

Research paper thumbnail of Virtue Politics as an Exercise: Juan Eusebio Nieremberg on Political Leadership in Times of Crisis

Studies on teh Idea of Excellence in Europe (15th-18th Centuries). Virtus Vera Nobilitas Est, 2021

Juan Eusebio Nieremberg wrote his mirror of princes Corona Virtuosa, Virtud Coronada, against a b... more Juan Eusebio Nieremberg wrote his mirror of princes Corona Virtuosa, Virtud Coronada, against a backdrop of reason-of-state politics. According to Nieremberg, political practice was only efficient, and political leaders only could have a moral impact on their citizens if they trained themselves in the exercise of virtue. This essay focuses on Nieremberg’s treatise from the perspective of ascesis, examining the different strategies that aim not only to make readers aware of the importance of acting according to the rules of virtue, but also to contribute to their actual moral transformation.

Research paper thumbnail of Introduction

Magnificence in the Seventeenth Century. Performing Splenour in Catholic and Protestant Contexts, ed. Gijs Versteegen, Stijn Bussels and Walter Melion, 2020

This volume explores the concept of magnificence as a social construction in seventeenth-century ... more This volume explores the concept of magnificence as a social construction in seventeenth-century Europe. Although this period is often described as the ‘Age of Magnificence’, thus far no attempts have been made to investigate how the term and the concept of magnificence functioned. The authors focus on the way crucial ethical, religious, political, aesthetic, and cultural developments interacted with thought on magnificence in Catholic and Protestant contexts, analyzing spectacular civic and courtly festivities and theatre, impressive displays of painting and sculpture in rich architectural settings, splendid gardens, exclusive etiquette, grand households, and learned treatises of moral philosophy.

Research paper thumbnail of Educating Magnificence: Juan Eusebio Nieremberg on Ascesis and Splendour in his Manuel for the Reales Estudios of the Colegio Imperial at Madrid

Magnificence in the Seventeenth Century. Performing Splendour in Catholic and Protestant Contexts, 2021

Research paper thumbnail of Samuel Pufendorf sobre la distinción social y el duelo: la modificación del concepto del honor en el discurso iusnaturalista moderno

La cultura de la espada. De honor, duelos y otros lances, 2019

Research paper thumbnail of Privacy in the Times of the Early Modern Spanish Monarchy

CfP open till 15 December 2023 Privacy in contemporary society is being constantly redefined by ... more CfP open till 15 December 2023

Privacy in contemporary society is being constantly redefined by technological developments and legislation. Yet, the root of the privacy phenomenon has a long historical path. Ever since the 1980s in which the five volumes of Histoire de la vie privée, edited by Philipp Ariès and Georges Duby saw the light of the day, the topic of privacy got some attention from the research community. In the early 2000s, several works on various aspects of privacy in the early modern period appeared, such as Privacy in Tudor London, by Lena Cowen Orlin (2007), and it was assumed that privacy as we know it nowadays has its roots in the early modern understanding of this phenomenon. More recently, much work on the study of early modern privacy was undertaken by the research team at Centre for Privacy Studies at the University of Copenhagen. Heuristic zones of privacy (soul/mind, body, bedroom/room, house/household, community and state) developed there can serve as a tool for better understanding of how privacy functioned at the time. This allows to both examine the positive and the negative qualities, as well as the different dimensions that privacy could have had, and allow for tracing instances of privacy not only on the level of individual, but also on the level of a group. Geographically, the West and North-European perspective on early modern privacy has received some consideration from researchers. At the same time, Southern Europe still deserves more exploration in this domain. Until now, much research has been conducted until now on predominantly Protestant lands-England, United Provinces, German States, to lesser extent Northern Europe. Research into Catholic countries focused primarily on Italy and France, although within the context of the Spanish Monarchy important research has been carried out by different projects on daily life and privacy, directed by Gloria Franco Rubio. This conference seeks to focus further on notions and practices of privacy in the times of the early modern Spanish monarchy, inviting scholars of various branches of the humanities to reflect on how it was thought of, written about and practiced in its territories.

Research paper thumbnail of The Smiling Virtue: Theory and Practice of Eutrapelia in the Early Modern Era

El seminario “The smiling virtue: theory and practice of eutrapelia in the early modern era” pres... more El seminario “The smiling virtue: theory and practice of eutrapelia in the early modern era” presenta un conjunto de estudios y enfoques metodológicos sobre las prácticas del humor y el entretenimiento en la cultura moderna. Los ponentes se centran especialmente en la relación mente-cuerpo dentro de la búsqueda del justo medio en la teoría y la práctica del ingenio y el humor. Intervendrá como keynote el filósofo pragmatista Richard Shusterman, de la Florida Atlantic University, fundador de la disciplina de la somaestética, que considera el cuerpo como centro de apreciación sensorio-estética, partiendo del supuesto de que el aumento de la conciencia corporal y el entrenamiento en técnicas de movimiento refuerza las capacidades perceptivas, emocionales y cognitivas. En línea con esta perspectiva, el seminario está planteado desde un enfoque teórico-práctico, incluyendo un taller de danza renacentista impartido por la historiadora y profesora en danza Diana Campóo. Para inscribirse en el seminario deben escribir un mail a gijs.versteegen@urjc.es.

The seminar "The smiling virtue: theory and practice of eutrapelia in the early modern era" presents a set of studies and methodological approaches on the practices of humor and entertainment in early modern culture. The speakers focus especially on the mind-body relationship within the search for the golden mean in the theory and practice of wit and humor. Keynote speaker is the pragmatist philosopher Richard Shusterman (Florida Atlantic University), founder of the discipline of somaesthetics, which considers the body as a center of sensory-aesthetic appreciation, based on the thesis that heightened body awareness and training in movement techniques reinforces perceptive, emotional and cognitive abilities. In line with this perspective, the seminar has a theoretical-practical approach, including a workshop on Renaissance dance given by the historian and dance teacher Diana Campóo. To register for the seminar, send an email to gijs.versteegen@urjc.es.

Research paper thumbnail of CONGRESO INTERNACIONAL VIRTUTI FORTUNA COMES Teorías sobre la excelencia entre el medievo y el liberalismo Jornadas Internacionales: La idea de nobleza en Europa:

PARA ALUMNOS: Se conceden 0,8 créditos Es necesario asistir a todas las sesiones y firmar la hoja... more PARA ALUMNOS: Se conceden 0,8 créditos Es necesario asistir a todas las sesiones y firmar la hoja. Los alumnos deberán realizar un resumen de las sesiones para poder obtener los créditos.

Research paper thumbnail of Virtue is a Woman: the Feminine Dimension in Moral Practices and Discourses in the Early Modern Era (15th -18th century) Jornadas Internacionales: La idea de nobleza en Europa:

Research paper thumbnail of Conference announcement: Magnificence in the 17th Century. Performing Splendour in Catholic and Protestant Context

Instituto Moll. Center for research in Flemish Painting in Spain organizes together with the Leid... more Instituto Moll. Center for research in Flemish Painting in Spain organizes together with the Leiden University and the Universidad Rey Juan Carlos the international conference “Magnificence in the 17th Century. Performing Splendour in Catholic and Protestant Contexts”, which will be celebrated on 7, 8 and 9 March 2019 in Madrid. The meeting will bring together more than 30 researchers from different European universities and institutions.

The conference reflects on the performance of the virtue of magnificence, defined by Aristotle as “a fitting expenditure involving largeness of scale”. The magnificent man had to spend according to the circumstances avoiding the vicious extremes of avarice and extravagance. Performing magnificence, therefore, was extremely difficult and was compared by Aristotle to the artistic process of creating a true work of art.

Along eight sessions, focused on ethics, politics, theatre, architecture, court ballet, painting and festivities, the conference participants will discuss how this virtue was expressed in 17th century Catholic and Protestant contexts.

The conference takes place on 7 March at the Fundación Mapfre (Paseo de Recoletos 23) and on 8-9 March at the campus of the Universidad Rey Juan Carlos (Calle Quintana 21).

Publication Name: Magnificence in the 17th Century. Performing Splendour in Catholic and Protestant Contexts

Research paper thumbnail of CONGRESO INTERNACIONAL VIRTUTI FORTUNA COMES Teorías sobre la excelencia entre el medievo y el liberalismo ORGANIZAN

PARA ALUMNOS: Se conceden 0,8 créditos Es necesario asistir a todas las sesiones y firmar la hoja... more PARA ALUMNOS: Se conceden 0,8 créditos Es necesario asistir a todas las sesiones y firmar la hoja. Los alumnos deberán realizar un resumen de las sesiones para poder obtener los créditos.

Research paper thumbnail of CALL FOR PAPERS: MAGNIFICENCE IN THE 17 th CENTURY Performing Splendour in Republican and Princely Contexts 1

submission deadline: 1 May 2018. Participants are asked to send the title, a short curriculum and... more submission deadline: 1 May 2018. Participants are asked to send the title, a short curriculum and a summary in maximum 250 words. A selection of the presented papers will be published prior peer review.

Research paper thumbnail of Call For Papers, Congress Habsburg Netherlands and its Institutions, Nijmegen, May 2016

Since the 1970s the institutional history of the Habsburg Low Countries has regained the interest... more Since the 1970s the institutional history of the Habsburg Low Countries has regained the interest of historians, chief among them Professor Hugo de Schepper, whose dissertation on the ‘Collateral Councils’ in the period 1579-1609 has influenced a generation of younger scholars. Professor De Schepper was also one of the organizers of the first Hispanic-Dutch Conference in 1984, which was followed by six more editions and included Belgian historians in the last meeting of 2007.
This conference intends to continue the tradition of the Hispanic-Dutch-Belgian meetings and will bring together a number of established and early-career researchers working in the field of the institutional history of the Habsburg Low Countries from the 16th to the 18th century. It aims to draw attention to a broad range of political, economic, religious and cultural institutions by focussing on the enriching approaches that have shaped historical research on institutional history in the past few decades. At the same time, it hopes to bring into the limelight some exciting new (and often interdisciplinary) perspectives that characterize current research in the field.
The conference will be held in honour of Prof. De Schepper at his former home institution, the University of Nijmegen (currently Radboud University). Prof. De Schepper is currently in the process of revising and updating his doctoral dissertation, which will be published by the Royal Flemish Academy of Belgium in 2016 and will be presented to the audience by the author himself.

Research paper thumbnail of "Bewondering, verwondering en verachting. De Beeldvorming omtrent Spanje en de Zwarte Legendes" in Theoretische Geschiedenis 24/3 (1997), pp. 260-278..

Research paper thumbnail of Nuevas perspectivas historiográficas sobre las Instituciones de los Antiguos Países Bajos New historiographical perspectives about Institutions at the former Habsburg Netherlands

El presente artículo, constituye una introducción al número monográfico que sobre las Institucion... more El presente artículo, constituye una introducción al número monográfico que sobre las Instituciones de los Antiguos Países Bajos publica la revista Philostrato. Revista de Historia y Arte. En el mismo, se analiza brevemente el tratamiento historiográfico que las dichas instituciones han tenido desde el siglo pasado hasta nuestros días.

Research paper thumbnail of Guillén Berrendero, J., A., Versteegen, G. (2021). Studies on the Idea of Excellence in Europe (15th–18th Centuries). Berlin, Germany: Peter Lang Verlag.

Guillén Berrendero, J., A., Versteegen, G. (2021). Studies on the Idea of Excellence in Europe (15th–18th Centuries). Berlin, Germany: Peter Lang Verlag. , 2021

Studying the different forms of socialization of the concept of virtue during the early modern ag... more Studying the different forms of socialization of the concept of virtue during the early modern age is currently one of the most complex and cross-cutting topics in the field of history and related disciplines. The work Studies on the idea of excellence in Europe (15th–19th centuries) Virtus vera nobilitas est brings together essays by historians and philosophers that set out to show the problems posed by the concept of virtue in the early modern era.

Research paper thumbnail of Las ideas políticas y sociales en la Edad Moderna

En la Edad Moderna la sociedad se organizaba social y politicamente a través de la Corte. Ésta er... more En la Edad Moderna la sociedad se organizaba social y politicamente a través de la Corte. Ésta era contemplada como una comunidad moral y política, cuyo fundamento filosófico era el conjunto de las disciplinas ética, oeconomica (proveniente de oikos o casa en griego) y política heredado de la Antigüedad clásica; por lo tanto, había una continuidad entre los ámbitos doméstico y político.
Es desde este punto de vista de la Corte desde el que contemplamos en este libro las ideas políticas y sociales de la Edad Moderna, con un lenguaje dirigido tanto a estudiantes como profesionales y amantes de la Historia y de otras disciplinas cercanas. Para ello, comenzamos con una explicación de la organización política de la Corte (compuesta por Casa Real, Tribunales y Consejos, Cortesanos y Sitios Reales), para abordar en los capítulos siguientes el debate sobre las ideas políticas y sociales que legitimaron el gobierno cortesano, como fueron la oeconomica, la libertad política, la virtud y la educación.

Research paper thumbnail of Corte y Estado en la historiografía liberal. Un cambio de paradigma

Corte y Estado en la historiografía liberal. Un cambio de paradigma, 2015

Research paper thumbnail of Magnificence in the Seventeenth Century. Performing Splendour in Catholic and Protestant Contexts

Intersections 72, Brill, Leiden, 2020

A multidisciplinary international group of scholars study the concept of magnificence as a social... more A multidisciplinary international group of scholars study the concept of magnificence as a social construction in seventeenth-century Europe. Although this period is previously described as the ‘Age of Magnificence’, thus far no attempts have been made to look how the term and the concept of magnificence functioned. The authors focus on the way crucial ethical, religious, political, aesthetic, and cultural developments interacted with thought on magnificence in Catholic and Protestant contexts, analysing spectacular civic and courtly festivities and theatre, impressive displays of painting and sculpture in rich architectural settings, splendid gardens, exclusive etiquette, grand households, and learned treatises of moral philosophy.

Research paper thumbnail of Continuity and change in courtly and Enlightenment discourse on education in Spain: Gaspar Melchor de Jovellanos and the moral regeneration of the nobility

Enlightenment at court. Patrons, philosophes, and reformers in eighteenth-century Europe, 2022

This chapter analyses Jovelanos's ideas on moral education as part of a critical reflection on th... more This chapter analyses Jovelanos's ideas on moral education as part of a critical reflection on the long tradition of courtly aristocratic ethics. That
tradition interpreted virtue and excellence as being expressed in refined and elegant manners, with an appropriate display of luxury in accordance with the decorum of the nobility. In early modern anti-court discourses, this aristocratic behavior and display of luxury was frequently criticized as outward appearance, and contrasted with Christian virtues based on contemptus mundi. Jovellanos echoed this critical tradition, but did not place the display of luxury and decadent manners in opposition to a life of renunciation. According to him, the aristocracy had to fulfill its duties in society by contributing to moral regeneration through exemplary behavior, and by contributing to public prosperity through increasing economic productivity. In this way, Jovellanos introduced Enlightenment ideas into the critical discourse on the moral decadence of the aristocracy.

Research paper thumbnail of "Común conveniencia de alma y cuerpo". La dimensión corporal de la virtud en Juan Eusebio Nieremberg y Baltasar Gracián

"De señal y prerrogativa de nobleza". Heráldica, honor y virtud, siglos XV-XIX, 2022

La relación entre cuerpo y mente en la Edad Moderna es interpretada frecuentmente en términos de ... more La relación entre cuerpo y mente en la Edad Moderna es interpretada frecuentmente en términos de represión de lo corporal. Sin embargo, la realidad de la concepción de su vinculación es mucho más matizada e, incluso, prefigura algunos conceptos actuales, como el de la incorporación o embodiment. Después de una breve reseña de lagunas perspectivas tomadas de la cultura popular, el arte y la ciencia actuales, pretendo demostrarlo a través de dos perspectivas expresadas por los jesuitas españoles del siglo XVII, Juan Eusebio Nieremberg y Baltasar Gracián.

Research paper thumbnail of Virtue Politics as an Exercise: Juan Eusebio Nieremberg on Political Leadership in Times of Crisis

Studies on teh Idea of Excellence in Europe (15th-18th Centuries). Virtus Vera Nobilitas Est, 2021

Juan Eusebio Nieremberg wrote his mirror of princes Corona Virtuosa, Virtud Coronada, against a b... more Juan Eusebio Nieremberg wrote his mirror of princes Corona Virtuosa, Virtud Coronada, against a backdrop of reason-of-state politics. According to Nieremberg, political practice was only efficient, and political leaders only could have a moral impact on their citizens if they trained themselves in the exercise of virtue. This essay focuses on Nieremberg’s treatise from the perspective of ascesis, examining the different strategies that aim not only to make readers aware of the importance of acting according to the rules of virtue, but also to contribute to their actual moral transformation.

Research paper thumbnail of Introduction

Magnificence in the Seventeenth Century. Performing Splenour in Catholic and Protestant Contexts, ed. Gijs Versteegen, Stijn Bussels and Walter Melion, 2020

This volume explores the concept of magnificence as a social construction in seventeenth-century ... more This volume explores the concept of magnificence as a social construction in seventeenth-century Europe. Although this period is often described as the ‘Age of Magnificence’, thus far no attempts have been made to investigate how the term and the concept of magnificence functioned. The authors focus on the way crucial ethical, religious, political, aesthetic, and cultural developments interacted with thought on magnificence in Catholic and Protestant contexts, analyzing spectacular civic and courtly festivities and theatre, impressive displays of painting and sculpture in rich architectural settings, splendid gardens, exclusive etiquette, grand households, and learned treatises of moral philosophy.

Research paper thumbnail of Educating Magnificence: Juan Eusebio Nieremberg on Ascesis and Splendour in his Manuel for the Reales Estudios of the Colegio Imperial at Madrid

Magnificence in the Seventeenth Century. Performing Splendour in Catholic and Protestant Contexts, 2021

Research paper thumbnail of Samuel Pufendorf sobre la distinción social y el duelo: la modificación del concepto del honor en el discurso iusnaturalista moderno

La cultura de la espada. De honor, duelos y otros lances, 2019

Research paper thumbnail of La oposición entre corte y sociedad: William Robertson y su "View of the Progress of Society"

La Corte de los Borbones: Crisis del modelo cortesano, 2013

Research paper thumbnail of Entre la política cortesana y la política de Estado: La Casa de Austria en la obra histórica de Leopold von Ranke

La Dinastía de los Austria. Las relaciones entre la Monarquía Católica y el Imperio, 2011

Research paper thumbnail of Entre la política cortesana y la política de Estado: La Casa de Austria en la obra histórica de Leopold von Ranke

La Dinastia De Los Austria Las Relaciones Entre La Monarquia Catolica Y El Imperio Vol 3 2011 Isbn 978 84 96813 54 0 Pags 1991 2082, 2011